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How to Get More Instagram Followers While Doing Your Makeup

Are you an aspiring makeup artist or a beauty guru who is wondering how to get more Instagram followers, but can’t seem to get more than 10 likes on your photos? I have decoded the average Insta-famous beauty guru and makeup artist’s beauty equation, to figure out what it takes to catapult into online fame. It is a simple formula that has stayed constant since the inception of social media—no matter who the beauty maven is. Keep reading for the ultimate equation to winning at Instagram—you can thank me later.

Photo: Instagram/@themayaahmad

Photo: Instagram/@themayaahmad

1. Master Contouring

The first, and foremost step to becoming an instant Instagram sensation is to perfect the skill of contouring. Chiseling your features with the help of contouring kits, highlighters, and other beauty tools is essential, but fret not—thanks to the dozens (and counting) of face-sculpting techniques that include baking, strobing, and chroming—not everyone needs the contouring skills of Lebanese makeup artist Maya Ahmad to master this point.

Photo: Instagram/@alotaibi.bashayer

Photo: Instagram/@alotaibi.bashayer

2. Fake It Until You Make It

If you weren’t genetically blessed with orb-like peepers, bombshell hair, and brow-grazing eyelashes, it does not mean that you cannot become a must-follow Instagrammer. Take a beauty cue from Kuwaiti influencer Bashayer Al Otaibi, and pair some false eyelashes with a set of icy-blue contact lenses. Though she is neither a makeup artist nor a beauty guru, the Kuwaiti-Filipina hybrid has garnered over 69 thousand devoted Instagram followers who leave thousands of likes on her selfies.

Photo: Instagram/@sondos_aq

Photo: Instagram/@sondos_aq

3. Eyebrows on Point

You can scrounge the entire Internet, but you will never find a successful beauty guru whose eyebrows aren’t defined to perfection. A set of sharp, thick, and penciled in arches can make the difference between 50 and 100 likes. Look at Kuwaiti makeup artist Sondos Alqattan’s flawless arches for inspiration.

Photo: Instagram/@therealfouz

Photo: Instagram/@therealfouz

4. Perfect Your Pose

Once you’ve achieved a killer set of cheekbones, piercing eyes, and an enviable set of eyebrows, you have to perfect your posing. Always opt for natural lighting—pose next to a window or even go outside for extra measure. Figure out which angles work for you. Tip: tilting your head to the side emphasizes your cheekbones and makes your eyes look bigger. Plus, it’s super artsy. Below, we highlight the top three Insta-worthy poses.

Finger on the Lip
This is a trademark beauty guru pose. Not only does it make you look alluring and mysterious, but it also draws attention to your freshly pumped pout (a requirement for this pose). Using your perfectly manicured finger—your nails must be slicked with a flawless coat of color—gently press it against your bottom lip, tilt your head slightly, and you’re ready to go.

The Gaping Fish Mouth
Duck face is out; it’s all about the gaping fish mouth now—i.e. subtly pouting your lips and leaving them slightly open, so that a couple of your teeth are visible. Bonus points if you have lip fillers.

The Phantom Hand
This pose is one of my personal favorites. Everybody has a different name for it—in a recent video, beauty-blogger-turned-entrepreneur Huda Kattan referred to it as “T-Rex hands,” but I like to call it “the Phantom Hand.” To perfect this pose, loosen your hand and position it against different body parts. For example: on your hair, your forehead, or chin. Note: Lip fillers are not a requirement for this.

Take a cue from Kuwaiti Instagram sensation Fouz Alfahad, who is doing both the Phantom Hand and the Gaping Fish Mouth.

Photo: Instagram/@sheidafashionista

Photo: Instagram/@sheidafashionista

5. Photo-Editing is Key

The Valencia and Mayfair filters don’t cut it anymore. To become an Insta-sensation and garner more followers, you basically need a Photoshop certification. Photo-editing is important because not only does it enhance lighting and clear imperfections, but it can change your features completely (without a trip to the doctor’s chair). This does not mean that you have to ditch the filters altogether—after meticulous airbrushing and resizing it is essential to slap a filter on your photo before hitting upload. If you don’t look like a water painting once you’re done, then you’re doing it wrong.

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