The #selfie beauty boom

When it comes to taking selfies, few can compete with Kim Kardashian West. After all, she’s had a lot of practice. ‘My very first selfie was taken in 1984. I put on my Mom’s clip-on earrings and found a disposable camera and took a picture,’ she proudly reminisces. Fast-forward to 2015 and the reality star has turned her love of selfies into a business, with 50 million fans following her every move on Instagram. If that wasn’t enough for her selfie-hungry fans, she launched a 352-page book called Selfish, which is filled entirely with self-portraiture. It is that first selfie in her mother’s clip-on earrings that opens the book and sets the tone for the pouts and poses that follow.

It might all be fun and games for Kim, but the global information company NPD Group has reported that selfies are serious business for the beauty industry. In fact, the trend is reported to be directly responsible for increasing sales in the luxury make-up market worldwide to £390 million (about Dh2.1 billion) in 2015, which is a 15 per cent increase on last year.

‘Celebrities have inspired a generation of women to post selfies on social media channels,’ explains June Jensen of NPD. ‘Face, eye, and lip make-up is vital to achieving a photo-ready finish, and brands have responded with foundation and primers that reference the look people want to achieve, using terms like photo-ready, camera-ready and HD.’

The biggest jump in sales has been in highlighting products, up by a whopping 48.5 per cent. ‘Strobing, which emerged in early 2015, is the hot new make-up trend and is driving consumers to spend more on highlighters so they can experiment with a new way of accentuating the face,’ says June. ‘This has been a huge topic on social media, beauty blogs, and the press. Brands have capitalised on this with new launches and marketing focused on existing lines to drive sales in store and online.’

So what exactly is strobing and why does it look so good in selfies? According to Popsugar (www.popsugar.com), ‘Strobing focuses exclusively on highlighter, applied where light would naturally hit your face – so, your cheekbones, brow bones, the centre of your forehead, down your nose, and on your chin. Dabbing soft, shimmery shades will make your complexion look radiant, fresh and healthy while giving you an ethereal oomph that is sure to turn heads.’

It’s no surprise that Kim is a fan of the technique, frequently revealing before and after shots – and she isn’t the only one. Top UAE beauty blogger and make-up artist, and Friday expert Huda Heidi Kattan (hudabeauty.com) loves strobing too, and she recently introducing a series of tutorials on how to achieve the look.

Dubai-based make-up artist Dal Haleem of Dee and Dal (www.makeupbydeendal.com) thinks video selfies – is that a velfie? – have played a big part in boosting sales too. ‘Online make-up videos have spurred the confidence of women around the world to try out different or new techniques,’ she says.‘Celebrities have also realised the endorsement earning potential of brands and not just as “the face of” anymore. With social media, they have a direct link to their fans and can choose to share the information they like. They just have to tell their fans which products they use and the fans are going out and buying those. Add to that increased social media addiction and the desire to achieve that celebrity-perfect look, and it becomes clear why we are spending so much money on make-up.’

In the UAE, skincare treatments that improve the appearance of skin in selfies are on the rise too. ‘Several clients have mentioned that they have seen themselves in a photo and were not happy with how they looked and therefore decided that they needed to improve their appearance,’ reveals Rebecca Treston of EuroMed Clinic.

Here’s how to ensure you’re always selfie-ready (no filter required)…

#Selfie-ready shopping list

Serum A serum is the first step to a selfie-ready beauty regime to smoothen skin and give it an instant boost, tighten pores, and set make-up so it sticks. Caudalie Beauty Elixir (Dh205, Binsina Pharmacies) is ideal, boasting a powerful plant-based formula that brightens the complexion. Apply it after cleansing and wait for it to absorb before moving on to the rest of your makeup.

Foundation It was only a matter of time before a someone designed a foundation specifically for wearing on camera. The Make Up Forever Ultra HD Foundation (Dh210) from has just arrived at Sephora in the UAE. Developed for film and TV industry, this surprisingly lightweight foundation contains unique pigments to provide a naturally flawless complexion. It’s also completely invisible under the latest, super-focused 4k lens.

Concealer A good concealer ensures your eyes are the focus of your selfie rather than the dark circles around them. Mac Pro Longwear concealer (Dh120) is a great choice as it offers coverage for up to 15 hours without drying out or creasing. It’s available in an impressive 16 shades, so you can match to your skin tone for invisible coverage.

Highlighter If you want to strobe, you need a good highlighter. Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity Highlighter Stick (Dh63, www.glamazle.com) has a cream formula that melts into the skin and makes it glow instantly. The trick is to apply the highlighter wherever sunlight would naturally bounce off your face, including above your cheekbones, and on the bridge of your nose, brow bone, and cupid’s bow for a really flattering effect.

Mascara Avoid lining eyes in black, which will make them appear smaller, and open them up instead by applying mascara to both your top and bottom lashes. The more dramatic the mascara, the better the result, which is why a dark black, volumising product like the Lancôme Hypnôse Volume-à-Porter (Dh150, Paris Gallery) is what you need.

Blush As a general rule, when it comes to wearing blusher in selfies, less is almost always more. Choose a cream formula, such as Yves Saint Laurent Babydoll Kiss and Blush (Dh187, Sephora), which has a strong pigment, but can be built very slowly in layers for a natural finish. Use your ring finger to pat the colour on the cheeks to control the intensity.

Lips For the most glamorous selfie, your lipstick needs to be matte. Dolce & Gabbana Matte Lipstick (Dh178) is ideal, as it offers perfectly defined, long-lasting colour with one application. The creamy texture makes lips appear healthy and plumped without having to sacrifice the matte finish that works best on camera.

Eyebrow shaping kit Don’t forget to define your eyebrows as they instantly frame your gaze. Follow the shape of your natural brow and fill them in using powder, which will appear natural in your selfies. The Too Faced Brow Envy Eyebrow Kit (Dh189, www.glamazle.com) has tweezers, stencils, conditioning wax, powder and brush for camera-ready brows.

Skin treatment There are a plethora of skincare treatments in the UAE that tighten skin, balance its tone and boost radiance almost instantly. Ultherapy (from Dh2,500, EuroMed Clinic Dubai) is very popular in Hollywood as it promises instant results and zero downtime. Although it’s not an alternative to a face-lift, it offers similar results. The clinic also says results can last up to three years, so we are always ready when we pose for selfies.