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Capital Breakfast with Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby 6am - 10am
11 January 2019, 17:24
How down with the kids are you, really?
If you are, you're probably doing the "shmile" and if not, you you should definitely be doing it. But what exactly is "shmiling", you ask? Well, it's the new(ish) pose sweeping Instagram and if you want to be nail influencer-chic then listen up. The Daily Mail recently coined the phrase and are predicting it's going to become a big Insta-trend for 2019.
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It's so simple and anyone can do it. Actually, you've probably done it before. The shmile is basically smiling with your eyes closed. The word fuses the "sh" of shut eyes with the "mile" of smile – absolutely genius. Not to be confused with "smising" the phrase coined by Tyra Banks on America's Next Top Model, which means smiling with your eyes.
But what's the point of shmiling when you can simply smile? Well, we don't actually know but a shmile conveys a whole different meaning. The idea is that you look completely at ease, almost smug at how good your life is, so much so that you don't need to open your eyes. The camera just stumbled upon you in a moment of pure happiness. Make sure you tilt your chin up so you don't look like you're actually having a kip, though, and just shmile.
Not only does the shmile make you look positively elated, it also lets you show off your eye makeup and evens out fine lines, or wrinkles. It's practically baby Botox.
Now you can shmile anywhere, making it one of the most versatile Instagram poses – ahem, "Bambi" pose – but it's best done somewhere super Instagrammable with maximum sunlight so it can reflect from your huge grin. Could you end up walking into something whilst your eyes are fused shut? Possibly, but it’s worth it for those likes.
Remember, if you don't nail it first time, practice makes perfect – just shmile and think of the likes.