Tyra Banks Shows Her True Self(ie) and Makes Us Rethink Beauty

Yesterday, supermodel Tyra Banks gave us a glimpse of her true self(ie) when she posted a shot of herself entirely makeup-free and unedited on Instagram.

“Well, this morn, I decided to give you a taste of the really real me. I wanted to smooth out my dark circles so badly,” she says of the shot.

“So…here I am. Raw. And there you are…looking at me, studying this picture. Maybe you’re thinking, ‘Whoa, she looks rough.’ And if you are, great! You deserve to see the real me. The really real me,” said Banks, who added the hashtag #realandraw to her shot.

A photo posted by Tyra Banks (@tyrabanks) on

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Naturally, the ‘real her’ is still incredibly beautiful. But there’s obviously a major difference between it and the airbrushed, perfectly made up face we’re used to seeing. In an interview with People, Banks said that she hoped her shot would encourage women to see what they see in photographs at face value (no pun intended). Of course, Banks’ makeup-free selfie is among a growing focus on “real” beauty –and she isn’t the first celebrity to post one. The “real” beauty movement is visible in everything from the recent traction of so-called “plus-sized” models, to the initiative of brands like Target, who recently swapped models for bloggers for their swimwear line. And I am all for it. The irony is, though, in a time where society is starting to collectively challenge all the smoke and mirrors of the beauty industry, many females are editing and filtering away their natural beauty more than ever via the tools at their fingertips. Most of the time, it’s to maintain an image constructed on social media platforms like Instagram.

A photo posted by Tyra Banks (@tyrabanks) on

Of course, I enjoy a good filter here and there. But the problem with certain “beautifying” photo-editing tools– like Photo Wonder – is that they kind of screw you over in real life. I mean, as surprised as you were by Banks’ makeup-free, unfiltered look, someone may feel the same way if they catch you on an off day, sans makeup, or without the help of an app to enhance your breasts, smoothen your blemishes, brighten and enlarge your eyes, or whiten your teeth.

To each their own (and I’m sure things like Photo Wonder are entertaining) but if you’re going to use them, I say switch it up with more natural shots as well.

Perhaps this quote sums it all up best: “You will never look like the girl in the magazine. Even the girl in the magazine doesn’t look like the girl in the magazine.”

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