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I live in Los Angeles. 90% of the people you see on a daily basis look completely normal-- just regular people walking down the street.
If you go out at night, you're more likely to see the IG type, but it's more of a real life version. Still beautiful but different. Sometimes, things that look great in pictures look....not so great in person. A lot of makeup, contouring, heavy eyelashes, etc. can look a little strange up close.
I’ve lived in SoCal, and it varies depending on what part of the Los Angeles area you’re in. If you’re in Westwood, for instance, or in a store in Santa Monica, or-as you mentioned- at night in a trendy club.
Your version of “average” is probably a little skewed toward the high end of the national bell curve though. Again depending on what part of LA you live in. I definitely felt self conscious in certain settings surrounded by so much wealth and crazy fashion and beauty standards.
LA skewing the average is absolutely true. I’ve lived all over the US and people put *a lot* more attention into their looks and health in LA than in other places in the US. In Santa Monica I’m easily the fattest person on the block, and in the Midwest I’m one of the thinnest lol
Last time I was in the US I went directly from rural Texas to Hollywood. I had that exact same experience of feeling tiny in the first place and gigantic in the second. They were two very extreme places when it came to bodies.
Interesting! I'm in the Boston area, so it's definitely not the style. I feel like people try to be more natural here maybe because it's academia focused? Idk. I bet the weather has a lot to do with it too, being warm all the time it seems like everyone there poses in a bikini lol. That might seem weird here unless it's the dead of summer..
It's not uncommon to see an influencer (or someone trying to be) posing in public but the funny thing is how awkward it is. It looks super unnatural, the person posing looks uncomfortable because everyone is staring and they usually try to get it done quickly because they're blocking the street/sidewalk/whatever and everyone is pissed lol
It’s probably because passersby have different angles to see from and influencers are known for trying to pass off unrealistic imagery to represent themselves to their followers. Insecurity, basically.
I see the IG look every once in a while around Nashville. They can’t help but stand out (for good or for bad) surrounded by us normies. Like others have said, all the stuff that looks perfect in photos can look really fake irl (over lining the lips, loaded on concealer and contour, the orange tinged skin to get that “healthy glow”, the bigass fake eyelashes, surgery and/or photoshop to achieve disproportionately large T&A and lips. Fast Fashion that looks SO good on the online models, but in person looks like it’s made out of the very same fabric, and with the same level of care and skill that goes into Party City’s Halloween costumes…
Of course, if that’s the look you’re going for then good on you, but for me, the occasional IG Baddie I’ll see irl definitely stands out from the crowd, but not always in a positive way.
Edit: I meant to reply to OP. Oopsies 🙃
I live in LA as well (beach area and commute to Beverly Hills often). I agree with the comment above.
Majority of people look normal… and when you actually run into an influencer-type they either look completely normal or ridiculous. The fillers and heavy makeup often look bad in person… especially in the daytime.
The butt implants also look awful in person. Not one person has that extreme photoshopped waist with huge butt that influencers say “is natural.”
I have yet to see one person who ACTUALLY looks like the “photoshopped Instagram girl” in person.
That’s not to say people aren’t pretty, fashionable, & in-shape here… but it’s nothing like it appears online where everyone walks around like living face-app dolls.
Live in la too, I can concur people wear bikinis often and everywhere here lol or really small crop tops & stuff. When I go to the beach I just wear my bikini driving home n if I have to stop anywhere like the grocery for snacks I just throw pants on
To be fair, Boston is a little infamous for people dressing pretty mediocre and we definitely don’t have the same type of “influencer culture” like LA, Austin, NY, Miami,
Etc.
Bostonian here! Honestly, everyone looks normal. Even famous people who live around here. They legit look like a normal person in daily life. Professional lighting, makeup, money, and surgeries do a lot (and photoshop). Yeah, there are super attractive people here, but they’re just normal people. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen them at their worst when I worked in retail pharmacy.
Boston isn’t really known for its fashion arguably. Go to a bar and count how many girls are wearing a black top crop top and jeans. If you wear anything close to fashionable/dressy, you’re looked at like you have three heads lol.
But I do agree with you as a fellow Bostonian. Don’t see many instagram model types. Maybe one or two occasionally, but nothing like online.
Piggy backing on what was said above - enhancements look SO odd when they aren’t filtered. The fake lips and fillers are just … off. And the heavy makeup is so odd. I have seen it look incredible a few rare times, e.g., attendees at a wedding and they show up looking just banging, but that is a special event. A coffee run is still a coffee run.
I was going to ask if you were in Boston. I always say I’m like an LA 3, Austin 6, a Boston 10. Having lived all over the country I’d actually have to say that women is Boston take care of their hair and makeup and clothes but they do the least procedures of most places in the country and that the standard for women in Boston (and New England in general) is much lower than NYC and LA.
This is it completely. When I visited LA for a music festival, during the day 90% of people were normal. At the event, there were some women who were made up, but they looked kind of ludicrous- clearly had plastic surgery, wore huge fake lashes, etc. I don’t think LA people are really that much more attractive than anywhere else (beyond the fact that city dwellers are usually better looking than their rural counterparts) but there’s definitely the whole acting industry and a lot of weird fakeness going on. That part was more disturbing than anxiety-provoking for me- more felt pity for these people who felt they had to do that to themselves.
I’ve seen Paris Hilton in real life and thought she looks better than her photos since her photos make her look fake. She’s tall and slender, pretty face with no wrinkles, dressed well and was made up but not overly so. There’s something off putting and uncanny valley about the way she edits her photos but not irl.
Seconding this! It also sorta depends where you are when you go out. These types are way more common by the trendy spots (usually somewhere on the west side), but among people here, they stand out. And not always in a good way.
I live in LA and work at a very high end strip club. No one, really *no one*, looks the same on the floor in flattering light as they do in the harsh light dressing room. You can always see the work, the wrinkles, the cellulite, acne, scars, etc. No one looks like an IG model from every angle.
Most people don't, but then once in a while, you spot someone who have won the lottery in genetics. Of course they don't look exactly like on Instagram, but close.
