You’ve probably taken a selfie at some point. Or, if you’re like some people we know, you take a selfie at every waking moment. But do you really look as great as you think in your social-media close-up?

Lifestyle asked a beauty authority to share tips on how you can look your best in your selfie—the better to get more likes on Facebook and Instagram, and of course, to annoy even more jealous friends who are tired of always seeing your mug on their feed.

You can’t help it—you pose for your iPhone 5 at every turn, preen for your Samsung Galaxy S4 from every angle; there’s no law against it. But make sure that your complexion looks flawless, says Annie Ford Danielson, global beauty authority of Benefit Cosmetics.

“I think natural beauty in a selfie is always best, you don’t want to look like you are trying too hard,” she adds. “Selfies are usually close-ups, so it’s best to look on the matte side.”

Long lashes are also key “because they really stand out,” she adds. “And always show the shot from above. No one looks good being shown from below!”

Zero shine

Danielson, daughter of Jean Ford and niece of Jane Ford, co-founders of Benefit, was in town recently to introduce Porefessional Powder Agent Zero Shine, a matte-finish loose powder

that claims to shrink the size of pores while minimizing shine, minus the dreaded cakey finish. It’s designed for women who believe that shininess is next to ugliness.

“It glides onto the skin, minimizing oil, creating the perfect matte look, and it is completely colorless,” she says. (Agent Zero Shine will be available in January.)

Trend, however, has shown that more women now prefer the glowing finish to their makeup, versus the flat, matte look. Danielson suggests ways to get the best of both worlds.

First, she recommends using a primer like Porefessional, Benefit’s top-selling lightweight balm that instantly minimizes the appearance of facial pores. Follow this up with “a hydrating foundation that gives your skin a natural glow, like Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW,” she adds.

For the T-zone area, “Use a mattifying powder like Agent Zero Shine to ensure that you have glow in only the right places.”

It’s prudent to stay away from shimmery makeup when you have larger pores as it tends to emphasize pore size. But a good primer can keep all shimmer from settling into the pores, Danielson says.

For the holidays, her advice is to stick to your basics, maintaining your usual skincare routine, using the same foundation and concealers, and getting properly groomed brows. “What you can change up and have some fun with is color. Glam it up with some bright bold lips, or some fabulously flashy shadow.”

Danielson thinks a common mistake a lot of women make is that they “tend to focus on what is trendy over what they need.”

“Whenever I go into a Sephora, I go in with a purpose, and then I play,” she says. “Make a list of what your beauty concerns are, or a list of products that you know you need. Get those first, and then play!”

If you are to keep your cosmetics shopping to a minimum this holiday season, make sure to pick up a great primer that keeps your makeup on and makes you look flawless, she says. She also suggests getting a “fab brow product” like Benefit’s Gimme Brow.

“Brows are the frame to your face and they make every holiday photo better,” says Danielson. “And lashes, lashes, lashes! There is nothing sexier during the holidays than a set of real lashes.” An easy task, she says, with Benefit’s popular They’re Real! Mascara.

On her visit, Danielson also unveiled Benefit’s gift sets for the holidays, including a limited-edition “advent calendar” containing 24 samplers of the brand’s best-selling items.

There’s also “Groovy Kind of Love,” with miniature versions of much-loved daily makeup essentials (Porefessional, Benetint, They’re Real! Mascara, Dandelion and Gimme Fever cheek powder duo), as well as sets of lip glosses and purse-size fragrances. An added treat are the retro, Roy Lichtenstein-esque tin canisters for the gift sets.