In an endless flow of glamourized beauty ads surfing around on social media, it’s hard to see what’s real and not. Poreless skin, polished smile, and luscious hair make us question whether something is wrong with ‘me.’ After all, the mirror at home shows a whole different story.
It’s no secret that many of these beauty ads are heavily retouched, even though it’s easy to forget it. But fed up with beauty filters used to sell products, Instagram influencers are now taking a stand and fighting for stricter guidelines on how cosmetic products are advertised online.
The makeup artist Sasha Louise Pallari has started a viral #FilterDrop campaign encouraging other women to post their natural faces, but it has spread beyond the initial mission. After submitting a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK, she finally heard back from them.
Incredibly, ASA has ruled against advertisements that “misleadingly exaggerated the effect the product was capable of achieving.” And it’s a fresh breath of air in the fake and the unreal side of Instagram content.
#1
I’m just a girl trying to love myself in a world that’s constantly telling me not to
Sasha Pallari, a makeup artist and curve model with a solid fanbase of 20.3k followers on Instagram, started the #FilterDrop campaign back in July 2020. She hoped to inspire “more real skin” on social media.
But now the ASA is on board in cracking down the influencer market saturated with heavily misleading filters to promote, sponsor, and sell beauty and fashion products.
The ASA examined two specific examples, one from the tanning brand Skinny Tan that featured influencer Elly Norris in the photos. Turns out, Elly used Instagram’s widely popular in-app filter “Perfect Tan” to further exaggerate her tanned look.
2.
Just me – no filter – just grey hair, wrinkles and a pair of glasses I have so many things to be grateful for – I’m grateful for all the money I save from NOT dying my hair, I’m grateful for my daughter who’s always complimenting me and my wrinkles and I’m grateful for my glasses because I like the look + they hide the dark circles under my eyes smile and be grateful – there’s always something to be happy about
Another case was that of an Instagram promo campaign for the brand Tanologist Tan shared by the influencer Cinzia Baylis-Zullo.
In a heavily airbrushed video, Cinzia told her followers: “Hi guys, I wanted to tell you all about how I’ve been tanning my face recently using these Tanologist face and body drops.”
Sasha Pallari from the #FilterDrop campaign has filed complaints about these two ads to the ASA, and just a day ago, she got the news back from the UK’s regulator of advertising.
#3
What makeup REALLY looks like after a long ass day… VS… what Instagram thinks it looks like!
This is for my insecure greasy faced baby dolls GREASE IS NORMAL! OUR SKIN IS NOT MATT! We have pours that produces grease, some of us get lots, some don’t!
After a long ass day of wearing makeup, this is what my skin looks like! It’s not dirty, it is human! And there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with it.
Filters can hide so much of reality, that we forget so many things are actually normal! Greasy, bumpy faces are so common, but when is the last time you saw one on Instagram!?
If you are like me and also have a greasy bumpy face… BABY WE GOT THIS, WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER AND WE ARE B E A UUUUUTIFUL!
#4
Just injecting your feed with some REAL SKIN this evening!
#5
I’m off for a walk to clear my head
The ASA ruled that the filters in these cases indeed breached the CAP Code rules that relate to misleading advertising and exaggeration. This is how exactly their assessment read: “The ads breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 (Misleading Advertising) and 3.11 (Exaggeration).”
#6
You were born to be REAL not perfect.
7.
8.
Comparing ourselves to the perfect, online version of ourself IS NOT.
This is not a before and after.
I could not achieve this “look” in real life.
No skincare will give me this result.
No makeup will make me this poreless.
So many of us are striving for these unrealistic beauty standards, feeling miserable when we can’t achieve them no matter how much time and money we invest.
And then there are those who have misrepresented themselves online with filters so much, that they now struggle to meet people in person because they can’t live up to the expectation they created.
When filters stop being fun, stop using them. And next time you find yourself comparing yourself to you or anyone else, question what exactly your comparing yourself to.
And do you really think it’s beautiful or have you been told to think so?
Remember: #poresnotflaws
Commenting on the case of the “Perfect Tan” filter used in one of the ads, the ASA stated: “We understood that the filter ‘Perfect Tan’ by Bianca Petry resulted in a significantly darker skin tone. The filter’s effects were therefore directly relevant to the intended effects of the product.”
