How do you crack a winning smile?

By Tom Geoghegan 
BBC News Magazine 

Gordon Brown's smile has been mocked by John Prescott and thousands on YouTube. But is there a secret to improving your smile? 

There's not a lot that Gordon Brown and Victoria Beckham have in common, but getting stick for their smiles is one of them. 

Mrs Beckham has been accused in the past of not smiling enough and she's joked about it, saying recently that she's been taking lessons to "master a smirk". 

For the prime minister, there's less cause to raise the corners of the mouth. 

He has suffered a week of ridicule for his YouTube venture, described by Guardian sketchwriter Simon Hoggart as featuring "the smile a 50-year-old man might use on the parents of the 23-year-old woman he is dating". SNAP YOUR SMILE - AND SEND IT TO US 
Send us a picture of your smile for body language expert Robert Phipps to analyse
E-mail your picture to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it subject line "SMILE"
Don't forget to include your name, age and where you live ... and, if you like, a sentence or two about your smile


Now the former deputy prime minister, John Prescott, has imitated Mr Brown's grin while calling it the "worst bloody smile in the world". 

But faking a smile can't be easy, especially when the subject you're trying to make light of is the reform of MPs' personal finances. 

And every bride knows how hard it is to turn a smile on and off for hours. So what's the secret to making a smile look natural? 

"The key is to put the thought whatever makes you happy - your children, a holiday, a birthday party - through your head before you smile," says body language expert Robert Phipps. "Then it comes across as much more genuine. 

"It relaxes you if you're in a stressful situation and you have to put on a front. Think of things that genuinely make you happy." TIPS FOR A TOP SMILE 
Think happy thoughts
Take a deep breath and relax
Stand or sit straight, with shoulders back
Keep your head level, don't drop or tilt
Don't hold it because it will turn into a grimace
Better to look elsewhere, change the expression then return to the smile
Source: Robert Phipps


There are two muscles that move when we smile, he says. The zygomatic muscle turns the corner of the lips up to meet the eyes and the orbicularis oculi squints the corners of the eyes and causes the crows' feet. 

Genuine smiles make the eyes and the corner of the mouth turn to meet each other but fake it and it's hard to make these muscles work because they are not easy to control. 

"Gordon Brown is one of those people that can't hide his emotions very well and when he smiles genuinely - when he's with his wife and kids and quite relaxed - he's got quite a warm face but when he puts on the smile for the cameras it's not natural." 

Three of the best smilers in politics are Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, says Mr Phipps, and they all exude confidence and relaxation. 

All in the eyes 

Mr Blair was adept at the timing of the smile, he says. He could smile, then change his expression, look somewhere else and then return to the smile again. 

"A smile is key to an overall impression. You are either believed or not believed by how you present yourself. It's important to smile at the right moment because smiling at the wrong moment means your message is completely and utterly lost." 
Think happy thoughts, Gordon


The non-verbal communication of politicians is all about image and those three men knew when to pause, when to slow things down, when to look there and when to look elsewhere. 

Personality coach Jeremy Milnes says you can spot a bad smile because there's no honesty in the eyes. 

"There's uncertainty. You can look into the eyes and you know this person is not smiling for real. The expression is stiff and not relaxed because the muscles are tense. 

"The smile is not brought about by emotions but by a person changing their muscle shapes. It's forced." 

Practising in the mirror is a good idea because you can tell what works, he says, and if you're lacking confidence then it's better to give a small smile than a cheesy grin, especially if you have bad teeth. 

"Be aware of your teeth and be honest to yourself about them. If you have good teeth, flaunt them but avoid the big cheesy grin because it can look ridiculous." 


- SEND US A PICTURE of your smile for body language expert Robert Phipps to analyse 

- E-mail your picture to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it subject line "SMILE" 

- Don't forget to include your NAME, AGE AND WHERE YOU LIVE... and, if you like, a sentence or two about your smile 

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