#Microblog Mondays: Authenticity

I've noticed an icky trend on social media -- the airbrushing/photoshopping of photos. I also dislike the Snapchat filters (for the love, no one has eyes that big! Or looks like a deer, either), but at least those are pretty obviously fake.

I think what makes me sad is that women feel that they can't present their authentic selves -- that fine lines need to be erased, any signs of actual aging whisked away with a blurring tool. And what makes me sadder is that people tend to compliment others on these altered posts -- "You look amazing!" or "Beautiful!" or "Wow, you don't age at all!" UM, THAT'S BECAUSE THE EVIDENCE OF TIME HAS BEEN DISAPPEARED WITH MY MOUSE. And it reinforces that a woman (because I have yet to see a photoshopped man) is more beautiful when your hairline is fuzzed out because you smoothed out your face of all your history, while I think history is what makes you beautiful. 

I wear makeup -- nothing crazy, no contouring or lash extensions, but I can't imagine going beyond enhancing what's there to actually altering a picture of myself to make me look younger or different. Tilting a smartphone camera to take from above a bit more for the sake of the jawline...sure, but everyone knows that trick and the background of your photo gives it away (what, more floor than wall? HUH, weird.). 

I decided, along with a lot of people lately, to stop dyeing my hair (for a while at least), setting the silver free. I'm curious just how much I have, and I'm enjoying the silvery "highlights" at my temples (random wiry grays around my part, not quite as much). So that goes with authenticity, but is not to say that I wouldn't go back to dyeing if I decide that maybe it's a bit too much silver for 42. I'm thinking though I might dye just the ends, and let the silver fly and do an ombre type thing for fun, but honestly I am enjoying not having a colorist salon bill. 

But, at the same time, I do get facials from time to time in the name of self care and attempting to avoid the dreaded Crepe Neck, and this last time I was snookered into doing a chemical peel. Which sounds horrific and terrifying and medieval, but it was just like having multiple layers of toner put on and exfoliating the crap out of my outer layers of skin. Is that cheating? Is it weird to embrace the gray hair but try to stave off evidence in my skin? 

I don't think so, but tonight I thought it was kind of funny that I am letting my hair go back to its silvery roots while peeling off my skin to look younger there. I guess what makes that different from the photoshopping is that I'm more than happy to tell you all about the various concoctions and products that are working to make my skin all (hopefully) radiant (and not just a leprosy'd mess). I would never pretend any of what I do is natural, unless I was lucky enough to come by things naturally, like all those supermodels I see in magazines (ha HA ha ha, SO REAL). 

Here I am, in my silvery peeled-face glory, nary a blurring tool in sight. 

Look! More wall than floor! Also perhaps some red wine residue on my teeth... So far, my skin is not ACTUALLY peeling. Fingers crossed. 

Oh dear, more ceiling than wall is DEFINITELY not the way to go. HAHAHAHAHA

I guess what I'm getting at is that I am sad that social media rewards inauthenticity, and that it makes people want to put forth a "better" version of themselves than reality, which I don't find attractive at all. I would hope that most people would prefer beauty that's imperfect, that has laugh lines from good times and crinkles from  years of good living.

Want to read more #Microblog Mondays? Go here and enjoy!