Amid the ever-growing popularity of social media, there is one trend that surpasses them all — selfie. Self-portrait has transformed not only into an Instagram feed staple but has become something of an art form all on its own.
While, technically, all you need to participate in this trend is your Camera app and your face, there are additional tools available to help level up your selfie game. In this article, we’ve rounded up our top 10 selfie apps that will help you capture the perfect selfie.
When it comes to taking a great selfie, quite a few factors come into play. You need to make sure you have a steady hand, a neutral background, and good lighting. Outside — during the golden hour right after sunrise and right before sunset — is the most ideal. Even with all of those components, there are other things you can do to make sure that your selfie stands out from the rest.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect camera or a tool to retouch your photo, the apps below will help you take the perfect selfie:
Facetune is a staple of every good selfie toolkit. Described as your own personal “glam squad,” this award-winning app features easy-to-use tools such as smooth skin, teeth whitener, glitter brushes, and red-eye removal. Within the app, you can also enlarge or minimize features on your face and body as well as change the direction of the light source.
But perhaps the best thing about this app is that you can use the live retouching feature to touch up your photo before you even take it.
Facetune 2 is free to download and comes with in-app purchases, such as a membership subscription that grants unlimited access to all features.
With almost five stars and over 150,000 reviews, BeautyPlus is one of the top photo editing apps available for iPhone. While it has tons of powerful editing tools like a lip plumper, a hair volumizer, and fun augmented reality filters, the feature that draws the most praise from users is the auto-beautify tool.
While you have the option to manually edit the photo however you desire, the auto-beautify tool turns your photo into the perfect selfie with just the push of a button. The app is free to download but comes with in-app purchases for premium features like reshaping and firming tools.
Everlook is one of the most powerful face-editing apps out there. Not only can you essentially remodel your entire face — which is a controversial editing tool, to say the least — you can also give yourself facial hair, change your eye color, and even dress up in accessories like a hat or glasses.
The app’s face recognition technology makes editing your selfie not only a breeze but fun. While the free version comes with many features, even more tools are available with the paid Everlook VIP Subscription.
This retouching app will help you fine-tune your features and hide any unsightly marks so your selfie will be even more Instagram-worthy. Free to download in the App Store, AirBrush features multiple editing tools to give you glowing skin, brighter eyes, and voluminous hair with just the push of a button.
While the app’s free version includes tons of editing capabilities, the AirBrush Black paid subscription features even more.
A Color Story can help turn your classic selfie into an aesthetically pleasing masterpiece through its over 400 professionally designed filters and 20 different advanced editing tools. Not only can you add movable effects to your photo, but you can also smooth your skin and color your face with light leaks.
While A Color Story is free to download, you have to purchase a subscription to access all of the filters and tools.
A Color Story on the App Store
VSCO is a classic selfie editor that every Instagram self-photographer should have on their iPhone. The dozens of filters available are just some of the many reasons this app is so popular. Editing tools included within the free version are the same as those used by the pros, so, needless to say, downloading this app will give your selfies a real upgrade.
The paid subscription of VSCO gives you access to more filters and tools.
With four and a half stars and over 114,000 reviews, Perfect365 is a virtual makeup app that can give you a complete makeover with just a single tap. With tons of makeup brands and looks designed by top Instagram influencers, there’s no limit to how you can experiment with your personal style.
While the free version has all the beauty tools you need to capture the perfect selfie, the paid subscription gives you access to unlimited makeup looks.
This photo editing app features a variety of overlays and editing tools that can give your selfies the ultimate vintage look. Between multiple light leaks and over 190 filters, the free version of this app will help you post some seriously fabulous selfies.
The premium feature gives you access to Retrica’s entire library.
This simple photo editor is great for retouching selfies to give you radiant skin, whiter teeth, and more. The beauty camera also features tons of picture-perfect filters so you can capture a great selfie every time.
The app is free to download, but the in-app subscription gives you access to premium selfie tools.
Selfie Editor on the App Store
This app is known for being one of the best selfie cameras around. Thanks to its live effects option, you can perfect your selfie before you even snap the photo. After you’ve taken your picture, you can add bursts of shapes and colors with the magic brush or conceal any unsightly parts of the image with the blur tool.
Most of the features are available within the free version. However, the premium version includes even more unique tools.
YouCam Perfect on the App Store
Whether you’re looking to simply touch up an old selfie you want to post or hoping to capture your best angle with a beauty camera, these apps will get you one step closer to achieving the self-portrait of your dreams. And for more selfie know-how, check out this selection of the best natural selfie poses we published earlier.