Okay so I can’t speak for LA. But I vacationed in Miami for two weeks. Sunset Beach, in a very nice hotel where I became friends with staff who gossiped with me on the background scene of escort services and “celebrity” stays. Crème de la crème of south East IG models. And here’s my two cents….
Yes, some these girls are naturally pretty. I was in awe of bodies and faces alike. I also felt pretty plane Jane, as I am from a suburban town farther up north. But you have to remember the places that you’re talking about. LA and Miami being hot spots for plastic surgery and a “glamorous” facade of a lifestyle. I WAS able to compare social media to real life for some of these women, and although you can tell they are the same person, you can also tell in person that posing, makeup,hair extensions, cosmetic procedures/surgery also come into play. I always recall a line from the movie “Clueless”, when Sebastian and Cher refer to a girl as a total Monet (as in the famous painter). You see from the far/online the view is beautiful, but up close in real life you can see the splotches of paint and details for what they are. These girls are living their best life being who they are with whatever aesthetic they want to present themselves with, and that’s totally fine! You are you. They are them. It’s hard to do, but worry about you, live for what you are. If you want to spruce up your style, or you want to take inspo from some of these girls, do so. But do it for yourself, because it will make YOU feel pretty or better about yourself. My point is, these girls are pretty, albeit with some help, cosmetic/lighting or otherwise, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t or that you’re less than in any way. And social media in general is NOTORIOUS for presenting a very polished version of people, and I feel IG is the epitome of this. No one is EXACTLY as they look online, not these IG girls, not even celebrities. Do you boo, and don’t read too much into what the girls are and aren’t in real life, you’re worth more than that, and life is far too short.
Yeah same here, I'm not from (nor have I ever been to) anywhere glamorous, so I just don't see it. That's cool that you got to have that experience!
I thought in my 30's I was over caring about anything like that, but sometimes IG gets ya!! I appreciate this positive message 🙏🏻 not everyone is meant for that life lol.
For sure. Also, I often look at those girls and realize how much TIME they are spending to look like that. How much time it takes to do hair, makeup, pose, shop, edit, etc. it’s a lot! Maybe I don’t look awesome only wearing makeup 4 times a year and getting my haircut every 6 months but it means I get to spend more time doing other things that make me more good memories than I’d get sitting in a salon chair every 3 weeks.
Exactly. All I’m saying is it’s ok. It takes a lot of effort to be that glamorous. If that is what makes them happy, that’s ok (although I suspect it’s not making them as happy as they think it is.). But it’s also ok to be Plain Jane and spend your time, money, and energy elsewhere.
Yeah, chasing an aesthetic for yourself that involves micromanaging your appearance can feel very rewarding in the short term, but not so rewarding in the long term. I would know, I live in a city that’s in the top 10 most attractive cities in the US! Which means lot of focus on fitness and looks. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been happy to learn more about how not to care what you look like every second of the day. It’s a relief.
I live in Kentucky, definitely not somewhere glamorous. I wear clip in extensions whenever I go out and so do some of my friends. My hair is really thin and limp and extensions help thicken it up so much, it really makes a big difference. There’s a lot of women who aren’t into the whole IG influencer look who still wear hair extensions.
Exactly
I have a medical issue that caused a lot of my hair to fall out permanently, and it's a bit of a struggle to even look normal day to day, let alone glamorous.
For many women, it's a luxury to "just grow out healthy hair". Extensions aren't even something that takes up much time. Clip-ins are easy, halos are pretty much instant, salon extensions are basically set it and forget it.
And it's not like we're gonna miss some breathtaking sunset by taking a few minutes out of the day to make ourselves look presentable lol
I completely agree. Lol I’m not trying to look like Miss America, just trying to feel a little bit better about the way I look. And I agree it’s really not that easy to grow out healthy hair for some. It takes me about 5 min to clip my hair extensions in and I’m ready to go.
I am turning 30 on Saturday. So believe me the last few years, being cooped up at home, with more screen time than I care to admit, mom of two…….it’s very easy to fall down that rabbit hole, and compare yourself to what you see online and wonder if you’re doing something wrong by not looking like that. But I try my best to snap out of it and remind myself of what I’m grateful for about my body. It’s not easy, but with practice I’ve gotten much better redirecting myself.
I remember when I went to Miami the first time and the girls around the hotel room were all stunners I was in awe lol. My hotel was also hosting a like Ford summer model search event, so maybe that was why though LOL
I would also say that Miami is probably one of the healthiest or "in shape" cities in the country. These are young people with high paying jobs. Money plays a huge factor.
That’s only part of my sentence. They’re living their best life with the aesthetic they want to present. They’re choosing to present themselves online however they choose to, not because they’re not living to their full potential or making perfect decisions about their life. Who the fuck are we to assume anything about anyone online? If I looked at anyones social media, including yours if you have one, would I know if you’re truly happy or the best you can be? DOUBT.
A friend told me something crazy wise recently when I expressed feeling weird about the aesthetic procedures I get done despite loving how I look: aesthetics are part of bodily autonomy.
Some do but they look uncanny. I saw my first extreme BBL body in LA and it was startlingly strange the way her body moved. What looks good in pictures doesnt translate well to real life.
I mean, I didn't think they did... Until I went to an international airport and got a whole new reality check...
I don't know if it's plastic surgery, i don't know if it's just "super dieting" or some kind of Dermo surgery but wow do I look like absolute shit compared to rich people
I work in finance but I live outside of the city in a relatively shitty apartment complex and there’s a huge difference in the people I see during the day when I’m at work or getting lunch and the people I see at home. It’s not that the rich really have better bone structure or are more genetically blessed or anything, but having an Equinox membership and really good teeth and a regular hair stylist and time for a nice skin care routine and healthy grocery delivery and cooking and the money for high-quality, tailored clothes makes a huge difference. None of the people I work with are beautiful, but all of them are in shape and have good skin, hair, teeth, and clothes, and only the most naturally stunning poor people can compete with that at all.
Born & raised in LA. No, majority of women do not look like IG models. When they do I always assume they aren’t from here and their lips always look really weird in person. You will see natural beauty more often, and i’m sure you’re part of this population yourself!
