Bitch Time 1: False Advertising
Also: Fast and finished five-minute makeup tips, and a challenge for you
Happy Thursday! Let’s bitch about things we don’t like and then talk beauty and self care!
The rant
This inaugural issue of Bitch Time is dedicated to the creators of all the suspiciously blurry content making the rounds in the beauty community. Especially to the creators of beauty content that only goes suspiciously blurry whenever and/or wherever a product is being applied. Keep an eye out the next time you’re scrolling your social media feed. This crap is everywhere.
At some point, most of us have wondered why nothing we buy or try can replicate the results we see online. Vibrant colors that pop off the screen, blending so seamless it looks airbrushed on, “bare” skin as smooth and even-toned as a pale plastic egg. We’re sold a promise of perfection that no product or application technique can quite fulfill. And brands get away with making these promises because these days, they don’t even have to make them in writing. The imagery does that for them.
In many cases, brands don’t have to create the deceptive imagery themselves (though many do). They don’t even need to explicitly instruct influencers to turn themselves into post-human digital abstractions of current beauty standards on their behalf. There’s a seemingly endless supply of beauty creators of all follower counts ready to do it for them, and plenty of user-friendly photo and video editing tech available to just about anyone with a smartphone and a deficiency of shame.
Why does it matter?
It matters because social media now drives many beauty trends and standards. The ideals perpetuated by all those doctored images online have resulted in twentysomethings getting “preventative Botox” and teenagers seeking out advice on preventing wrinkles right the fuck now, when they are literal children. The standards are so ridiculous that people feel the need to fight aging before their bodies have even fully matured.
(Sunscreen and maybe a vitamin C serum; don’t smoke and try to get plenty of sleep and exercise. That is literally all the anti-aging advice I have for young people.)
I want to say it’s got to stop, but I highly doubt it will. So instead I’ll say this:
If it looks too good to be true, it’s most likely edited. And unless the editing is disclosed, it’s false advertising. They’re lying. Yes, once in a while someone may just not realize that their phone camera has a beauty filter turned on by default, but that’s pretty uncommon in the 18-55 age bracket. It’s even more uncommon among beauty content creators, whose work involves knowing how to use their own cameras.
I always get some defensive messages when I bring this up on IG. Here are a couple of arguments I often hear, and my answers.
“They have low self-esteem. This is the only way they can feel comfortable sharing their faces online.”
Okay? Does that justify making their low self-esteem someone else’s problem?
Where does low self-esteem come from, anyway? Family, school, or other in-person social pressures, yes, but also and often mainly from exposure to images on social media. We’re all aware of this.
When insecurity motivates someone to alter their image before posting it online, well, it’s very sad that they feel they have to do that, but the fact that it’s sad doesn’t make it any less shitty. They’re perpetuating the same bullshit standards that damaged their own self-esteem. This is what I call shit rolling downhill. Sometimes it causes a shit avalanche. No one wants that.
If someone suffers from low self-esteem and feels their face and/or body aren’t “acceptable” or “desirable” enough to show on social media without a digital makeover, they can choose not to post their images at all. No one has to maintain a social media presence, let alone a social media presence that shows their face. Not even all celebrities maintain public social media accounts, and you know they at least are under real professional and financial pressure to do so. Sure, not having any social media at all can be detrimental to advancing in many careers in this century, but it is also possible to maintain a social media presence without selfies or personal photos or videos too. Lots of people keep up very vibrant social media accounts, sharing their interests and life events and connecting with others, without once showing their faces.
We all have our insecurities. But we can choose to work on our self-esteem (or our physical appearances) instead of CGI-ing ourselves a new face and passing it off on the Internet as our own. Posting deceptive images is a conscious choice to deceive. I judge creators who post them as untrustworthy. Which leads me to…
“Influencers and creators have no choice if they want to stand out and gain a following on social media these days.”
Sure, a lot of successful beauty influencers and content creators edit their photos and videos. Sometimes with hilarious results, if you’re paying attention. (Hint: If their head size, face shape, or eye orientation varies dramatically from post to post, or their skin is so flawless and free of texture that it looks flat and painted on, or their noses and mouths are oddly blurry, they’re editing. Even if they brag about not using a filter. Even if they claim to be about transparency and authenticity and ethics. Even if they have serious professional qualifications. Even if their bio says they’re 5’2” while their photos suggest their legs alone are 4 feet long.)
It’s shady, it’s shitty, and it’s satisfying to me to see it called out occasionally in a comments section. Because when influencers and creators do it, it’s not just lying about how they look. It’s lying about how they look in order to make money. They want you to think that they look flawless because of their superior expertise and product choices so that you’ll follow them, give them views (and compliments), and buy the products they promote (or sell under their own brands). They want to fool you.
I’m not saying that filters and photo editing should be banned. I’m not even saying that beauty creators should never use them. Sometimes people use a filter just for fun or to achieve a certain aesthetic. The difference is that a creator with integrity will own up to using a filter, either disclosing it in their content or at least admitting to it when people compliment the way they look. The ones with an integrity deficit, on the other hand, won’t. They’ll accept compliments without any “I used a filter, but thank you!” explanation, or they’ll straight up ignore or delete any comments about whether the images are edited.
I’m also not saying you should only take advice from creators with legitimately flawless skin or features or genuinely pro-level makeup skills. Obviously not. I don’t have any of those things either, and I like it when you take advice from me. People don’t have to be perfect to have knowledge and insights worth sharing.
