On "The Industry's Big Beauty Secret"

Beauty magazines and infomercials have become a vital part of our culture. These media tools serve as one of our guides to looking and feeling great. Most importantly, they feature key people who embody beauty, confidence, and power. And since the need to look and feel great runs in our streams of consciousness, we look up to these people--up to the point of aspiring to be and look like them. And that is not a bad thing. After all, we need inspirations.

Unfortunately, there is something blurring the relationship between truth, beauty, and values.

One of my favorite campaigns for Natural Beauty by Dove.

Photo credits: showbiznest.blogspot.com

Jinkee Pacquiao's latest cover tickled our fancies in a not-so-good way

Perhaps the hottest topic to date in today’s beauty industry is Photoshop. Activists have recently savaged the beauty industry for the practice of extremely enhancing celebrities and models in their covers and pages. This is an act to be condemned apparently because it is a way of labeling and distorting beauty. Furthermore, the practice subconsciously promotes low self- esteem, and it subjects fragile minds under a ton of beauty illusions and delusions, ergo (mis)leading these minds to embrace the non-existent. (read: Eating disorders, cosmetic surgery addiction, racism, and discrimination).

Point taken, activists. But did it ever occur to us that we are partly to blame for this matter? Come to think of it: Unconsciously, public admiration and idolatry have put these people on a pedestal. And since a lot of people look up to, or much worse, revere celebrities, Celebrities have no choice but to look perfect--no room for zits, flabs, puffy eyes, and spotted skin. This is the price they pay for stardom—and the value we’re expecting to get from the price we pay for patronizing them.

Photo credits: tiskin.com

Photoshop gone wrong!

Or is the Media trying to convey something else? Is it reframing our thoughts about beauty? A friend of mine has also pointed out an interesting argument: that such media practice can cause a lot of celebrities to slack off from a healthy lifestyle, and take skin care for granted. Sooner or later, everyone will know about this faking practice, and would want to gain access to the program. And since most people look up to celebrities, they will also end up in the same trap.

Jesse Rosten’s brilliant, funny, and entertaining poke at the beauty industry is more than what meets the eye. It is also inviting us to read between the lines.

See, the real issue here is beyond faking faces and figures. This whole Photoshop hullabaloo is an issue about morality. What values is the industry trying to teach us? Is it trying to tell us that beauty has a price? If yes, at what cost? Is this act a perversion of the true meaning of beauty? Will it have negative long- term implications if it continually pervades in the industry? Or could this be an inevitable shift in trends that we should adhere to eventually?

Photo Credits: 9gag.com

‘Retouchers’, aka the Photoshop team, are the unsung heroes of the industry. For so long, they have been yearning to get noticed for their magnificent talent. Since the ‘ Ultimate Beauty Secret’ is starting to become apparent, sooner or later, they shall finally see their names on the credits.

Make up and hair styling by:

Styling by:

Nails by:

Photography by:

Location:

PHOTOSHOPPED BY:

What are your thoughts? I’d love to know them.