Dazzling beauties grace magazine covers and ad campaigns. But often, the picture perfect look isn’t all a gift of nature or great genes, but bestowed by digital tools. Airbrushing has become an indispensable element of creating that perfect look. And in comparison, natural beauty is falling short of that level of perfection. And this shift in aesthetic expectations, believe many in the business of beauty, is unnatural and cause for worry.
Recently, actress Freida Pinto’s advertisement for a beauty brand caused furore as the makers were accused of digitally lightening her dusky skin tone. Earlier too Aishwarya Rai’s whitewashed picture on the cover of a leading magazine and Kajol’s light skin-tone for a beauty brand stirred controversy.
While digital tools can make pictures perfect, does natural beauty fall short of appreciation? City models and make-up artistes share how digital beauty is a new fad.
Model Amanpreet Wahi says, “I don’t deny the fact that my pictures are photoshopped to remove the flaws of photography, but lightening complexion to an extent, which makes a model look unrealistic, should be a strict avoided. If it’s so, then its better to animate a picture, rather than hiring a model for a shoot.”
However model Tinu Verghese feels it isn’t a big deal. “Aren’t we constantly trying to make everything perfect? All the pictures in magazines, ads, movies are always photoshopped, edited and fine-tuned for best possible results. So, we are marketing perfection, which is achieved only through digital manipulation,” she adds.
With digital tools making pictures look more than perfect, makeup artistes say there is little room left for creativity. Makeup artist Meenakashi Dutta says, “When I started out, makeup application had to be flawless when I worked on models for a photoshoot. So I feel flawless, fair skin as an ideal has been around for a long time, the difference is that now it’s easier to digitally achieve it. At times it makes you feel insulted and inferior, as a makeup artiste, creativity or handwork holds zero value. That was the only reason why I quit doing fashion shows and shoots and have turned a personal make-up artiste. Digital tools are going way too far for picture perfection, but it should be used sparingly to keep the natural beauty intact.”
Seconds Vidya Tikari, makeup artist, “The ideal of beauty is certainly becoming more and more exacting. I’m fine with people getting inspired and motivated to take better care of their bodies, their skin and make an effort to be well groomed. But I also somehow feel that things are getting slightly better as we have also seen duskiness being celebrated. But it still has a long way to go.”