The most-messaged woman in NYC on OK Cupid is sharing her secrets

Lauren Urasek has a super-interesting life. She is, after all, the most-messaged woman in the biggest city in the United States on OK Cupid, according to New York Magazine. Lauren has written a book called Popular: The Ups and Downs of Online Dating from the Most Popular Girl in New York City, and she’s quite popular on Instagram, with almost 15,000 followers. But now, she’s opening up to Cosmopolitan about the tricks of the trade: How does she get her photos to look so darn good?

Lauren is a (very talented) makeup artist, and she’s got some tips for how to take your most flattering picture that still looks like you IRL. First of all, Lauren recommends getting a full-body photo to post on your profile — one that’s flattering, but still realistic.

Obviously, this is easier said than done, but Lauren’s got it down to a science.

She said to Cosmo about the above shot:

But what about your traditional closeup selfie game? Clearly, Lauren’s got that down pat:

Lauren suggests making sure your lighting is top-notch (if you really are dedicated, head over to your local MAC store — that’s where the above shot was taken!). Never zoom in, or you’ll dilute the quality of the picture; make sure to switch up what side of your face you take a pic of, or else you’ll end up with a bunch of pics that look exactly the same; hold your arm just above eye-level, or else your pic will look a lot like one of your old Myspace profile photos. And finally, a rule we ALL have broken?

“Do not use Instagram filters! They over- or underexpose your photos and make you look washed out,” Lauren told Cosmo. “Use apps if you want to tweak things; my faves are VSCO Cam and Enlight.”

BRB, downloading those ASAP.

And as for mirror selfies, you can only take those under a few conditions, Lauren explains:

She also suggests including one picture that will start a conversation. For example, did you go hiking in the Alps? Did you catch a four-foot fish on vacation? Include a picture of you doing something totally awesome.

And finally, once you’ve got a good collection of photos to post to your profile, test them first using an app called The Grade, she explains. “It’s an app that rates photos to show which will get the best response.”

That’s right: There’s totally a selfie science. Thanks, Lauren, for making us look more glam than ever.

(Images via Instagram.)