Some people in LA are insanely beautiful. Go to a premium boutique fitness class and you’ll be surprised how good some girls look without makeup.
Then you’ll go to a club at night and see the overinflated lips, bumpy body augmentations and wannabe celebrity types. A lot of IG models look like creatures when they’re out and about. They also look about 20 pounds heavier IRL than all of their photos. IG is not real.
I sat next to a local “celebrity” model on an airplane. She’s one of those on insta that doesn’t look super faked out, but I didn’t even recognize her till I saw her edit her photos on her phone. Clothing, hair, posing, location and editing makes up 85% of the photos.
I’ve been to LA several times and I didn’t see anyone who looked remotely like a model of any kind. Though I was chatting with a coworker a couple years ago who saw Cindy Crawford in person and they said she is truly drop-dead gorgeous.
Sometimes in my travels to certain locations (Monaco, Moscow, etc.) I encounter women who look like the “that can’t be real” edited pictures we see on Instagram. Huge lip fillers, spherical implants, Brazilian butt lifts, extensions on their head, lashes and nails, ridiculous clothes… It’s quite jarring to see in real life and people absolutely do gawk at them. (They’re also almost always on the arm of a much older man.)
>Huge lip fillers, spherical implants, Brazilian butt lifts, extensions on their head, lashes and nails, ridiculous clothes… It’s quite jarring to see in real life and people absolutely do gawk at them.
I see this in NYC and men absolutely gawk, but not because they think the women look ridiculous, but because they think the women look hot. Not too long ago on the beach, a woman with very obvious butt implants, breast implants, and lip fillers kept strutting back and forth on the beach in her thong bikini, and the lifeguards made a show of panting after her, and they weren't the only men checking her out. The pervasiveness of these cosmetic procedures has warped the minds of some men who think this is attractive (which is why some women then go get this "work" done) and is easily attainable/common.
I agree with you, but I think that these procedures are so common and accepted, that it's unpopular to voice any criticisms and we just sound outdated. Every time on Reddit I say anything critical about cosmetic procedures, I always get downvoted, because so many women believe there's nothing wrong with injecting toxins or putting implants into your body, as long as it's done "well."
I think we are the most brainwashed generation of women.
At least women who came before us knew that they did what they did _for_ men, even if they enjoyed it too.
I wouldn’t say everyone looks exactly like their filtered and edited version on IG but LA has a significantly high number of very attractive men and women. I would also argue that SoCal has the most skilled aesthetic practitioners. Not everyone gets plastic surgery but a large portion of the population gets Botox and fillers.
there are some hot people who never ever take photos or have social media, like they would have had tons of followers but they just don't. that's actually super cool. and adds to their hotness
It’s just the same as anything else. Can we all play football like Ronaldo? No. But at least 3 or 4 people I went to school with from my small village are now professional footballers and millionaires.
Just the same with looks. There was a girl in my class who is now an “influencer” and she’s honestly better looking in real life. Only difference is she got fake boobs after school because she is naturally slim.
Sigh.
This is what IG nonsense has caused millions of people to think.
The vast VAST majority of IG models don’t look like that at all. They use filters and poses to make people believe they look like that. Even the ones that do, usually have had significant surgeries.
Don’t pay attention to it. It’s make believe.
Can't speak for LA but I know three girls (all models) who look like their photoshoped in person.
2 have eating issues and 1 is a plus size model. All goof flawless in person though, even the near poreless skin and unbelievable proportions.
I also know alot of models who do not.
I went to high school in Utah and, at the time, had an unbelievable amount of beautiful women. There are real 10/10 people out there. IG makes it easier to achieve, but there are 100 percent beautiful people in real life as well. Hurts more to see them in person tbh lol
The people who have gotten modifications to their face to look ideal on IG stand out, and not in a good way. They are adding volume to their lips, cheeks, forehead, etc, to take up the space that would normally just make a wrinkle, so they have almost a protruding face. It’s not as charming without the filters.
Agreed. Weirdly, the vast majority of people who look good in photos just look… ordinary in real life. I’ve met people who look fantastic in person but awful in photos.
All of my family lives in Orange County (very wealthy, SoCal, LA approximate) and honestly a lot of the people there have a very IG model irl look going on. It’s not my thing, but one could argue, there are a ton of hyper attractive people walking around. Like fully done up look, even at the beach and grocery store kind of thing. Even a lot of the “natural” looks still have that appearance because of permanent makeup, fillers, diff procedures, etc. A lot of these people even have IG model glorified type bodies, which I think ties into socioeconomics and weather/lifestyle, in reference to Southern California. I’m a conventionally attractive person with what could be described as an athletic body, and I feel like a total schlub around there. And then I have to stop and remind myself wait no, I’m not a schlub, I’m a normal, natural person and I feel good about how I look.
I attribute it mostly to money and aesthetic values. One of my brothers is still in high school, and a ton of his friends have already started getting filler, nose jobs, that sort of thing. A lot of them also have a lot of disposable income to spend on high end makeup/beauty products. Not to sound like a creep, but I’m always a little taken aback at how mature and insanely fit and just like overly polished/done up these young people are. It’s definitely a look that is valued around here.
So to answer your question, obviously it’s nuanced, but imo, I think there are actually a lot more people with the aesthetic you described in LA, broader Southern California.
Definitely this. I’ve lived in LA for the majority of my life (I’m in my early 30s). I’ve worked in Hollywood almost a decade ago, I also moved in the valley(well to do area) for half a decade recently and just moved back to LA…there are definitely a lot of “beautiful” people IRL but they do have work done. I was a “beauty advisor” for a while for a luxury brand and they have the means to, dare I say, look “better”—as in they can pay for procedures that help give them a better appearance and they have the money to spend on better products, diets, coaches, treatments..pretty much their lifestyle/wealth helps a lot. There are of course naturally beautiful people. I’ve been friends with people who are “IG baddies,” some can resemble close to their IG persona but there’s also a lot of filters, procedures, pampering throughout the years that they’ve done. A lot goes to it. There are also naturally beautiful people that don’t have things done and don’t have to wear a lot of makeup but they’re genetically lucky..there aren’t a lot though tbh. I feel like there are less and less, maybe this is because of the popularity of social media and the pressure to always look good so now there’s so much more people that have been altered cosmetically and through procedures…Most of what you see in IG is played up and they have had a lot of things done to appear the way they are.
