We all already know that Instagram is one big unhealthy platform, full of highlight reels and images of the unobtainable and unrealistic lives being lived by the glamorous. We also already know that the illusions posted by influencers massively impacts how we feel about our own lives and our own looks. We have all heard the lecture about how we shouldn't constantly compare ourselves to others online as the beauty standards set by others are synthetic and are so out of reach. We know this. Yet, we all still do it, everyday.
I think five or so years ago it was more obvious to the eye that a girl on Instagram looked a certain way due to a certain product, be it over-lined lips or raised cheekbones with bronzer and highlighter. While we still aspired to achieve that look with our own makeup, we knew it was just that, makeup, make believe. We were aware of how we looked with it or without it, often happy with both but perhaps felt a little more beautiful with it on.
What I think has changed in the past few years is that looking "natural" rather than done up is the new cool. Unfortunately, if you look below the surface you will soon learn that this is yet another trend that is out of our reach and out to make us feel bad. Instagram of 2020 has been full of beautiful clean glowing freckled faces, lush lashes, bushy brows and wavy beach hair, and often attached to captions such as "All Natural", "The Real Me" or worse "Love Yourself". (Be real here, being told by a glowing model to love yourself is quite funny and quite ironic.) These girls look simply stunning, and may actually have convinced themselves that this sort of content might make other girls feel confident and that they are doing us a favour.
This "natural" beauty trend is almost more dangerous than seeing pictures of girls who have obviously enhanced something through makeup, a boob job or hair dye. WHY? Because they are essentially doing the same thing but masking it with a 'love your natural self' commentary. If you take a step back and actually think why you don't wake up in the morning with glowing skin and a perfect messy bun, that's because nobody does. These photos, well seemingly casual and natural, have been just as prepped as a full on photo shoot. There is no denying that they look beautiful, they do, an that's because despite no (obvious) makeup or blowout, their eyebrows are threaded, their eyelashes are extended, their skin is tanned, their hair is highlighted, their lips are filled, their cheeks are lifted, their noses are straightened and their asses have been squatted to the point its become a full time job.
So we have moved from an obviously unachievable beauty standard that we compare ourselves too, to a masked unachievable look that make us feel worse because these women still look perfect without the makeup team. We are just supposed to believe they were born that way, and worst still should congratulate them on posting that ground-breaking 'expose your natural self ' brave insta post.
This little blog post is nothing but a reminder that natural beauty and unnatural beauty are beautiful in their own ways. However, dishonesty and misconception floods our feed and I think we sometimes need reminding that these stunning "natural" influencers only look that good because they have the money and time to spend on improving themselves.
Of course I am not asking you to shut down your Instagram, let be real here, we love the darn thing! This little spiel is just an expression of my recent thoughts on beauty trends, how it's constantly changing and how it will continue to do so, with us running behind trying to keep up. There is no benefit in comparing yourself to influencers lives and looks because they are unobtainable and unnatural, despite the efforts made to look the contrary. I think if you approach your Instagram feed with this in mind you give your mental health and self-confidence a little protection and will ultimately give yourself the little bit more of the love it deserves.
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