‘Flawless’, declares one celebratory comment under Naomi Campbell’s red carpet social post from the Oscars. Yet many of the comments are also calling out or lamenting the fact the images appear to be retouched, with the speculation ranging from shrinking her nose, to chiselling her jaw and smoothing and brightening her skin.
‘Why would the most beautiful woman in the world do this to herself? What hope is there for us if she feels the need to do this?' Ask some. While others declare their love and disappointment, ‘Naomi we love you! You don’t need to edit your photos.’
This social debate got me thinking about my own desire to keep up appearances. Aged just a few years younger than Naomi’s 52, I probably share just one thing in common with the supermodel and that’s working in an environment where beauty is a part of your job. Although mine is writing about it rather than exuding it 24/7, which I can only imagine feels like a tough gig at times. I mean there’s no WFH in track pants options there!
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And while, yes, it’s true, she won the genetic lottery and has no doubt worked hard over the years to maintain her ‘fabulous at 50’ appearance and supermodel career, she is also human. And being human comes with both confidence and insecurities.
My own insecurity started with the onslaught of Zoom culture. I didn’t always like what stared back at me in the Zoom window, and it was an all too easy on screen comparison to my twenty and thirty-something colleagues, who looked that little bit younger, fresher, and more glowy. Like many of us in the lockdown, I stepped up the skincare routine and considered my treatment options.
Once we were back in the office and with IRL events in full swing, this sense of needing to maintain a fresh faced, good skin glow ramped up. I didn’t always find it easy to be one of the oldest in a room full of collagen-rich, younger colleagues. Looking back, my desire to appear youthful was associated with staying relevant, almost like an ageing version of imposter syndrome.
As I work in the beauty industry I know all too well how it values youth, and even relies on this premise for its existence, facilitating the desire for the glowy, plumpness of youth with a myriad of products and treatments. Figures show the global age prevention market is estimated to be worth approximately 62.6 billion U.S. dollars, with a growth of 7% expected by 2027. And I am not immune to the allure of a fresh faced glow.
And with a recognition that skincare alone was not going to give me the result I wanted, I headed to the derm's office to discuss injectables. The conversation led to a session with 20 + needles of both Botox to smooth fine lines and Profhilo to plump the skin and restore a juicy glow. It worked. I got compliments from colleagues and requests for my derm’s number from friends. And yes it did give me a spring in my step, a boost of confidence, but also a dawning realisation. I had whole heartedly succumbed to society’s unrealistic expectations of ageing,
I had always imagined I would ‘age gracefully’, but what I realise as I get older is that it’s a beauty myth. Natural ageing comes with life learnings, plenty of grey hairs and gravity impacts you cannot deny, but it’s also firmly out of sync with our societal beauty standards. And while there’s a push to widen the boundaries of what mainstream society considers beautiful, which I wholeheartedly support, I’d argue that’s happening more extensively at the youthful end of the spectrum and actual ageing is still largely a taboo. Not helped by the lack of transparency in some corners of celebville, where it’s clear that if you want your 50’s to look like J’Lo or Naomi it takes time, work, cash investment and a full glam squad.
The Naomi debate got me back to thinking about the workplace pressure I felt to look good, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Naomi ever felt a similar pressure, or perhaps tons more pressure thanks to the nature of her job? Sure she’s an original super with unrivalled experience, but she’s also walking the catwalks next to a generation half her age, the Bella and Kendall and Precious's of the world.
I also wonder after many decades of her image being tweaked and perfected routinely as part of her job, if that’s normalised an alternative image for her? Maybe it’s like cosmetic procedures? The more you do, the less you see the change that may seem obvious to others.
I guess I’ll never know on this score, but I do know that as I get older I realise ageing is a privilege. I love the confidence my years of experience give me and I wouldn't trade this for smoother skin. It’s taken me a little longer to get on board with the realisation that even though I more often than not feel 22, I’m not going to look it!
Naomi has been quoted as saying, “I’ve had my success, and I want to see the success of the next generation.” And while it’s her appearance, her image and her choice, I’d also urge her not to set up the next gen ( or older generations for that matter ) for failure with physically impossible to achieve, altered beauty standards. I’d argue aiming for flawlessness is counterproductive, it just feeds the insecurities. And from where I am looking Naomi doesn’t appear to have many flaws, but I would for one welcome her and others in positions of power in the industry actively speaking out in support of real ageing.
Naomi hasn't yet commented on the photos. GLAMOUR has contacted a spokesperson for Naomi Campbell and is awaiting comment.
