Just for one day.
Oh COME ON. I will if you will. In fact, I will anyway, as my Instagram and Twitter will prove.
It's all part of #filterfreefriday (which of course you should hashtag your picture with, because otherwise you won't feel part of the movement and no one wants to feel un-part of a movement.)
It's not a big deal. After all, we used to not even have filters and effects for our photos! I know. Madness. Who can even remember those heady pre-2010 days.
What #filterfreefriday is about, is this: Trilogy skin care, who you will remember from my many thumbs-ups for their terrific Rosehip oil, have launched a 100% Unretouched campaign, to cement their love and preference for honest, natural beauty.
It started when they used an unretouched model in their advertising campaign recently, and received a Texan truckload's worth of positive feedback because of that decision.
So, they've now made unretouching their thing, and promise to only use honest, natural images in all their campaigns. No, they're not the first to forego the digital magic, or even the first to state a preference for 'real beauty', but what Trilogy's move says to me is that there is a bigger movement at work. A backlash of sorts.
I was asked by the lovely ladybirds at Trilogy to support the 100% Unretouched campaign which I was thrilled to do, because A) I like their products and their philosophy, and B) It makes sense that a natural skin care brand promotes natural beauty in their advertising. Also, it's skin care, not makeup: let's see the dang skin.
It should be noted that I am not against retouching. I love slapping a filter on my Instagram. But I support Trilogy's stance on not retouching in their campaigns, because they are taking responsibility for their own part in what the media portrays as "beautiful," and I salute that.
And, you know, why shouldn't we strip the filters for one day? Might be nice to see what we all look like without the aid of '70s contrasting and mellow saturation for 24 hours.
To that effect, I got to pose (retouch-free, obviously) in their campaign imagery. Here I am. Yes, there was makeup, yes there was hair sassing, but there was no retouching.
And here's the group shot. I am smiling happily alongside the wonderfully effevescent and funny Jenny, who is the Australian Biz Manager for Trilogy and quite a barrel of fun, and Amanda, the model from the original campaign. Here we are, having the time of our lives. (I kept the t-shirt. Quite love it. Makes me sing A Certain Song.)
If you support Trilogy in their 100% Unretouched campaign, then for the love of Lo-Fi, snap a selfie and tag it #FilterfreeFriday today. And then maybe scarper over to the Trilogy Facebook page and upload that filter free pic on their special Facebook app, so you can get a 100% Unretouched badge on it, and maybe win a skin care pack, too.
If you don't support the campaign and would in fact like to see MORE retouching, then here's a treat, just for you: