Diary of a model

Lily spends her days as a model, rushing from shoot to show and on to yet another casting. On Amayzine, she tells you all about what her life is really like. Under a different name, of course, but that means she can share all the juicy details. This week: Real Talk.

I found a new Instagram page. It's really fan-tas-tic. The page is called Celebface and is dedicated to finding Facetune, Photoshop, and plastic surgery. Celebface searches for before-and-after photos of certain Instagram posts (think of photos of the Kardashians, Ariana Grande, and models like Elsa Hosk). The page places before-and-after photos side by side and also makes a video of it. This way, you can perfectly see what has changed in the photo. What struck me the most? Legs are lengthened, waists are slimmed, and necks are made longer. It also becomes clear that almost everyone has lip fillers or has had a nose job. At first, I was mostly in shock that even Victoria's Secret models feel they need to shop themselves even thinner. Then I was relieved to see that much of what you see on Instagram is fake. I sometimes compared myself to photos of others on Instagram and it didn't make me happy. Thanks to Celebface, I now look at many photos with different eyes. However, then came the anger over the fact that young girls (and boys) get an incredibly distorted view of reality from all that shopping. Instagram vs. the real life. This week I want to continue on that, focusing on Photoshop.

Long thin legs, a slim waist, a long neck, and a flat stomach; it's a dream body for many girls and not attainable for everyone. Now it seems there are all kinds of apps that allow everyone to shop themselves to their ideal image. The problem? Other people think that edited photo is real and measure themselves against that fantasy image. Many discover that they do not meet those ‘Instagram standards’ and also start editing their own photos. It's a vicious circle where everyone wants to appear thinner and thinner. When will this stop? Or will we all continue until only Barbie doll bodies are left online? Fortunately, there is slowly a trend where girls online dare to show the difference between the chosen, edited photo and another photo from the same series. This last one is often taken from an unflattering angle, the moment you blink your eyes or just pull a double chin. I think it's very important for young girls to see this and to recognize the difference between reality and Instagram. I sometimes find it difficult myself, but there are a few things you should keep in mind with every photo.

• First: dozens of other photos of the same moment were taken and rejected.
• Second: there has been endless play with light, filters, and shadows to place the accents in the right spots.
• Third: there are flattering and unflattering poses and angles. The difference between a slouched sitting photo and one where you stand up straight, push your butt back, and pull in your stomach can make a huge difference.

Finally: there are apps that allow people to lengthen their legs, flatten their stomachs, and lift their cheekbones. Additionally, many photos you see online are ‘staged’ moments and highlights from someone's life. A photo of me laughing while holding a coconut on a tropical island is what you all get to see, but the moment I'm sitting on the couch eating popcorn with mascara under my eyes, I prefer not to capture that on Instagram. Those selfies only go to my close friends (you’re welcome, my friends).

We all live a bit in a fantasy world and are all too eager to look at the fantastic lives others lead. But I think it's time to introduce a bit of reality back into the fairy tale. Dear readers, I also sometimes feel insecure about myself and my body, but I have learned to recognize, relativize, and embrace those insecurities. The world would be incredibly boring if everyone looked like a dolled-up Barbie. Stop with the copy, paste, and delete buttons; it's time for the #nofilter life.

XX kisses from Lily