Is Squinching the Secret to Looking Photogenic? See the Photos

last updated 13 August 2019

There's nothing worse than posing next to your really photogenic friend for a picture and looking, well, like "the sad one." Fortunately for us all, there are actually easy ways to look better in photos. But there's one incredible trick that hasn't made our list yet—until now: squinching.

While this eye trick surfaced a few years ago, we recently revisited it when practicing our perfect #selfie shots. The result is actually kind of mind-blowing. Here's how it works: Rather than simply squinting in photos (which can make you look awkward and like you're trying too hard), photographer Peter Hurley says to "lift and tighten your lower eyelids, and let the top ones come down just a fraction."

Seriously, it works. Just look at photos of Cara Delevingne and Mila Kunis! To show you how squinching works in action, keep scrolling to scope out the Who What Wear editors' before (normal eyes) and after (squinched eyes) shots.

Will you try the squinching trick in your next photo? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. And if you're feeling inspired to shop for a new outfit for that next Instagram, check out these gorgeous midsummer finds.

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Bobby Schuessler is a fashion editor with over a decade of editorial experience covering shopping, style, and beauty. He's spent over seven years at Who What Wear, currently leading the market team to deliver highly covetable and convertible content. He creates data-driven shopping guides featuring top retailers like Nordstrom, Shopbop, and Net-a-Porter and is at the forefront of Who What Wear's shopping tentpole strategies, including Amazon Prime Day. He also works on branded content initiatives and appears on camera in video and shopping livestream franchises. He has also worked across a variety of other media brands and fashion retailers like Refinery29, PureWow, Men's Health, and Gilt covering commerce, trend reporting, women's and men's fashion, home, and lifestyle.