Beauty vloggers probably feel the pressure to constantly put up perfect photos that represent their talent and what they can do more than anyone else using Instagram. Gina Shkeda, a popular Instagram influencer who has garnered many followers due to her beautiful eye makeup looks, drew attention to the issue of Insta-beauty. She used the photo below to highlight the pressure of the industry.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSScZgLDzGp/?taken-by=ginashkeda
This photo creates the impression that Shkeda woke up like this (in the words of Beyoncé). That’s what Twitter user Paige Matthews thought when she saw the image and uploaded it to Twitter with an admiring caption.
If I could wake up as beautiful as @GinaShkeda I'd be the happiest girl alive #naturalbeauty pic.twitter.com/ExpI2bnnIP
— paige matthews (@_Pajdelamah) March 31, 2017
The hashtag “#naturalbeauty” must have caught Shkeda’s eye, as she replied to Paige’s tweet to swiftly rebut the hashtag in under a minute.
Girl I have micro bladed brows, lash extensions in and lip injections – I don't even look like this 😂 you're flawless https://t.co/6Eh2wxclC9
— Gina (@GinaShkeda) March 31, 2017
The fact that Shkeda is so open about the fact that her beauty is not as natural as it appears has resonated with fans. Her followers are praising her candour in the deceptive world of social media platforms and Instafame.
@GinaShkeda Oh i love you for this! 😘
— Carly Rowena (@CarlyRowena) March 31, 2017
@GinaShkeda @ChaniThaHippie Luv you for your honesty. Now that's real. And beautiful. pic.twitter.com/BGRRbPUdbJ
— Ask Black Julie (@BlackJulieKnows) March 31, 2017
Paige Matthews spoke to Buzzfeed about Shkeda’s response to her humble tweet.
“It kind of blew me away how she was so confident in herself. That she could put herself out like that, because not a lot of people do. I realised if someone I look up to can be so confident, so can I,” she said.
Gina Shkeda has gained new fans and inspired her old ones in one swift and honest tweet. This is an important message, especially considering that social media is filled with impressionable people who believe that their lives should look like the people they follow on social media.
There is even a term now for the careful cultivation of a misleading impression on Instagram: “flexing for the ‘gram”. It describes the act of misleading people by misrepresenting yourself to give your life glamour and glitter. We’re all guilty of flexing for the ‘gram but it’s more important to know that true beauty comes from within.