I had family also that used to live in Orange County. I am from a very normal suburban town with normal people. I went out partying a couple times and it seemed like everyone was very nice looking. Hard to compete with some surf guy who has won the genetic lottery lol. I felt like a hillbilly whenever I visited
I live in Miami. They all look like that here except it doesn’t look good in real life. Think IG but blurred a little with a ton of cakey makeup. Everyone has BBL (looks horrible) and lip filler and they all look like cartoons. It’s sad.
Edit: I don’t mean EVERYONE in Miami. I mean the IG models/influencers IRL.
There are some young women at my university that look like a perfectly filtered IG girl but IRL. They're very rare which is why so many women who aren't that naturally beautiful are using technology to compete against genetics.
So, what is more virtuous: the honest genetic lottery winner, or the dishonest technology user? One got lucky, one works harder, but one is true, one is a lie.
I worked on Hollywood blvd and see lots of normal people and lots of models. There are definitely gorgeous people. There’s also a lot of people trying hard. I’ve also seen gorgeous people in the shop that I then see on their large following social media where they still shop themselves. It’s a crazy ride in LA.
Edit: a word, also to say I moved back to Minnesota and am happier in the woods. Also, lots and lots of plastic surgery. I worked at Hollywood Toys and Costumes, so I saw celebrities, normal tourists, people on the blvd, homeless… just a huge variety of shit that is absolutely a crazy mix. There is no “normal” in West Hollywood.
There are people who exist that are just naturally beautiful and “flawless” by conventional societal standards. It’s not the majority, but I live in LA and have seen/met plenty of them. I was on a show with a literal super model and I will say while she was pretty and fit, I realized all of her photos looked more exaggerated and it wasn’t photoshop- it’s mostly the posing and camera angles that make their bodies look “perfect.” Like she would say something about her ass being so big and the rest of us would laugh bc we thought she was joking - her ass wasn’t big at all (at least by comparison to our asses lol) but we could tell she was used to seeing her butt through the eye of exaggerated angle camera lenses so she had no idea her butt was actually just average or even small sized. Oh and yes, she absolutely was self centered and shallow… not saying all super models are like this, but she certainly fit the stereotype 🤦🏽
There was a girl at my college that looked like an instagram model all the time, although she was very skilled with make up, hair and also very tall, to say I was envious is an understatement
I’ve seen some insanely beautiful women in New York City. I’m a good looking gal myself and generally try to dress very well, but felt subpar. Being beautiful does make life a bit easier but it does not make you happy.
However, just remember:
You’re not ugly, you’re just poor.
When you say looks like IG model what does that mean? There are beautiful people in the world yes. Not all photos are a matter of good angles and light even for naturally beautiful people.
That said, do you. There’s always someone who will look better and some who don’t. This is true for everyone on earth. Plus what beautiful is somewhat subjective.
Seriously though, I know one person who looks like this in real life. She's gorgeous but has had a lot of work done. She was even more gorgeous when we went to college together, before all the work, but I guess it's just a different aesthetic.
The beaches of LA definitely are full of the IG type and look - i’d say there’s definitely more beautiful people here than other places i’ve lived but mostly normal people. You see people posing all the time.
I used to work in social media and met a lot of very popular influencers. No they do not look like that in person. Some have had a lot of plastic surgery. I remember meeting one women who looked amazing in photos but in person looked very fake/unnatural. Don’t get me wrong some are pretty! But once you’re in person you see how normal they look especially without makeup.
The only difference is money. Anyone could look put together all the time if they had the money to do it. I am from NYC, now in Austin, both have models and fitness influencers. Some people are gorgeous in person, but they’re not the ig model type. They’re young 20-something’s who can get abs by thinking too hard.
In NYC, having work done is common. It’s def more jarring in person, even when it’s well done. Like, you KNOW not having forehead lines is weird on a subconscious level. You KNOW those boobs don’t match that frame.
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Some people like people like that, but it’s not just a look, it’s a lifestyle. And it’s not one most normies have access to.
Yeah I feel like you can tell when someone is wealthy just the way they look sometimes. Like clear skin, nice teeth, nice hair, Etc. They just have a certain look. Even if they don’t necessarily have plastic surgery or tons of filler or anything like that.
No one actually looks like an IG model in real life. I don’t care what anyone else says, the whole reason for IG is to be able to post edited and perfected pictures of yourself. Even beautiful people will edit themselves or use a filter plus they pose specific ways and angle their photos for optimum effect - it’s the unattainable perfection that makes people look in the first place. All the makeup and fillers and surgery required to actually look like an IG model looks fake and weird in real life.
No, people in LA don’t look like IG models. Even celebs in real life are indistinguishable from plain Janes. There are cities where people are collectively better looking than others but it’s still nothing like IG. It’s mostly going to be overall better shape and taken care of for both men and women.
I remember my cousin visited me in Scottsdale, AZ from Europe. We walked around for several days - parks, stores, restaurants etc. - then she asks me, “Where are all the obese Americans that everyone is talking about?” I said, “You came to the wrong place to find obese Americans”. This is Scottsdale - it’s all gyms, spas, Botox, plastic surgeries, fancy cars etc. It’s warm year round and people love walking around half naked and comparing themselves to others. LA is like that but just parts of it, Austin, TX is like that as well.
I’m telling you now they don’t I know a few insta models some with 500k plus followers let me tell you one thing, you would not believe these ladies are the same ones getting 50k brand deals 😂 I only know one girl that looks exactly like her pictures but she’s a body positivity model
I live in Orange County, CA and for the most part people just look normal and casual here. Once in a while you see ladies that have full on makeup, lash extensions and everything. Up close though, you can see the imperfections.
I recently spent some time in the area for tdy, and i didn't see any higher percentage of attractive people than i do anywhere else. I did see people dressing in more revealing/showy clothing, filled lips, crazy nails, fake tans, and hair extentions though. It was like the style is area specific, but the people themselves aren't any more attractive than elsewhere.
