Earlier in the year, Beyoncé’s song Flawless sparked a whole hashtag of selfies showing women in their sans-makeup-fresh-from-bed- look. Everyone from Bey herself to supermodels to Hollywood’s A list have hopped on the instagram train. And they all looked…well, flawless.
We’re used to seeing celebs primped for the big screen and photogs, but now we’re learning they wake up like this? Seriously- is this real?
It’s slightly annoying.
We already know they’re beautiful. And these selfies are saying it doesn’t take a whole glam squad to get them there…they woke up like this.
Fair enough.
I’m all for natural beauty and a low-to-no made up face. If someone wants to share that message — we can be flawless without all the extra add-ons — awesome.
The truth is #iwokeuplikethis is just one more contribution to a virtual image. And most prefer to put their best face forward, or keep their virtual self flawless. It’s in our Facebook feeds with the fabulous vacation spots and too-cool-for-school kiddie shots. And on our instagrams with yet another perfect moment caught on the iphone.
I do it on this blog.
What you read here — it’s my best self. It’s the part I choose to share that hopefully inspires.
Do you really want to know about that time I went almost-insane from getting stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel for an hour?
We all have a best version of ourselves nestled within the mind, body and soul. The goal is to express it with authenticity…to keep it real and aspirational. So rather than get annoyed at the #iwokeuplikethis selfies because they seem inauthentic consider it’s just another person spreading their best self.
And if you’re looking for something a bit less perfect, Lena Dunham’s #iwokeuplikethis nailed it.
Also, NY Mag posted a fantastic piece on the topic here.
What do you think about our hyper-curated virtual selves?
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I was thinking the same thing as friends on my Facebook comment about how fabulous our lives are what they don’t see is the hectic schedule the sleepless nights the stress caused by being in the military and trying to balance everything – you don’t show that to the world, and quite honestly I don’t think anybody wants to see it they like to see all the good things the bad makes them uncomfortable
I agree that we all want to “put our best forward” but i think the part that is irksome is that certaare pretending. They are not sharing their best side in an honest way but ae misrepresenting themselves.
well phooey! Somehow I accidentally pushed enter when I wasn’t done “editing” my “just typed this comment” but you get the idea 🙂
I believe that we all enjoy looking at “outside beauty”. If I had hair, makeup, clothes, and prop stylists on retainer 24/7 my goal would be to show my own outside beauty also. But so far on my life journey my BEST SELF has always involved other people and how I am my best by bringing out THEIR BEST. I could use the word “scary” to describe how I look when I wake up. Instead I am choosing the word “normal”.
Well, I’m all for putting our best faces forward, and spreading cheer where ever we go – and I hate abusive updates on social media. However, I do want to hear about the time you nearly went crazy n the Lincoln Tunnel, and one of my favourite posts of yours began with that great image of the woman saying “on a scale from one to ten, my patience is at fuck you!” So I guess I’m interested in authenticity – the good, the bad and the ugly…
Sara, I totally see your point. And I agree with authenticity all the way. That post of mine that you mentioned was your favorite — I wrote that in the midst of all that shit…standing on the subway platform. By pulling out my phone and creating that post, I was able to tap into my best self which is what was expressed amongst the day gone wrong shenanigans. That time in the Lincoln Tunnel — unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do that, and though you say you’d be interested in reading about that…I couldn’t conjure up anything of value from that experience to share. And that’s what I’m trying to do on this blog— share experiences that can be of value to others. Thanks for your comment — you really made me think! xo
GGW, that truly is a BEST SELF…to bring out the best in others. I honestly don’t think there could be anything better than that. Thanks for bringing it over here!
Authenticity is key here …to share your best side, but keep it real–which I think is possible to do! Thanks for dropping by, Warsaw’s Secret!
Jenny, I don’t think we need to show all the nitty gritty to the world either. As long as it’s authentic, we can share how much or how little we like.