How To Take The Perfect Selfie, According To Science

Is it best to smile? Pout? Wink? Thanks to researchers at York University we're about to get a scientific masterclass in taking the prettiest selfie possible for possible for great results every time!

Whether you get snap happy in your bedroom at home, on holiday or out and about with your friends, we're all guilty of the odd selfie, right?

But the art of turning the camera on yourself can sometimes be a tricky one, so we were pretty pleased when researchers from the University of York gave us a pointer or two.

Their latest study has discovered which sized facial features we need emulate to make the most trustworthy, attractive and dominant face possible, giving us the upper hand when it comes to making a good first impression online.

'Showing that even supposedly arbitrary features in a face can influence people's perceptions suggests that careful choice of a photo could make (or break) others’ first impressions of you,' said Richard Vernon, a PhD student part of the research team.

By mapping out where parts of the face sit on 1,000 different case studies – for example eye height and eyebrow width - they could decipher the features associated with particular social judgements.

Fellow researcher and PhD student Clare Sutherland added: 'We make first impressions of others so intuitively that it seems effortless - I think it's fascinating that we can pin this down with scientific models.'

So in real terms, if you're smiling - you're approachable, if you have big eyes - you're attractive, if you have strong brows - you're dominant, meaning your selfie needs maximise all these features – that's why Cara Delevinge looks so darn good in pictures! 

Well, looks like we'll be practising the non-duck pout, smiling, big-eyed angle from now on. Not to mention filling out our eyebrows...