Thought it was just for the kids? Think again. From Jennifer Lopez to Alexa Chung, there's a whole host of celebrities signed up to Snapchat - and you need to get on board
Launched way back in 2013, you may have initially dismissed Snapchat as just-another-way-to-send-selfies, but it's so much more than that. If you're yet to be initiated, we've got you covered.
WHAT IS IT? It's an app. A super private way to send photos. Sure, you can send a picture (or video) to everybody who asks to follow you, but you can also just send one to your three closest mates. And if anybody tries to screengrab it, you'll get a notification to tell you - otherwise it's just a temporary image floating around cyberspace.
It's only really been making waves in the social media sphere for the last year or so, when A-listers realised that it could be a means of communicating with their fans - without the relentless abuse that comes with your very own Twitter account. Oh, and the filters are way more flattering than anything you'll ever find on Instagram.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? Well, it's easier than Whatsapp, because you can send one picture to hundreds of thousands of people in one go - and you don't have to edit it in a different programme if you want to caption it, which makes it super easy. Plus, there's a front-facing camera flash, even if your smartphone doesn't come with one built in. But making yourself look pretty in the night time is one thing - the main thing that makes Snapchat more relevant than ever is the way in which it's transforming the news industry.
HOLD ON, SELFIES AND NEWS? Yep, selfies and news. Bloggers and entertainment brands such as MTV and HBO's GIRLS are already on Snapchat, and send out video bulletins and news updates whenever a relevant story breaks. You'll get a little notification, and then you can watch it whenever you're free that day - or the next day, or the next.
This makes it way more useful than Twitter, where you risk following 2,000 people and never seeing any of the most important messages, because everybody is just shouting into a great big technological abyss.
GOT IT. SO WHO SHOULD I FOLLOW? Who shouldn't you follow, more like. Finally, celebrities over the age of 14 are joining Snapchat on an almost daily basis. From Madonna (always one to get down with the kids) to Blake Lively, Alexa Chung and Jennifer Lopez, the average age of the Snapchatter is gradually creeping up - and it's becoming all the more interesting as a result.
Sure, this probably means that something cooler is being used by the aforementioned 14 year olds, but we're too busy dying our grey hairs and applying our 17th layer of anti-ageing cream to care about that.
SO REALLY, WHO SHOULD I FOLLOW?
THE A-LISTERS Check out the following for hilarious selfies, amazing typos and general insider insights into what it's like to be a celebrity who owns a smartphone...
JENNIFER LOPEZ Follow @jlobts
SELENA GOMEZ Follow @SelenaGomez
KYLIE JENNER Follow @KylizzleMyNizzl
LADY GAGA Follow @ladygaga
CHRISSY TEIGEN Follow @chrissyteigen
PARIS HILTON Follow @Realparishilton
JUSTIN BIEBER Follow @rickthesizzler
RIHANNA Follow @rihanna
MILEY CYRUS Follow @mileycyrus
BLAKE LIVELY Follow @LivelyBK
ALEXA CHUNG Follow @chungalexa
ARIANA GRANDE
Follow @moonlightbae
THE SUPERMODELS Want the scoop from backstage at the world's best fashion shows? Who better to follow than the supermodel squad?
GIGI HADID Follow @itsgigihadid
KENDALL JENNER Follow @KendallJenner
HAILEY BALDWIN Follow @Haileybisboring
JOAN SMALLS Follow @Joan_Smalls
THE FASHION INSIDERS Because their day jobs are just that bit more glam than the average, these are the designers, bloggers and influencers to know...
LEANDRA MEDINE Follow @Man_Repeller
ALEXANDER WANG Follow @AlexanderWangNY
EVA CHEN Follow @EvaChen
CHIARA FERRAGNI Follow @TheBlondeSalad THE BEAUTY PACK Love a good gloss as much as a good goss? Follow these beauty industry insiders.
EMILY WEISS Follow @intothegloss.irl
PETER PHILIPS, DIOR'S MAKEUP GURU Follow @PeterPhilips
PAT MCGRATH Follow @PatMcGrathReal
AND, OF COURSE, US, MARIE CLAIRE UK
Follow @marieclaireuk
