Mark Surfas

The other metric you want to pay attention to is the color rendering index, or C.R.I. This tells you how true or accurate colors appear under the light. A C.R.I. of 100 is as good as it gets. Ms. Madden said that for most settings, you don’t want to drop too far below 90. Otherwise, things start to look weird, like under the security lighting that ... See more

To look your most attractive in the bathroom, you want lights that flank or encircle the mirror, as you might find in a backstage dressing room. Shaded or covered sconces positioned at head height about the room will further smooth and soften your appearance. But perhaps the best light sources are those you cannot see, said Doreen Le May Madden, a ... See more

People tend to look the best when illuminated by light bulbs that measure around 2700 kelvins. Most bulbs, whether incandescent, LED, compact fluorescent or halogen, are labeled “soft white/warm white” (2,700-3,000 kelvins), “bright white/cool white” (3,500-4,100 kelvins) or “daylight” (5,000-6,500 kelvins).

Selfie experts say angles can make all the difference. “Even if the lighting isn’t good, holding the camera up a little and down toward you, that’s usually people’s best selfies,” Ms. Andrews said. “It’s very complimentary. It takes height and weight out of the equation. It defines the jaw more because you have to look up more so you’re using your ... See more

“Pretend you’re a model, focus on micro-movements and turn your face in 12 different angles,” Ms. Spinelli said. “Go through that set of 250, 300 photos and find the ones you feel confident about and look good to you. I favorite them and constantly recreate those. Those are going to be your poses.”

If you don’t live somewhere that is regularly bathed with sunshine, there are technology-based solutions. “Get an phone case that has a ring light, and then no place is a bad place,” Mr. Morris said.