When was the last time you took a photo sans makeup and gladly posted it up on social media?
If you can’t recall it, then perhaps the SK-II #BareSkinProject campaign is what we need to talk about today.
What’s the SK-II #BareSkinProject?
For the uninitiated, a couple of months ago, prestige skincare brand SK-II ran a campaign called the #BareSkinProject. This statement-making movement turns the spotlight on six global celebrities who have boldly taken on the challenge to reveal their bare skin for the first time with the help of SK-II’s signature Facial Treatment Essence.
Chloe Grace Moretz, A-list American actress and model, is among the celebrities involved in this campaign.
Together with Moretz, five other SK-II celebrity muses: Chun Xia, Kasumi Arimura, Mayu Matsuoka, Ni Ni, and Tang Wei, were photographed by world renowned photographers Christopher Anderson, Alessandra Saguinetti, and Jim Goldberg from Magnum Photos, in bare skin glory. Without any makeup in all photos, the celebrities showed off their #nomakeup faces in the #BareSkinProject.
Why is the message so important?
Take a look at the “role models” that women are exposed to today: from celebrities on the red carpet to the influencers on Instagram. They expectedly look gorgeous for the cameras, but also achieve their “picture-perfect” looks as they have their makeup on.
While conversations around body positivity and overdone touch-ups to photos have been started, little has been spoken about the pressure to wear makeup in order to look beautiful.
Don’t get me wrong: I love makeup. I enjoy the creativity involved in playing with colours and using cosmetic products to achieve a certain look. Makeup is fun! But seeing how I would certainly avoid being caught in a photo without my makeup on, I realise that perhaps I am not truly “comfortable in my own skin.”
How many of you can relate to this?
I am also guilty of relying too much on makeup to compensate for the lack of care in my life.
Having late nights and waking up with dark eye circles? That’s okay, concealer will save the day. Poor diet is making my complexion look dull? Nothing some highlighter can’t fix! Breaking out from a poor skincare routine? My trusty foundation would make sure you won’t notice a thing.
I realise that makeup is my crutch and my go-to excuse, for not caring more about skincare and adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Chloe Grace Moretz: Embrace who you truly are!
Sandeep Seth, CEO of Global SK-II reaffirms the message of what the #BareSkinProject is all about, “It’s still unconventional to see female celebrities photographed bare skin, and through the #BareSkinProject, we hope to provide a different point of view.”
Chloe Grace Moretz supports the message, “It was so refreshing to hear about a campaign that aims to embrace women’s natural beauty and spark a movement of authenticity and confidence,” she said. “I knew that this was a perfect fit for me and what I represent.”
“As I grew up, I became more confident without makeup because I focused on taking care of my skin, starting with the basics. I now find so much beauty in the simplicity of bare skin. Putting your bare skin forward into the world, should be something all women feel comfortable doing and through #BareSkinProject, we hope to make them more confident in doing so,” she adds.
I’d like to continue the conversation that these bold celebrities have started. We don’t need to hide behind a facade to feel good about ourselves.
I have a challenge for you: Take off your makeup, restart your skincare routine, adopt a healthy lifestyle. Look into the mirror, give yourself a smile. Notice the warmth of that cheery look and focus on your favourite feature; ignore that imperfection.
Keep doing this until you feel confident enough to snap a photo of yourself, bare-skinned. And when you’re ready, post that photo up on social media.
If anything, perhaps Chloe Grace Moretz puts it best in the interview she gave about the campaign.
Sharing what she’d tell her fans to encourage them about being confident, she says, “Embrace who you truly are! You don’t need to hide behind anything, including makeup. You don’t have to follow societal norms. Take care of your mental and physical health. I find that meditation, yoga, and a daily workout keeps me grounded, focused, and helps with confidence.”
Let’s make her words our mantra today too!
This article is brought to you by SK-II.