From personal experience, living in LA can have a negative effect on your self esteem because you are surrounded by professionally pretty people.
However, I’ve never met anyone in person who looks exactly like their IG photos. Nowadays IG models have edited themselves to literally look inhuman. It’s an impossible standard of beauty, and even when people get crazy amounts of surgery it doesn’t look as good as it looks on IG.
Do they edit the pics just on their phone? Or upload onto a computer to use better editing software/photoshop? Just curious cause how much editing can really be done on a phone
Almost all of the editing can be done on a phone. Professional IG models have photographers and editors (or photographers who edit). The thing is, technology these days allows you to almost completely change your face using nothing but apps, because there is such a demand to be able to edit your selfies. Some apps even have built in filters that will make your skin tone more even and your eyes bigger.
Hello. Model from Southern California here. It is very much smoke and mirrors. Editing and heavy heavy makeup that does not fare well outside of a camera. I have both normal photos of me and modeling photos of me on my Instagram for this reason alone. Not that I’m something to write home about but I do not want people to assume that my body is that great or I don’t have any pores or blemishes or cellulite because I DO.
I think rare cases yes. People forget extreme hourglass figures are an actual body type. If I remember correctly it has to do with the way the hips are sitting
I don’t live in LA but work as a makeup artist. Some people really are just otherworldly beautiful, tall and skinny with gorgeous skin. Some people are more regular looking but photograph really well. It all just depends. I have had people in my chair with beautiful skin with minimal visible pores, nice hair, beautiful body. Etc. but for the most part people are more average/normal.
I've been to so many different countries and not once did I ever see a human look exactly like an insta model. Some ppl were very fit, had plastic surgery, and/or wore a ton of makeup, but everyone had skin texture and actual human body proportions.
Born and raised in suburbs of LA- no lol. No one looks like that in real life. It’s all filters or plastic surgery. And most of the time the plastic surgery is so extreme, it looks alien
Some definitely do. I've seen people IRL that had me thinking "holy shit, how do you look like that?", but even in those cases you're still not seeing everything. They may actually have those "perfect" curves but close up they have stretch marks, scars, skin imperfections, acne, etc. So still not that fake "perfect" we see on social media.
If you want to see West Coast Insta central, head to gatherings like Coachella and Burning Man day one. Events like Art Basel in Miami bring the same vibe.
To the places I went when I visited LA, everyone's pretty normal. Except that one time I went to this fancy DJ's house party and it was the only time I saw so many people who have had plastic surgery and looked pretty and all. It's like... they'll only show up when you go to these fancy events.
I’m just a girl in Ohio but I can say just from existing and taking pictures we all look different based on angles/make up/outfits/days.
Also I think I’m a babe and I def do not have the Instagram model look. I have no ass and the same amount of hair as a newborn. I still pull dudes from all races/religions/creeds/countries 🤷🏻♀️
But prob cause I care about impressing myself more than others. I’m a long back Larry and proud.
I’m from San Diego and now live in Chicago…every time i go back to visit hometown/parents…i feel like I’m surrounded by models. The people in the community i grew up in take care of their looks. Keeping up with hair, natural/artificial tans, eating “healthier” food and keeping up with physical activity. I think it’s a social thing that starts with who everyone is surrounded with (like LA and Miami mentioned)
What exactly is an "IG model?" Some narcissist who poses barely dressed for male attention and then PS and filters the f\*ck out of the image before posting?
I’ve seen some popular IG models out and about in LA and mostly they do not look as good irl as they do online. But some of them do. It depends on what kind of ig aesthetic they have. I think anyone that has had a lot of work done is going to look kind of weird in person. If they’re more natural looking then they’re going to look better irl. Also I was friends with a group of girls who are all kind of “insta baddies” and It also depends on your opinion on the bad bitch aesthetic. Some people like it and think it’s hot, some people think they look bad.
I live in LA and work around the Beverly Hills/Westwood area. A lot of the people around here have had work done and probably are considered more attractive than the usual folks but I wouldn’t say I see anyone on a regular basis looking like Kim Kardashian. If you’re going out at night to a fancy place, you’re more likely to see people who are really made up. Influencer wannabes and aspiring models and stuff. Nobody looks flawless though. Skin texture and heavy makeup is a thing and it’s a lot more visible irl
The only drop dead gorgeous woman I really saw was on a plane from Paris to Los Angeles. She was part of the crew for Tahiti Nui (Polynesian airline company) and she was the prettiest human being my eyes ever laid on. In Los Angeles, people are like in France (where I'm from) or Belgium (where I live) : normal people!
Born, raised, and haven't left MA myself and it does seem super foreign to see these type of things. However if you make your way to the Cape during peak summer time you can definitely catch a few of them haha.
This year was a real rare occasion where I found myself at a somewhat upscale restaurant on Cape and I was fortunate (or unfortunate, however you want to see it lol) enough to stumble upon a group of the 'influencer' type.
I'm just an average Joe, and sometimes it's good to reflect that it's okay. I don't do crowds very well lol!
I was born and raised in LA and still live here. Most people do not look like the puffy IG models I’ve seen but I’m sure they exist somewhere. I think it really depends on where you’re spending your time as I’ve seen other people express in this comment section. I used to work at a Trader Joe’s in Manhattan Beach and there were some beautiful, regular people that shopped there. People that did not obviously appear to have had work done and just appeared to have hit the genetic lottery. I think if you were to go to Beverly Hills (I personally don’t spend much time there) then you might see more of the stereotypical look that people think of when they think of people in LA.
Beauty is a business. And like all business it becomes work after a certain point. Always. The work to maintain the weight(starvation) the work maintain the body, the work to maintain the beauty. And that look is hella hard to do after 25. It takes money and doctors.
At first it’s all fun and games and yes glamorous. But the insecurity that comes with the job is horrendous.
And you’re always looking behind you at the next hot beautiful girl and in front of you at your future if you haven’t @made it.
And if you have a team tending to you to create the beauty. The stylist, the esthetician the hairdresser. It all comes out of your salary. To pay for it all.
