Demi Lovato’s Vanity Fair photoshoot from last week is amazing, but I’m not saying that simply because the “Cool for the Summer” singer wasn’t wearing clothes.
The 23-year-old Lovato has discussed her past issues with body image and eating disorders at great length and to see her reach a point where she is comfortable to be completely naked – no clothes, no make-up – and pose for a photoshoot with zero retouching is powerful beyond words. As she explains in the video that accompanies the story and spread on the Vanity Fair website linked above, there was a point when she didn’t have a single positive feeling about her body and to now be at a point where she can showcase her curves and tattoos is a tremendous turnaround and one that will hopefully inspire others.
Far too often, the images of beauty or attractiveness presented in the media are impossibly thin, fully stylized females that have a team of stylists and make-up artists getting them ready. “Stars Without Make-Up” pictorials are a tabloid magazine staple where the way celebrity looks in their natural state is laid out as something they should feel bad about, except that far more people look more like their celebrity favourites without make-up than they do those same individuals when they’ve “got their face on” as my grandmother used to say.
Lovato’s layout challenges that idea.
She’s striking without a lick of make-up or retouching and there are undoubtedly countless other stars that you could say the same thing about, but right now, Lovato is the only one confident enough to show herself completely bare and it is amazing. And there is nothing sexier than confidence.
Hopefully this layout kick-starts a conversation and make some people reconsider their ideas of beauty because although the media often tries to tell us otherwise, real beauty isn’t about being a certain size, conforming to a certain style or appearing to be flawless, but rather embracing and loving who you are, the way you are.
For all the attention that is paid to “Who wore it best?” and how great different celebrities looked at various events and function, more attention should be paid to something like this, not because Lovato looks amazing naked, but because she’s sending an amazing message by saying, “Here I am, completely bare for all to see, happy with how I look and confident enough to let you all see me in my natural form.”
We need to see more images and messages like this presented in the media and hopefully that will lead to more conversations about what it means to be beautiful. For right now, let’s applaud Lovato for taking a risk and putting herself out there confidently for all to see.
