So where have I been? well my beauty brethren I have been on a self imposed pretty hiatus. First a little writers block turns into a whirl of wondering and a much needed break from the beauty biz. Sometimes the business of beauty can be pretty ugly, and who has time for that?
Well like Jack yelling "Here's Johnny" as he smashed down the door with his axe to celebrate his return, ( of course I am using tweezers to get through my door, which takes a bit longer, but also means if you get a splinter it's a quick fix) I'm back my Beauties!!
With all the inane beauty'isms being whipped around, I thought a little bit of freshified pretty air was what was required- a dose of Jodyism's like cool water on a parched summer day was welcome.
So what first to chat about?
Well there is a few things that come to mind but I decided I wanted to focus on the Big Lie. You know, the one where you look at all of the beautiful pictures in magazines, the stunning covers of supermodels and Hollywood royalty and sigh in sadness and feel a dose of self hatred, cause you, a normal woman, can never, will never look like that. Well heres the thing- neither do they. Its the BIG LIE.
It's all illusion and make believe. A fairy tale of pretty marketed to make you purchase. There is a reason why makeup and skin creams are called Hope In Jar-the beauty belief is with this purchase, this lipstick, this shadow, this blush - well you can be just like those cover girls.
You can be Angelina, a Global Goddess off saving the world with pseudo hubby Brad by her side and her exotic Benetton brood trailing behind. Or Jennifer; sad, single, always searching for love, Jennifer (who by the way, when she shows up on the cover of magazines, sells more newsstand copies then any other Hollywood actress- single and sad is a big money maker) the golden LA girl with the broken heart and shiny hair always looking for true love, especially when there is a new movie to promote. Oh hi ya Vince, John and Gerard. Or Demi, with the disappearing/non existent hip bones or Madonna, 50 and fabulous and giving the middle finger to all those who want her to act her age and put away her rock hard abs and candy dish. How do they seemingly defy gravity and nature? Its all a Big Lie.
Even the ladies who trumpet loudly for real women everywhere like singer Kelly Clarkson on an issue of Shape and Tina Fey on the newest Vogue are not immune to the Big Lie either. Real beauty with a healthy dose of enhancement is like a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down, making their pretty more palatable and purchasable.
Good Dr's and needles and designer genes, for sure they all play a part in the maintenance of perfection, but more importantly is the art of the retouch. The magicians of photoshop wield their wands like modern day Michelangelos sculpting with digital bits and bites.
Even the genetic lottery winners, the gorgeous girls better known as models, all pretty super, with their doe eyes, plush cushiony mouths and flawless skin, the ones who traipse hungrily down the world's runways wearing size zero sample sizes know its all illusion and play. A pretty party of make believe with hair, makeup, lighting and photo shop. Need longer lashes, a thinner nose, less wrinkles, a fuller mouth, more curves or less? No problem- a little computer magic is better then looking at life through a vaseline smeared lenses. Less sticky.
The Big Lie requires you to believe that this Holy Grail, the pinnacle of pretty, truly exists in the realm of mankind and not just inside your computers hard drive. These pictures I posted will show you what a little bit of digital paint can do for a picture. When you realize all images that appear in fashion/beauty magazines have been retouched, digitally enhanced and improved, you start to appreciate them for fantasy and for pleasure and start cutting ourself some serious slack. Simple escapism instead of self hating requires taking your critical eye and turning it outward. What you see on the page is a fantasy as opposed to what stares nakedly back at you from your mirror. Stop comparing and criticizing and just start celebrating. You.
A daily dose of self love is the Power of Pretty in all its radiant glory and no computer is required. Pretty powerful I think.
*click on a few pictures to make them expand and see the true art of the retoucher
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