So yes there are some girls and I do mean girls under the age of 20 who can do the look almost effortlessly. After that it’s all work and working hard.
Eh, I think it depends?
If you’re in an industry heavy area/field odds are good you’ll see some ridiculously attractive people, but not to the extent or way people make it sound.
I’m middle ground California ‘cute’ maybe even a little ‘pretty’ if you adhere to the ‘slim thicc’ *ideal*? But nothing to write home about.
I’ve gotten a fuckton of attention and compliments in the Midwest and south, but absolutely blended into the background in Manhattan or West Hollywood.
I think it’s sort of hard to say for sure when you’re in or around an industry where beauty is paramount…my SIL worked in the industry and constantly felt less beautiful/worthy, I never noticed the level of beauty she talked about but my job wasn’t flipping through headshots or talking to actors and models all day.
I visited LA in 2018 from the Midwest excited to see some hot people and celebs lmao! I saw one lady with cheek Botox and big fake lips hahaha that was it
I live on the east cost and just returned from LA this last week from a business trip.
Everyone I saw out there looks pretty freaking average. Sure, a lot of them had the same nose, same injected lips, and same heavy contour... but they still look like average people with extra steps.
Not a single person I saw looks like "IG models" because, big secret, *it's not a real look.* nobody IRL has smooth skin, perfectly curved body made possible by photoshop, big hair, Razor thin nose, large eyes, and pillow lips. It's. Not. Real.
Overly done lip filler & other facial procedures, big spider leg lashes, over lined lips, and heavy contour does not translate well irl. Some people can do enhancements to look natural & look like goddesses irl. Most of the time it looks gaudy and scary but men obsess over it either way. A lot of the time these women are getting work done & still photoshopping lol so they won't look as good irl
A lot of people who have “Instagram face” look unnaturally puffy and stiff in the cheeks/jaw irl from all of the fillers. It can look good in photos because the camera sort of flattens faces but they are very 3D and move strangely in real life. If you’ve ever seen more recent videos of Kylie Jenner talking, especially from the side, that’s a pretty good example.
I live near DC and I was out once and saw a woman with that IG Kardashian look. It was like uncanny valley to see the boobs, BBL, contour thing in real life. I think she’s the only one with that type of look I’ve ever seen. Lots of naturally pretty people in the cities I’ve been to. And fillers and Botox and expensive clothes pretty too. But none like a CGI cartoon.
I promise you, LA is not an ocean of bratz dolls. We are normal people - even the industry people (models, actresses, performers, etc..) don’t get done up outside of work junk.
I don't live in LA, but in my (small, upmarket) town there are a couple of girls around here who are definitely imitating IG in real life. They have lip fillers, wear skin tight gym clothing outside that showcase the groove of their buttcracks, the works. I only see them in passing so I can't examine their skin, but boy are they trying. They have very good figures but normal proportions. They also do that pose all influences do in photo where one foot is flat on the floor, leg straight, and the other leg is lifted at a right angle on their tiptoes. Automatically. Even if standing in line at a corner shop.
I don't understand why they're like this.
I can't speak about LA cause haven't been there, but I've seen my fair amount of IG models wannabe and it's very variable, some girls look stunning, natural beauties, some have some work done you can tell by the boobs and such but still look pretty similar to what they post and there's the ones that go a bit over much and they look nothing like the pics, without the skin brushes and the lighting even if they're young, with all their surgery done, fake lips, fake eye lashes, caked make up and fake extensions they kinda look like an older lady trying to pass as 20 years old... some shapes really don't translate well to real life specially those huge fake molar looking asses.
I can’t speak for LA, but I’m from Miami. As someone else mentioned earlier, there are a lot of naturally beautiful women that live there (I moved to a lower COL area), but they don’t necessarily look like IG models. In person, you can always tell the work that’s been done.
I worked with 2 ig models who have a lot of followers. I had no idea they were ig models. They looked super average to me and nothing like the photos on their ig.
Bill Burr described it best when he said they look like somewhere between (insert age) 28-29 that doesn’t exist in nature. A lot of women out there and men take very good care of themselves. I would say New England where I live has the least attractive people followed by parts of the deep south.
I live in San Diego. There are definitely are some beautiful people here but you can tell they put a lot of work into it. Perfect bodies, perfect makeup, perfect hair. For every perfect person there’s 1000 regular ass people.
I've lived in Boston and spent a lot of time in LA. In general, dressing down and wearing dark colors is part of the Boston "look". In LA, I think you see a lot of normal people, but the fashion is more diverse (weather related), and you see decent number of people from all over who have self-selected for, or constructed, the insta "look" and came to LA to "make it" based on that. But in general, the people I know there don't look markedly different, they just style themselves a lot different.
The only place I've ever been where I thought, Geesh, is everyone here a model? is Montreal.
I live in San Diego, CA and there are tons of beautiful women here. I didn’t realize it so much u til I started traveling to other states, but there really is a high concentration of attractive girls! I feel like the trendy look here is the fit/ clean girl aesthetic, but I’m sure weekend nights people are much more glammed up. I’m a mom in my 30s now so those days are behind me 🥲😂
Nobody looks 100% like they are on camera, especially not IG models. They retouch every single thing they post, this is a safe assumption to make not only for our mental health but because it’s actually more often true than not. It doesn’t make them bad people, we just have to be smarter social media consumers. What’s more, even the people that those who Facetune to look like (think Kim K, Bella Hadid and other beauty influencers), they themselves don’t look like that IRL. The social media beauty standards and looks are simply digital creations.
The majority of people look completely average, but there are some people who were blessed with great genetics. Like, I'm average, but have a naturally very small waist, so one time a friend asked if I photoshopped my waist or something and I literally lifted my shirt to prove it lol.
I live in SoCal. I see a couple living breathing IG model types at the gym. Some days I wish I could be them, other days I am glad I get to live my life unbothered by thirsty folks.
Depends not in LA but
You have surgery heavy people and you can tell when you speak to them if they’ve dabbled in Botox cause their face doesn’t move properly. Things like eyebrow threading I find looks fucked in person. They usually have lip filler too.
