We’re often told that we should love and accept our bodies as they are. But, that can be pretty difficult when all we see on social media are perfect people with flawless bodies that completely fit the beauty standard. Luckily, these influencers have found a way to be a good influence by showing both their posed shots and what they actually look like. Their message is clear — your body is fine just the way it is!
Sucked In
A wonderful Instagrammer who has decided to show the world the truth behind her beautiful photos is Bree Lenehan. The 26-year-old content creator began a series she calls “Real Me” where she shows two photos side-by-side.
In one, she showcases what her body looks like when she puts a whole lot of time and effort into contorting it into the “perfect” shape. Next to it, she shows how she looks if she actually just relaxes and allows her body to simply be.
Beautiful Marks
A long-time body-image advocate, Bree puts emphasis on showing that it’s basically impossible for our human bodies to look perfectly unblemished. Many of her photos proudly showcase the marks on her skin.
She refuses to hide any pimples, scars, or stretch marks from her large audience (over 720K followers on Instagram!). She also shows how some influencers possibly hide their own marks by strategically placing their clothes over them.
A Thumb
Bree doesn’t stop at just showing how influencers can manipulate things like angles and lighting to create a “perfect” look. She also blasts through the idea that social media stars have perfect lives.
She tries her best to show that she doesn’t always have her makeup done nor is she always dressed to the nines. Everyone has (many) days where they’re tired, hormonal, or just not feeling up to putting in all this effort to look like a model.
Lumps and Bumps
She also places a lot of emphasis on the difference posing can make. On the left, the way she’s flexing her body gives her that hourglass shape. On the right, Bree’s posture is completely relaxed.
You can just see what a massive difference it has on the shape of her bottom especially. When she relaxes, suddenly the natural bumps of her body show themselves. She reminds her followers that you shouldn’t force your body to look like a certain trend.
Going Through Changes
Bree often showcases how much her body changes throughout the day. Just living life — eating, resting, working out, or hydrating — can drastically change a person’s body shape from morning to night.
Bree’s morning versus night comparison helps her followers see that it’s okay for your body to bloat and change throughout the day as you go about your routine. We love how in both photos, she looks just as happy and comfortable.
Light it Up
One of the “tricks” that Bree has revealed to her followers is how social media models are able to make their bodies look flawless in posts — lighting, lighting, lighting.
But, of course, she’s here to remind us that whether taken in soft or harsh lighting, bumps on the skin (like cellulite on the legs), are something that basically everybody has and it’s okay to show them!
Emotions Are Okay
It’s not just our natural bodies that are hidden on social media. Learning to not compare ourselves to Instagram also means understanding that the majority of the posts we see are of people on what looks like their best days.
Many influencers choose to hide their bad days — the ones where they feel down or sad. Bree consistently takes care to point out that you should remember that nobody’s life is perfect, even if it seems like it from their posts.
Impossible Standards
Bree often points in her posts to the completely unrealistic expectations that social media makes us think we should put on our bodies. She especially looks at beauty standards that affect women.
These include unblemished skin and a whole lot of expectations surrounding women’s chests — like making sure they’re perfectly perky and even. She often reminds her followers that having asymmetry in these areas of the body is incredibly common.
Having an Influence
Clearly, her messages (and similar ones from other influencers) are having a wonderful effect on social media. Many people have begun posting similar posts in recent years. We love seeing photos of people just being themselves.
These pics definitely make Instagram a more inclusive and wholesome space — letting people feel comfortable showing off their bodies in whatever state they’re in and with whatever scars and bumps they have!