Recently, a video on YouTube showed four women getting the “celebrity” treatment of professional hair and make-up and a photo shoot. The pictures were then digitally edited to look more “ideal” in the mainstream sense. Before these pictures were done, the women commented on how they were often unsatisfied with their looks because they didn’t look like people in magazines. Ummmm, really? Didn’t you know that the pictures are (drastically) altered? My eyes seriously roll every time I hear people say that. I think people who don’t know the extent of editing that goes on must be completely out of it. I mean, REALLY?
Everyone looks better when they have their hair and make-up done professionally. It’s a fact. In the old days, women went to the salon on a weekly basis to have their hair washed and set. That’s one of the reasons why mid-20th century women looked much more “put together” than we do in our wash-and-go culture (well, I’m a wash and go kind of girl, anyway – I only use a blow dryer when I shower at the gym because I hate walking outside with wet hair (doesn’t look good, anyway)). Sure, there are blow dry bars everywhere, but does everyone have the time AND money to go to one on a daily basis? Even home blow dries take time. One reason why I don’t bother unless I’m going to a major event (think weddings, major fundraising evening galas, etc…). Otherwise, looking presentable (neat clothes, basic make-up, hair not too messy) is fine enough.
Do I want the industry alter their images less? Of course. What I dislike the most is when they completely alter the make-up. It’s basically saying that the original make-up artist didn’t do a good job. I also want to see more diverse body types so that people would have a better idea of what something might look like on them (and I want this more than diverse ethnicities). However, I’m not going to boycott publications and products. And really, as I said earlier, anyone who doesn’t know that even celebrities don’t look the way they do in magazine photos probably isn’t all that bright.