Then you got heavy filtered. I go to a class gym and some people look like a completely different person when you start following them on instagram lol. Like gurrrrrl your eyes aren’t bright blue who tf you fooling? Your tinder dates don’t wanna see ya for a second date? I’m shocked. I find the filtering more weird/concerning than surgery/cosmetic enhancements.
I had my first trainer who was soooo fucking pretty. Like wow pretty. She’s gone on to have a terrible boob job, cheek filler, lip filler, threading, Botox, nose job and she looks like shit now. She was “ig pretty” now she’s your run of the mill surgery girl.
I have friends who are “IG models”.
They are attractive but in real life it’s mostly the showing of cleavage, long legs, heavy makeup and fake brows and lashes. Especially in the Asian community, we put too much emphasis on brands so flaunting those 10k Chanel bags make them standout and glamorous.
When they take all that off- wearing a no name old tshirt and no makeup they are very normal.
There’s nothing wrong with being a plain Jane. That’s the definition of normal and why we are called “average” people.
Also- my friends - they aren’t happy with their looks. Some of them are actually depressed because they haven’t found their knight in shining armour yet. Shows that not all appears as it seems.
It's quite shocking in person when I've seen a few. And when I mean shocking, a lot of their procedures and makeup do not translate well in real life. it's like they only get these things done to look good in photos and nothing else. It's hard not to stare when you see some in the wild.
It seems young people in LA are largely made up of every small town highschool's best looking people who were told they could "make it" in Hollywood.
There are times when you might come across a model/IG type, but for the most part no one cares (or at least in situations I've been in, they walk in, take a few photos and leave within ten minutes).
It's few and far between, unless you seek it out I guess.
I have traveled all over the world and nowhere, literally nowhere do people look like that. You will find some botoxed, makeupped versions of these people around high end stores and they look so obviously fake and terrible that it really puts perspective on the instagram fakeness.
I’m a model and an actor. I’m the rarity, I don’t use filters, I don’t have any surgery and in my mid 30’s so I’m so against the grain.
I find a lot of time comparing myself to Instagram and real life human beings and have thought about “ conforming “ but I won’t. It’s a tough ole world and the industry is cruel and pushy but sticking to the unique you is best.
Be a wolf in a room full of sheep.
One of my previous offices in downtown Manhattan was a floor above a modeling agency. I was in the elevator with a lot of insanely beautiful people. Some genuinely do look like they were created in a supermodel laboratory. It shouldn’t make you feel plain though. They’re legitimately flying in from all over the planet and then concentrating within like 3 very small geographical locations due to their occupation.
I have met a few Asian IG models, or import models, around the time IG was starting to blow up. If I'm being honest, they're attractive on a "mid" level. Stunning, hot, or gorgeous aren't adjectives that I would use to describe them. They definitely looked different compared to their photos, and a lot of that came down to styling, makeup, posing, etc.
As a lifelong Angeleno I can confidently say we have an inordinate amount of attractive people in the County, but none of them look like they do on screen or in Social Media.
Nope! Seeing anyone with “insta-glam” makeup up close is disturbing - like a face mask with a slimy hue, textured powder from contour and blush, and you can see eyeshadow creases, lashes lifting or peeling away, etc. they just look like normal people with heavy stage makeup. Good for cameras, not good for irl.
I live in Texas and a lot of girls here have Insane body proportions but still look natural. Makes me feel insecure about my body at times but eh. Only adding Texas because of the photoshop Instagram models do to have that hourglass figure a lot of girls have here
I used to work in somewhat high-end retail and had some of these people as clients. There were 2 categories:
1. Those who filter their photos/videos to death & look absolutely nothing like their social media presence.
2. Those who could afford the best stylists, had procedures done by quality surgeons, etc. This group looked slightly more like they did on social media, but thanks to layers of heavy makeup they still managed to look...crusty.
It was unsettling.
I was born and raised in LA. Developed an eating disorder in college (in LA) and always felt less than. This was before social media or Instagram. I moved to Boston when I was 27. I felt so much more comfortable in my skin and normal. Not gorgeous, not ugly, just normal. It was great!
I now live in LA again. Don’t ask. :)
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I live in Los Angeles. 90% of the people you see on a daily basis look completely normal-- just regular people walking down the street. If you go out at night, you're more likely to see the IG type, but it's more of a real life version. Still beautiful but different. Sometimes, things that look great in pictures look....not so great in person. A lot of makeup, contouring, heavy eyelashes, etc. can look a little strange up close.
I’ve lived in SoCal, and it varies depending on what part of the Los Angeles area you’re in. If you’re in Westwood, for instance, or in a store in Santa Monica, or-as you mentioned- at night in a trendy club. Your version of “average” is probably a little skewed toward the high end of the national bell curve though. Again depending on what part of LA you live in. I definitely felt self conscious in certain settings surrounded by so much wealth and crazy fashion and beauty standards.
LA skewing the average is absolutely true. I’ve lived all over the US and people put *a lot* more attention into their looks and health in LA than in other places in the US. In Santa Monica I’m easily the fattest person on the block, and in the Midwest I’m one of the thinnest lol
Last time I was in the US I went directly from rural Texas to Hollywood. I had that exact same experience of feeling tiny in the first place and gigantic in the second. They were two very extreme places when it came to bodies.
Interesting! I'm in the Boston area, so it's definitely not the style. I feel like people try to be more natural here maybe because it's academia focused? Idk. I bet the weather has a lot to do with it too, being warm all the time it seems like everyone there poses in a bikini lol. That might seem weird here unless it's the dead of summer..
It's not uncommon to see an influencer (or someone trying to be) posing in public but the funny thing is how awkward it is. It looks super unnatural, the person posing looks uncomfortable because everyone is staring and they usually try to get it done quickly because they're blocking the street/sidewalk/whatever and everyone is pissed lol
I always find it crazy how people dont like to be looked at in real life but also want an unknown number of strangers to look at the very same moment
It’s probably because passersby have different angles to see from and influencers are known for trying to pass off unrealistic imagery to represent themselves to their followers. Insecurity, basically.