What I am saying is that when you read or watch a review or tutorial, or when you look up skincare advice, you’ll waste less money and suffer less disappointment if you give your respect and attention to creators who are transparent about how their skin or makeup actually look, even if it means looking “imperfect.” Creators willing to show their real selves are much more capable of setting realistic expectations than creators whose insecurity or ambition or greed leads them to lie about their looks in order to promote miracle claims that don’t come true. Honest creators do exist, are sometimes very successful and respected, and can often be found in the list of accounts that I follow on IG. They’re the ones I tag a lot in my posts and stories.
Going back to something I said in the previous section: No one has to become an influencer or content creator. It’s not a survival gig. If someone needs an income, there are about a million more steady, reliable ways to earn one. So the argument that “they have to do it in order to stand out and gain followers” is based on a false premise. They don’t have to do it. If they do choose to start a beauty channel, they still don’t have to play the filter game. So don’t feel sorry for those who do. They’re making the choice to do so because they see something in it for them that’s more valuable to them than engaging honestly with their community.
“Everyone knows they do it anyway, so it’s not a big deal.”
You would think everyone could recognize the telltale signs of doctored images, especially since many creators take it all the way down to the bottom of the uncanny valley, but unfortunately, plenty of people don’t recognize when pictures or videos have been edited. Especially younger people. These people can then end up causing themselves mental and sometimes physical harm trying to achieve the “results” they see. So. Yeah. It is a big deal.
As you scroll through your social media feeds and consume beauty content, keep a critical eye out. Once you recognize what to look for, you’ll spot sneaky editing everywhere. (r/InstagramReality has plenty of examples and explanations if you’re not sure of the tells.) When you notice editing, just know to take whatever the images are promoting with a generous grain of salt. It’ll be better for your mental health and your wallet if you do.
(Just) The Tip
Edited or not, a lot of beauty content focuses on elaborate makeup looks that involve a dozen different products and half a dozen different application tools. Which I totally understand. Looks like that are more likely to catch a viewer’s eye as they scroll down the page, and showing how they’re achieved is more likely to take up an optimal amount of time than a simple look that only takes a few minutes and requires very few products or tools.
Offline, however, a lot of us don’t have the time and/or the inclination to create works of art on our faces. We may still want to look our best, though.
I came of age in the 1990s. The beauty trend that resonated most with me was the clean, fresh minimalism that developed in backlash to the colorful excesses of 1980s style. This beauty philosophy encourages us to define and enhance the features we have, rather than painting on a new face. It almost always results in a more polished, refined, and classically pleasing look, no matter how much or how little our features fit the standards of the day.
Over the years, I’ve come to think of it as a three-step process: Skin/brows/lips.
Skin: Do the least you can, aiming for a more even and lively complexion without totally covering up the natural irregularities or texture of your skin. For some people, that might mean some concealer or foundation just dabbed over a few areas of the face. For others, it might mean a light touch of blush. Maybe some powder or blotting papers to control shine. It’s not full coverage, just subtle enhancement that allows your actual skin to shine through.
Brows:Brows make a huge difference to the face. When groomed (and maybe filled in) to a shape that complements our features, brows can bring definition to the entire face. They frame and emphasize our eyes and enhance our expressions. When I only have time to do one thing to my face, I always choose brows.
Lips: Like our eyes, our lips contribute to our overall expressiveness. Eyes and lips communicate. So a hint of color on lips helps bring extra interest to our overall look. I love tinted lip balms to emphasize lips without being too labor-intensive or visibly “done.”
The best thing about this system is how much you can customize it to fit your own taste. Like cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen in skincare, skin/brows/lips can be a foundation from which to build out the routine that works best for you. If you’re used to a more involved makeup routine but feel tired of it, or if you’re not used to wearing makeup at all and don’t know where to start, play around with skin/brows/lips. You might be surprised at how much you like the way it brings out your look!
A challenge for you
We’re getting close to the end of the year somehow, which means we’re also getting close to the mental fresh start that a new year can bring. Whether or not you make New Year’s resolutions, I have a challenge for anyone who feels a bit stuck in their lives and doesn’t feel that they’re living the life they want.
Envision the life that you want and the person that you want to be. Think about one specific thing that this Aspirational You does, that you currently don’t. It doesn’t have to be anything huge. In fact, it’s better if it’s something small. Let’s say that Aspirational You eats a more healthy diet than Current You. Don’t try to overhaul your entire eating routine, but choose one thing that Aspirational You would, and make that a habit. Even if it’s just fruit as a snack instead of candy a few times a week. Stick with it for a couple of weeks and see how you feel. Little changes, successfully implemented, add up to big things!
I love rants. Especially yours. Nice pen down. ❤️❤️
Yessss this is the best rant. I love you for consistently coming through with this message. And I’m 40 and *still* don’t realize when photos or videos have been edited. It’s actually not that I don’t realize, it’s that…it’s not normal to assume the human you’re looking at is in some way faking their appearance. We can’t do that irl. We’ve never been able to do that until juuuust recently, in our millenia of evolution, so like why would it naturally occur to us that someone doesn’t really look the way they obviously look? I only think “oh photoshopped” when something is quite obviously “wrong,” or like you said, hits the uncanny valley. I firmly believe social media is trashing everyone’s self esteem. But at the same time, beauty & bitch time are fun activities. You’re my fave “skinfluencer” in this regard because you are ethical in what you present and you emphasize the joy in this kind of self care. Well, just that you frame it as self care alone…as opposed to just: LOOK AT MY GLASS SKIN EVERYBODY.
Also yessss at bringing back 90’s simplistic sensibility. I grow weary of the drag queen look.