How to Smile With Your Eyes in Photos (Smize Guide)
Smiling with your eyes in photos means letting your lower eyelids lift slightly and the outer corners of your eyes soften, so your eyes look warm even if your mouth barely moves. To do it, narrow your eyes a tiny bit from below, relax your forehead, and think of something that genuinely amuses you. That's how to smile with your eyes in photos, and with a few minutes of practice it becomes automatic.
If you've ever looked at a photo and thought your smile was there but your eyes looked flat, Glowmaxx scores your daily selfie on the things you can change, like light and angle, and gives you three specific moves to try today. Start my glow-up
What smiling with your eyes means
You've probably heard it called "smizing," a word popularized by Tyra Banks on America's Next Top Model. The smize meaning is simple: smile with your eyes.
In real life, a warm smile changes the whole face. The eyes narrow a little, the cheeks lift, and tiny lines appear at the outer corners. People read that as friendly and genuine. A smile that only moves the mouth can look polite, or even forced.
The good news for anyone who has had to teach themselves how to smile for pictures: this is a skill, not something you're born with. Plenty of people feel awkward about it. You're learning which muscles to move on purpose.
The muscles that make eyes smile
You don't need anatomy class, just the basic idea.
- The ring muscle around each eye gently squeezes when you really smile. That's what softens the eyes and creates the little crinkles.
- Your cheek muscles pull your mouth corners up and lift your cheeks, which pushes your lower lids up a bit.
- Your forehead should stay relaxed. Raised or pinched brows fight the smile.
A genuine smile in photos uses all three a little. A fake one uses the mouth a lot and the eyes not at all. Smizing is about bringing the eyes back into it on purpose.
The 3-step smize
Here's how to smize in three moves. Do them slowly the first few times.
Step 1: Lift the lower lids
Imagine you're trying to see something slightly far away. Raise your lower eyelids just a little, as if a very gentle squint is starting from the bottom. Your upper lids stay where they are.
Step 2: Relax the forehead
Check your brows. They should be soft, not pulled up and not pinched together. If you feel tension between your eyebrows, breathe out and let it go.
Step 3: Add the thought
This is the secret ingredient. Think of something that makes you smile: an inside joke, your dog doing something silly, a friend's laugh. The thought adds the tiny changes you can't fake.
Put together, it's a small, warm look. Not a squint, not a stare. If you're unsure where the line is between smize vs squint, it's this: a smize lifts from the bottom and keeps the eyes bright; a squint closes from the top and bottom and hides the iris.
With and without a mouth smile
The smize works in two ways, and it helps to practise both.
| Look | What to do | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Smize + mouth smile | Soft smile, lifted lower lids, relaxed brows | Profile pictures, friend photos, events |
| Smize, no mouth smile | Closed lips, relaxed mouth, lifted lower lids | Moody photos, fashion-style shots, serious portraits |
| Big laugh | Let it happen, pick the best frame | Candids and group shots |
How to smile with your eyes without smiling
This is where smizing shines. Keep your lips closed and relaxed, lift the lower lids, and hold the amused thought. You'll look calm and approachable instead of blank. It's also a great fix if your neutral face tends to read as serious; our guide on why you look angry in pictures goes deeper on that.
With a full smile
If you smile big, your eyes will naturally narrow. The risk is they close too far. Soften the smile a touch and keep a small lift in your brows. There's a full walkthrough in how to smile in photos without squinting.
Mirror drill
Two minutes a day for a week is enough to make this feel natural.
- Neutral first. Look into a mirror with a relaxed face. Notice your eyes.
- Lower lids only. Lift your lower lids slowly, hold for two seconds, release. Do this five times.
- Add the thought. Now do it while thinking of something funny. Notice how much warmer it looks.
- Add a soft mouth smile. Repeat five times with the smile.
- Switch to the camera. Take a few selfies doing the same thing. The camera is less forgiving than the mirror, so this step matters.
The hard part isn't doing the drill. It's judging your own face fairly. Most of us either can't see the difference or become way too critical.
Glowmaxx won't grade your eyes or your features, and it never will. What it does score are the things around them that make eyes look bright or tired: light, angle, skin and grooming. Each gets a 1-10 with a one-line note, and the same photo always gets the same score, so you can check your setup instead of doubting yourself. Start my glow-up
Common mistakes
Most failed smizes come from a handful of habits.
- Squinting from the top. Dropping your upper lids looks sleepy or suspicious. The lift comes from below.
- Raising the brows too high. That turns the look into surprise.
- Holding it too long. After a few seconds the look goes stiff. Take the photo quickly or use burst mode.
- Harsh overhead light. It throws shadows into the eye sockets, so even a perfect smize looks tired. Face a window instead.
- Forgetting the thought. Without it, a smize can look like you're trying too hard. The thought is what makes a photogenic smile look natural.
- Looking at yourself on screen. Look at the lens. Your eyes connect with the viewer that way.
Your warmest photo is one selfie away
You now know how to smile with your eyes in photos. The next minute is simple: take one selfie in your usual spot and let Glowmaxx score it on skin, hair, grooming, posture and angle, and light and fit. You'll get a glow score out of 100 and three moves for today aimed at your lowest lever.
FAQ
What does smize mean?
Smize is short for "smile with your eyes." It describes a look where your lower eyelids lift slightly and your eyes look warm and engaged, with or without a mouth smile. The word was popularized by Tyra Banks.
How do you smile naturally for photos?
Think of something genuinely funny right before the photo, let your smile grow instead of switching it on, and take the photo within a second or two. Lifting your lower lids slightly brings your eyes into the smile so it looks real.
How do I smile with my eyes without looking like I'm squinting?
Lift from the bottom lids only and keep your forehead relaxed. If you can't see most of your iris, you've gone too far, so soften it a little.
Can you learn to have a photogenic smile?
Yes. A photogenic smile is mostly practice: knowing how far to smile, where to look and what light suits you. A short mirror drill every day for a week makes a noticeable difference.
Is it normal to have to teach yourself how to smile for pictures?
Very normal. Lots of people freeze or feel awkward in front of a camera, and practising in a mirror or with selfies is exactly how most people get comfortable.