#9
The power of filterdrop
10.
FILTERDROP was created as an extension of everything I believe in for beauty. I’ve worked in this industry for almost ten years and with this campaign, I’ve changed how it will be seen online.
Six months ago I spoke to the ASA about the damage of these filters as I felt there needed to be stricter guidelines around how products and cosmetics were advertised online. It felt like I was holding my breath each time I was updated this case was being taken further to each stage. On 22/01/2021 I received an email stating that “the outcome of the rulings chosen mean it is now advised that brands/influencers/celebrities are not to apply filters to photos which promote beauty products if such filters are likely to exaggerate the effect the product is capable of achieving, even if the name of the filter is referenced in the Instagram story.”
Today those rulings have been put in place and it’s because of this campaign. There are a lot of important things that need to be changed online but this was still one of them and I would do anything to go back and tell 12-year-old Sasha she was going to do this.
I used to drastically edit my pictures, I used filters, I spent every waking minute of my days wishing I looked like someone else.
This is still only the start. I started this campaign eight months ago and the amount we’ve achieved together has been mind-blowing. Every single share, comment, like and action has meant I’ve kept going when parts of this process have been so difficult.
Going forward this means that every single time somebody promotes a skincare or beauty product online, we have the highest chance of seeing real skin, real texture, real nose shapes, different lip sizes, the true product colour. The amount of people that will no longer compare themselves to an advert that isn’t achievable without a filter is going to be prolific. We did it. I’m so proud.
11.
Recently, I’ve been posting in my instastories using beauty filters and it felt good to look “pretty”. But I noticed that without those filters, I don’t feel confident about myself which is not healthy for my mental health. So, I’ve decided (with all my might) to post this to stop normalizing beauty filters. With or without filters, we are beautiful in our own way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still working on my insecurities. As they say, fake it till you make it. (Lol) From now on, will try to use instagram as a tool for healing my insecurities. Char, take note ang “try”, d sa ko mu-promise. k thanks byeee
The ASA added: “Because the ads conveyed a tanning effect of the product, we considered that the application of the filter ‘Perfect Tan’ by Bianca Petry to the images was directly relevant to the claimed performance of the product and gave a misleading impression about the performance capabilities of the product.”
12
I am beyond excited to announce that I am going to be a guest speaker at the @cultbeauty #UpCloseOnSkinCare event on 07.01.2021 discussing how virtual filters are changing the beauty world alongside some of the industries most valued. If you’ve followed #FILTERDROP from the start you’ll know my passion for filters and the damage they can cause is something I am adamant to change, so to be asked to speak at this event by one of the best beauty retailers is an absolute honour. Head to my stories to purchase your ticket in exchange for a donation to the incredible charity @beautybanks – I can’t wait to see you there.
People everywhere are struggling to match the beauty standards we see daily on social media platforms, which is what led us to launch our #ElevateDareToBare campaign last year, encouraging our clients and followers to share real, unedited skin selfies and embrace their bare skin in all its glory.
14
I’ve officially fallen out of love with foundation Concealing my acne used to GIVE ME LIFE. Without it, I know I wouldn’t of had the confidence to do everything I have professionally, socially and romantically .Now, more than a year since I first went barefaced after fourteen years of hiding my acne, I actually prefer my skin without foundation. It highlights every pore, line and scar. And where I once only used to feel myself when wearing makeup, now is the opposite. I realise this is progress I should be proud of but I have mixed feelings. I used to enjoy dressing up and the transformation. Now I guess what I can do with makeup is limited compared to what I can achieve with a filter. Is that it then? Has seeing my skin through a filter ruined makeup for me? What’s your relationship with makeup at the moment? I know since the pandemic, it’s been a great opportunity to break away from concealing every day. Has this helped change the way you feel about your skin? there is no shame in concealing your skin. You do you.
15.
They also issued an order for the ads to be deleted. “The ads must not appear again in the form complained about. We told Skinny Tan and Ms. Norris not to apply beauty filters to photos which promoted beauty products if such filters were likely to exaggerate the effect the product was capable of achieving,” the ASA stated.
