#experimentalselfie

2020.02.18: Ever wonder what you look like as seen through a Babybel wrapper? I did. #selfie #experimentalselfie #babybel (at Cos Cob, Connecticut) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8tcPGfFPWM/?igshid=1dowhw6nu3gm3

Over the past few weeks, I have asked myself “How do you create an experimental selfie?” Many crazy thoughts popped into my head. From writing all over my body with vivid and take a black and white photo through to taking a photo of say my foot, because that’s experimental in itself, lets face it: feet are not really the most desirable things to look at. I finally came up with something that was both a selfie and experimental. I took a photo of myself without makeup, and smiling. I then decided, why not make this interesting, I did my normal makeup routine and took a photo in a similar pose and made a gif merging the two photos together to show the difference between a smiling no-makeup selfie through to a straight face full of makeup. The reason behind this image isn’t just to show my true self to the world, it is to show that yes woman and men CAN be happy without the need to wear makeup. This is a challenge, because I am an advocate for makeup! (I am a qualified makeup artist, I love all things makeup and fashion, and have the lowest self esteem of my natural curls, blonde eyebrows and in general my whole self.) The past few years, I have been trying to become more comfortable with my natural face, and to be honest its still something I am trying to be comfortable with every day. It’s horrible to know that there are thousands of women and men around the world who don’t like what they look like/hate themselves because they aren’t what the media industry has portrayed as ‘beautiful.’ The reason I decided on doing this gif image is based on a youtube video posted by a brave, beautiful, amazing woman named Em Ford. She did an experimental video on herself without makeup, and words popped up all over the screen around her of what real people have said to her/said about her when she bares her natural self, and the same thing with her makeup on. The things that came up are disgusting. I have never been so shocked, because I have had similar things said about me with both no makeup and makeup on. (Click here to see video) This image is experimental because it goes against the ‘social norm’ of a standard selfie, it is an image that shows that it is okay to be yourself, you don’t need to wear a mask everyday and we should not be SHAMED for what we look like because we don’t have a face of makeup on.