The smirk is the rascal little brother of the smile. Part friendly, part arrogant, this sly facial expression can be used to joke, flirt, sarcasm, and more. Go to step 1 to learn how to smile - you'll need a mirror!
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Smile
Step 1. Keep your lips closed
Unlike the smile, the smirk generally does not show the teeth. Which is logical - a smirk does not express open and sincere happiness, as much as light amusement. Keep your lips together as you smirk, but don't stick them out or hide them - leave them in their natural, relaxed position. The basic rule is that smirking shouldn't take any effort.
Smirking without keeping your lips closed can be seen as bizarre or even creepy - some believe this makes them look like period gangsters
Step 2. Smile with half your mouth only
Keep your lips together, bring one corner of your mouth up like a half smile. This doesn't have to take too much effort - smiles are best when they are natural, not forced.
Many people's smiles aren't symmetrical, so one side of your mouth might work better for smirking than the other. Practice in the mirror to see which one is most suitable
Step 3. Alternatively, smile so that only the corners of the mouth go up
A variant of the smirk on the one hand is what turns out to be a very shy, "hollow" smile. This is very difficult and not everyone can do it. Try to bend the corners of your mouth slightly upwards in an expression of slight amusement. Don't smile too much though - there's a subtle difference between an affable smirk and a creepy grin.
Step 4. Make eye contact with the other person
Regardless of the smirk style you choose, the way you use your eyes can make or break your smirk. Ideally, your eyes should help you "hold" whatever emotion you are trying to convey with a smirk. If you are open flirting, show confidence by looking the other person straight in the eye with a heated look. If, on the other hand, you want to express a little amusement about a joke you just heard, throw a slight knowing look from the corner of your eyes.
Use your common sense. Don't stare at who's receiving your smirk for longer than you would in the situation you're in - smiles can get very creepy, and very quickly when accompanied by a steady gaze
Step 5. Don't raise your eyebrows or bow your head
A common mistake when smirking is to raise your eyebrows and / or tilt your head to one side. With a few exceptions, this can generally seem "bogus". Generally, when someone does this, they end up conveying a different emotion than originally intended (bewilderment, for example, rather than reading amusement). Smiles are best when they are subtle and don't need to be heavily "flagged," so avoid adding these behaviors to attract attention.
Step 6. Don't overdo it
Whatever you do, when you smile, don't make it look like you're trying. Smiles naturally convey a hint of arrogance along with everything else - that's the way they look. If your smirk appears contrived or otherwise bogus, you may find yourself getting the opposite effect to what you wanted.
Remember - stay relaxed. Smiles are calm and confident, they are not seeking attention. Don't make them to get noticed, but use them as a natural response to something happening around you
Part 2 of 2: Using Your Smile
Step 1. Smile to convey sarcasm
A classic use of a smirk is to emphasize how sarcastic what you are saying (or just said). For example, you can use a slight smirk after giving an exaggerated and ironic praise to point out that the comment wasn't exactly sincere.
Step 2. Smile for fun
Smiles can be confusing because they are used both for sarcasm (as shown above) and for genuine amusement (albeit quietly). A smirk after hearing a good joke can be a quiet, controlled way of showing how funny you found it. Conversely, a smirk after hearing someone make a correct remark in an argument demonstrates a tacit admission of their correctness.
Of course, in both of these situations, sarcasm is also a possible response, so keeping an eye on the context of the situation is crucial
Step 3. Smile to show yourself pleased
Somewhere between sarcasm and amusement is complacency - a kind of aloof, arrogant sense of amusement. And of course, you can use the smirk in this case too! For starters, you can give a smirk when you make a joke at someone (just for a laugh, of course) or smirk as you list your wonderful qualities.
Step 4. Smile to flirt
The smirk is a great tool for confident and sexy people - both men and women. The smirk shows us satisfied with ourselves in a conscious and provocative way - in short, when performed well, it is irresistible. Give a smile to someone who has caught your eye on the dance floor for a moment as they walk past you, or smirk at the person you find attractive across the bar you just bought a drink at. You will leave a good impression of security and awareness that can open the door to romantic and exciting possibilities!
