TikTok's Bold Glamour filter is proof that Western beauty is still seen as the golden standard

The Bold Glamour filter has recently gone viral on TikTok with more than 17 million videos (and counting), hailed “the most hyper-realistic filter” to date and one that, supposedly, makes “everyone look so damn good.” Concerns have been raised about its promotion of unrealistic beauty standards, and the damage it's doing to our self-esteem. 

But it seems to me that there’s not enough conversation around the deeper implications of the filter, and how it’s perpetuating Western beauty standards. Unfortunately, I'm far too familiar with being fed the idea that Westernised beauty is the “golden standard” to strive for, regardless of your heritage. But the saddest part is that I used to believe it, wholeheartedly. How could I not? Circling back to the time when the majority of magazines, advertisements and Hollywood movies would barely (if ever) feature anyone who even remotely looked like me, how could I think that my facial features are just as beautiful? 

I moved to the UK when I was 17, and struggled to come to terms with my looks and where I fit on the beauty scale in a Western country. In fact, the first year I moved here, I dyed my hair blonde and told my mum that I'll be saving up for an upper eyelid surgery so as to “westernise” my appearance. I never did, but looking back, I don't exactly blame myself for having those thoughts. In a world where European looks have always been celebrated more, it's no wonder why I spent the majority of my teenage years nitpicking my appearance.

Consultant psychologist Dr Elena Touroni explains that as human beings, “we have the inherent drive to feel like we 'fit in' and belong. ”

“When we’re flooded with unrealistic images on a daily, hourly basis (as can be the case with social media), it’s no doubt going to have an influence on our self-perception and how we view the world more generally,” she adds.

Now that I think about it, my whole beauty journey has been affected by this insecurity. It translated to how I thought I should look like in order to fit in: from using stickers that made my eyes appear bigger and wearing coloured contacts to FaceTune-ing my face to the point when I could barely recognise myself. And I’m not the only one – according to research undertaken by Dove, 80% of women admitted to having already applied a filter or used a retouching app to change the way they look in their photos by age 13.

“Whenever we present unrealistic images as real life, this can inevitably lead to feelings of inadequacy and defectiveness. And this leaves young people - whose identity is still forming - especially vulnerable,” Dr Touroni shares. 

Even when it came to makeup, I didn’t care to find out what kind of look would suit me best, let alone consider my face shape, skin tone and plain preferences. Instead, I prioritised what everyone thought was considered “cool” at the time, whether it was putting on a foundation that’s way too dark for me, using eyeshadow techniques that didn’t compliment my eye shape or outlining my lips to mimic a shape that looked nothing like my own. It got to the point that I realised that I’d lost my identity while I was trying to meet beauty standards that did me more damage than good. 

The sad truth is that it was not until recently that I started to truly embrace and love my looks. It took a considerable amount of time and effort for me to work through my insecurities, and frankly, I still have a long way to go. Still, I’d be lying if I said that I’m not 100% affected by the idolised Western beauty standards. Case in point: the Bold Glamour TikTok filter. 

When I first stumbled upon it on my FYP (For You Page), my initial reaction was similar to everyone else’s. I couldn’t believe how realistic it looked on other people, and naturally, I wanted to try it for myself. But the filter distorted my face beyond recognition and altered my facial features in a way that, you guessed it, “westernised” my appearance on a whole new level. My eyes looked bigger and lighter in colour, my jaw was more defined, my nose looked smaller, my lips appeared bigger, my skin was more tan and the list goes on. And guess what? Typically, almost all of the above is usually perceived as “attractive” as per the Western beauty standards. According to a paper published by Harvard University, “Western beauty ideals include being thin and tall, having long hair, having light/tanned skin, having big breasts, large eyes, a small nose, and high cheekbones.” 

It felt like I saw the exact version of myself that I once aspired to be, which is exactly what’s so problematic about this filter. I couldn’t help but feel like it set me back and all those intrusive thoughts came rushing back. Before you say it, no, it’s not just the makeup. As someone who loves going into a full glam mode, I’m no stranger to having a lot of makeup on my face, false eyelashes and all. But trust me when I tell you that I never looked like this filter version of me. The reality is that beauty trends can be just as brutal as they can be empowering. And guess what? I’m fine with not looking like that version of myself, but sadly it's not always the case. 

“Filters like "Bold Glamour" can be highly problematic because they can make us believe that it's possible to look like the filtered "reflection" staring back at us from our phone screens and that version of ourselves is more desirable than our actual selves,” shares psychologist and author Alexis Conason.

“This can lead us to strive towards this narrow definition of beauty and feel like there's something wrong with us if we can't attain it,” she adds. Alexis also notes that these filters can also result in the development of “pervasive body image dissatisfaction, eating disorders, disordered eating, low self-esteem, and other psychological issues,” underlining the kind of effect that they could have on our mental health. 

It felt like I saw the exact version of myself that I once aspired to be, which is exactly what’s so problematic about this filter.

“Don't be afraid to take social media breaks if you feel that it's negatively impacted the way you feel about yourself. Unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself or promote narrow, limited, and idealised versions of beauty. Follow accounts that promote body diversity, expansive and inclusive ideas about beauty, body positivity, and more,” she advises.

At the end of the day, beauty should be all about self-expression and celebrating heritage as opposed to something that puts us into boxes so that we can deem ourselves “attractive” to society.  No matter how advanced the technology gets and how many “impressive” filters come out of it, we should be mindful of the kind of messaging that can potentially come from glamourising something that could have a damaging effect on our self image and identity.

GLAMOUR has reached out to TikTok for comment and have received the following statement: "Being true to yourself is celebrated and encouraged on TikTok. Creative Effects are a part of what makes it fun to create content, empowering self-expression and creativity. Transparency is built into the effect experience, as all videos using them are clearly marked by default. We continue to work with expert partners and our community, to help keep TikTok a positive, supportive space for everyone."

For more beauty content from Glamour UK Commerce Writer Denise Primbet, follow her on Twitter @deniseprimbet and Instagram @deniseprimbet.

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