Unedited. Unfiltered. Just me and my bare skin.
This is part one of my collection of unfiltered and unedited self-portraits that document my bare skin and my journey to embrace what it looks like through the years.
I have always, and will continue to be, very honest about my skin struggles and insecurities. Over the years I’ve shared everything from my breakouts and spots, to hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone, discolouration, dryness, texture… you name it. With this blog, and more so on my YouTube channel where my skin is always front and centre in full HD, I’ve never had anywhere to hide. However, I must admit that sometimes when I’m editing or watching a video back, what I see on the screen is very different to what I see in the mirror every morning or when I look at close-up photos. When I’m standing in front of the mirror, poring over every single blemish, bump, and brown spot, I’m filled with a crippling sense of not-quite worthlessness or loathing, but disappointment. Disappointment that once again my face is not living up to the standards I set for it. Disappointment that once again my face is uneven in tone and texture. And disappointment in myself for being a fraud, by posting weekly videos about the latest product that supposedly “changed my skin last week”, but somehow today is null and void. This sometimes makes me wonder whether or not I’m being authentic and truly honest about what my skin looks like and how different products are working (or not).
In this series, I want to showcase my skin, as it is, without perfect natural lighting (that can sometimes make things look a lot better than they are), to help me bridge that gap and to learn to love my skin for what it looks like, warts (literally) and all. And naturally, because I love to pose, I’m showcasing this in a very artsy, alice way.