Now Jessica Simpson is following suit and taking things a step further: She’ll appear on the May cover of Marie Claire with no retouching or makeup. Of course she’s going to look fabulous, even without her Touche Eclat — she’s a beautiful woman, and million-dollar lighting combined with gajillion-dollar skincare and a professional photographer goes a long way towards mitigating any harshness of the lens. It’s a forward move for any over-scrutinized woman, but it falls in step with the love-thyself mission of The Price of Beauty. A still photograph of Jessica au naturel may, however, be more effective than watching her giggle her way around the world with Ken Paves. A reality show isn’t worth a thousand words, but perhaps her picture will be. (Also, silence is golden?)
But wait! These women are young! Both Bourgoin and Simpson are 29 — their faces, unlined; their jowls, undescended. Any cellulite on their thighs is under-40 cellulite. And we can handle that. But what about the photographs of those older women who stubbornly continue to age? Elizabeth Hurley, for instance, is 44 — she’s been the face of Estee Lauder for 16 years, and she’s also got her own swimwear line. She’s not a kid like these other girls, and part of being a grown-up is being realistic about moving your bikinis off the shelves. She’s getting older by the minute, and there’s no time to reinvent the wheel:
“I think so long as your face looks all right everything else can be Photoshopped. I don’t think anybody minds being slimmed down a bit or taking off the odd spot.”
As her body crumbles into decrepitude, she’s simply not strong enough to bend the rules.
Elizabeth Hurley Exposes Her Picture Secrets [Daily Express]
Jessica Simpson to Go Make-Up Free and Un-Airbrushed on Marie Claire Cover [NY Post]
French Marie Claire’s NON-AIRBRUSHED Issue: Louise Bourgoin Looks Good! [HuffPo]
Earlier: Photoshop Of Horrors, 2000-2009: Worst Photoshop Of The Decade
