Skin Positivity full interview

  • Do you feel the pressure (from social media, constant digital presence, pop culture) to look flawless? How often do you speak to your audience with no makeup/filter at all?
  • Would you feel comfortable not covering your skin at all, maybe wearing only one product (for instance, lipstick)? How does your skin affect your confidence?

    • 1.I’ve had acne (in various forms) since I was in high school, so I’ve never not had two or three spots or a bunch of pigmentation, regardless of years of research, experience, and having access to so many products. Sometimes I get this weird pressure/guilt feeling – I’m a beauty editor and skincare coach, I have all this information and resource, so shouldn’t my skin be perfect? The thing is, no one’s skin is perfect – we’re just all so used to scrolling through filtered feeds of flawless selfies and hearing influencers tell us that face masks will ‘erase our pores’. 

    I’ve come to terms with the fact that my skin is how it is and I’m fine with it - I know when and why my spots are triggered and I know how to get rid of them fast. When I worked as a skincare consultant in department stores my skin was probably at its worst, but I also had the busiest counter. Customers with skin concerns found it easier to talk to me, felt like they wouldn’t be judged, and knew I’d be able to relate. It was this that inspired the approach I now take on Instagram – ‘spots and all’. 

     

    2.I rarely wear heavy makeup, purely because I don’t like the feel of it on my skin, so most days I just wear a light mineral foundation or a bit of concealer. Even when my acne was at its worst I didn’t really feel comfortable covering it up, but my skin definitely did knock my confidence as a teenager. As I’ve got older I’ve stopped caring so much. My content is heavily skincare focussed so nearly always requires me to bare all on camera. I used to get nervous about showing my skin if I was mid-breakout, but I always get such positive feedback, especially from other acne sufferers. It’s great to know what products to use to prevent and treat spots, but it’s even better to know that you’re not alone in your experience.

    1.I always address my audience without a filter, and very often show my skin bare, to show skin progress. But never on the feed, only on stories. There is so much pressure to appear a certain way, and have a certain level of 'good skin'. Sometimes, this pressure comes from ourselves based on the image we see throughout social media, print, movies, and TV. Other times, it comes from the 'experts' of the field, boasting about how products will give you flawless results or perfected skin. It has become increasingly alarming, especially for younger women, the way they anticipate their image to be perceived. I think there isn't a single photo that doesn't go under some sort of editing to smoothen skin texture in some way on social media. Especially from celebrities, high ranking influencers, and actors.
     
    2.I actually do have quite acne-prone skin and I don't feel comfortable not wearing anything at all to cover spots and scarring. I do however go out in public with just SPF on when I'm just running errands or need to drive somewhere for a quick stop. Most days I use my tinted SPF and concealer on spots to go to work, and that works very well with my lifestyle. This doesn't mean I'm not confident in my skin, I've actually come a very long way with how I feel about my skin compared to 3 or 4 years ago. I used to not be able to show my face unless covered in full-coverage base and copious amounts of powder. Now it's all very different, and when I do have breakouts I am calm and embracing about them, not hateful and demeaning to myself. It's all part of the journey!
    1.I did. I feel like I have grown out of the pressures of social media quite quickly. Majority of my stories are makeup free and unfiltered the same goes for my YouTube Channel - I speak to my audience in my raw makeup-less form because I usually film from home and I don't wear makeup at home! Don’t get me wrong I find filters extremely amusing but I would never mask my face because I wasn’t ‘feeling myself’ that day. I don't want to portray this ‘perfectly curated’ lifestyle that I just don't lead. I want to document my life as it is and people appreciate that.
    2.Few years ago I wouldn’t dare to leave my house without makeup even if it was to go to the post office. I do leave my house with bare face with no makeup on but if I do my makeup its usually just brow gel and mascara - sometimes concealer when I do get an odd breakout. I do encourage people to feel good in their skin by wearing their own natural beauty. Makeup products are made for us to elevate our confidence not give us the confidence that we already have in ourselves.

    1.I don’t feel the pressure to look flawless that much like I once used to do when I was younger.

    Social media are definitely creating a pool of pictures of women who look always their best, creating standards that are often unnatural and hard to achieve naturally. 

    This being said, it’s true that there’s also a bit of a revolution happening, with people trying to embrace themselves naturally, showing their flaws on the internet, that’s where I’m trying to stand.

    I try to balance those pictures where I’m wearing make up to those where I’m unfiltered (digitally and with make up), trying to hide less my imperfections, so I often do talk to my audience in my Instagram stories with no make up on, which is kinda scary but empowering at the same time.

    2.If I have to be honest I’ve done that and often felt comfortable doing that only when my skin was looking good, sometimes I only wear mascara or lipstick.

    When my skin breaks out it definitely busts my confidence, I feel like I have to cover up the “mess” that’s happening on my face.

    Even though that’s my initial thought, I try not to let that get to me too much. It’s natural to see changes in our skin, there are many factors in our life that can affect the way our body change.

    Our skin is important but it’s not what should define the perception of ourselves or our confidence.