say you’ve reached the prime in your life, mid-30s – early 40s, maybe 50s. would you have the guts to be on a magazine cover bare faced? and i don’t mean that “light foundation here mascara there” natural look but truly bare. Not a touch of makeup. And P.S. no retouching. And fyi.com, the cover is French Elle’s April issue.
Well, it’s happened. These brave ladies featured on the covers include Monica Bellucci, Sophie Marceau, Eva Herzigova, Ines de la Fressange, Anne Parillaud, Karin Viard, Charlotte Rampling and Chiara Mastroianni were convinced and photographed by Peter Lindbergh. Not one American within the group.
Come to think of it, our idea of ‘natural beauty’ is warped. What we often consider natural has most likely been photoshopped or retouched. Hi Dove Campaign for Real Beauty but not really real since you’ve been retouched so yeah, i’m confused – what’s your message? Or what about those ‘normal’ curvy celebs we love who appear significantly less curvy when they’re featured on a magazine?
I have to admit i did a ‘waaaaat’ when I first saw the Elle covers. But its not a ‘ew what were they thinking waaaaat’ but more a ‘wow waaat.’ It was a bit jarring to see the lack up of made-upness that i generally associate with magazine covers – especially since I had just looked at U.S. Bazaar with a glam Halle Berry on the cover, lights, glittering dress and all. Can we handle looking at women in their true state – drop dead though these women may be? Or do we prefer to keep fantasy alive, where celebrities are these perfect, beautiful icons we aspire to?
But, these covers are beautiful in their own way. There’s none of that glee so often found in catching celebrities bare-faced and off guard. None of that “look how bad she looks without makeup!” pleasure so often derived from similar photos. Maybe its their confidence. Maybe its the fact that these women are already beautiful. Maybe its the amount of thought from the photographer and staff behind capturing these women in the best light possible. Maybe its the match-y match-y background that matches the same color as their tops and washes them out a bit. Whatever it may be, props to French Elle and these women for keeping it real.
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