It was with a hoot and a holler and a little happy dance that I read this Guardian article about an ad campaign featuring Christy Turlington and Julia Roberts that was banned in the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority because of too much airbrushing.
I particularly liked the closing paragraph: "Pictures of flawless skin and super-slim bodies are all around, but they don't reflect reality," said Swinson. "Excessive airbrushing and digital manipulation techniques have become the norm, but both Christy Turlington and Julia Roberts are naturally beautiful women who don't need retouching to look great. This ban sends a powerful message to advertisers – let's get back to reality."
Let's get back to reality. Yes! Hear hear! I think this ban is a step in the right direction in a return to real women and natural beauty, and I sincerely hope that it is a harbinger of things to come.
My summer mission on this blog - the Feel Good Project – is all about feeling good, but how can we feel good about ourselves if we compare ourselves to images of women who are enhanced or airbrushed to such an extent that they seem perfect, flawless?
This week’s tip for the feel-good project is to forget about looking at magazines or other images for inspiration. I want you to find a picture of yourself that you love, that isn’t airbrushed or re-touched, but that reflects you, your spirit, your heart. A picture that reminds you of who you are and what emanates from you when you feel good.
Last year I wrote this post about Remembering Who I Am - I still have this picture on my desktop to remind me of the person that I want to feel like and honour on a daily basis.
So, this week, forget the airbrushed pictures, forget the images of “perfection." Let's get back to reality, and look at the picture of you that makes you feel good, that makes you want to celebrate yourself. These are the types of images we need to surround ourselves with on a daily basis.
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