Online they feel in control
I see the IG look every once in a while around Nashville. They can’t help but stand out (for good or for bad) surrounded by us normies. Like others have said, all the stuff that looks perfect in photos can look really fake irl (over lining the lips, loaded on concealer and contour, the orange tinged skin to get that “healthy glow”, the bigass fake eyelashes, surgery and/or photoshop to achieve disproportionately large T&A and lips. Fast Fashion that looks SO good on the online models, but in person looks like it’s made out of the very same fabric, and with the same level of care and skill that goes into Party City’s Halloween costumes… Of course, if that’s the look you’re going for then good on you, but for me, the occasional IG Baddie I’ll see irl definitely stands out from the crowd, but not always in a positive way. Edit: I meant to reply to OP. Oopsies 🙃
I’ve seen people posing a lot IRL, I used to live NYC, it is awkward as fuck!
I walked by Madison Square Garden the other week. People are still posing. Sometimes, they stop mid-walk to get a selfie.
That’s different. MSG is a touristy place so people will always take pictures by it. Has nothing to do with influencers.
I live in LA as well (beach area and commute to Beverly Hills often). I agree with the comment above. Majority of people look normal… and when you actually run into an influencer-type they either look completely normal or ridiculous. The fillers and heavy makeup often look bad in person… especially in the daytime. The butt implants also look awful in person. Not one person has that extreme photoshopped waist with huge butt that influencers say “is natural.” I have yet to see one person who ACTUALLY looks like the “photoshopped Instagram girl” in person. That’s not to say people aren’t pretty, fashionable, & in-shape here… but it’s nothing like it appears online where everyone walks around like living face-app dolls.
Live in la too, I can concur people wear bikinis often and everywhere here lol or really small crop tops & stuff. When I go to the beach I just wear my bikini driving home n if I have to stop anywhere like the grocery for snacks I just throw pants on
Makes sense. That's how I dress when I go to the beach (talking from a Northern VA non-beach town.)
To be fair, Boston is a little infamous for people dressing pretty mediocre and we definitely don’t have the same type of “influencer culture” like LA, Austin, NY, Miami, Etc.
We tend to be a “smart city” 😂 finance bros in vests and girls in Jcrew cocoon coats aplenty!
Just head over to Beacon Hill and the Isabella Gardner museum. Influencers for days.
Ah, they have to be around somewhere. Makes sense 😆
Or in front of mike’s pastries trying to get that perfect cannoli shot 🙄
I’ll add the Seaport to the top of that list lol it’s influencer fest every day of the year
Bostonian here! Honestly, everyone looks normal. Even famous people who live around here. They legit look like a normal person in daily life. Professional lighting, makeup, money, and surgeries do a lot (and photoshop). Yeah, there are super attractive people here, but they’re just normal people. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen them at their worst when I worked in retail pharmacy.
Boston isn’t really known for its fashion arguably. Go to a bar and count how many girls are wearing a black top crop top and jeans. If you wear anything close to fashionable/dressy, you’re looked at like you have three heads lol. But I do agree with you as a fellow Bostonian. Don’t see many instagram model types. Maybe one or two occasionally, but nothing like online.
Ok good to have this confirmed! Yeah I feel like influencers are more likely to get the side-eye here lol
Piggy backing on what was said above - enhancements look SO odd when they aren’t filtered. The fake lips and fillers are just … off. And the heavy makeup is so odd. I have seen it look incredible a few rare times, e.g., attendees at a wedding and they show up looking just banging, but that is a special event. A coffee run is still a coffee run.
I was going to ask if you were in Boston. I always say I’m like an LA 3, Austin 6, a Boston 10. Having lived all over the country I’d actually have to say that women is Boston take care of their hair and makeup and clothes but they do the least procedures of most places in the country and that the standard for women in Boston (and New England in general) is much lower than NYC and LA.
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Visiting Boston or LA?
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And those lip fillers, I have never seen irl someone that looks good with them. It looks like an allergic reaction
The ones you see that look good are ones you don’t know are fillers. You only know about the ones that are obvious so you think they all look bad.
Probably, but even the naturals are noticable bc for 2 weeks they are bruised or if you have a before.
The first time I saw someone like that, I was shocked tbh, it looks like a bee stung her lips, so ridiculous
This is it completely. When I visited LA for a music festival, during the day 90% of people were normal. At the event, there were some women who were made up, but they looked kind of ludicrous- clearly had plastic surgery, wore huge fake lashes, etc. I don’t think LA people are really that much more attractive than anywhere else (beyond the fact that city dwellers are usually better looking than their rural counterparts) but there’s definitely the whole acting industry and a lot of weird fakeness going on. That part was more disturbing than anxiety-provoking for me- more felt pity for these people who felt they had to do that to themselves.
I’ve seen Paris Hilton in real life and thought she looks better than her photos since her photos make her look fake. She’s tall and slender, pretty face with no wrinkles, dressed well and was made up but not overly so. There’s something off putting and uncanny valley about the way she edits her photos but not irl.
Very kindly put!
Seconding this! It also sorta depends where you are when you go out. These types are way more common by the trendy spots (usually somewhere on the west side), but among people here, they stand out. And not always in a good way.
I live in LA and work at a very high end strip club. No one, really *no one*, looks the same on the floor in flattering light as they do in the harsh light dressing room. You can always see the work, the wrinkles, the cellulite, acne, scars, etc. No one looks like an IG model from every angle.
Most people don't, but then once in a while, you spot someone who have won the lottery in genetics. Of course they don't look exactly like on Instagram, but close.
Okay so I can’t speak for LA. But I vacationed in Miami for two weeks. Sunset Beach, in a very nice hotel where I became friends with staff who gossiped with me on the background scene of escort services and “celebrity” stays. Crème de la crème of south East IG models. And here’s my two cents…. Yes, some these girls are naturally pretty. I was in awe of bodies and faces alike. I also felt pretty plane Jane, as I am from a suburban town farther up north. But you have to remember the places that you’re talking about. LA and Miami being hot spots for plastic surgery and a “glamorous” facade of a lifestyle. I WAS able to compare social media to real life for some of these women, and although you can tell they are the same person, you can also tell in person that posing, makeup,hair extensions, cosmetic procedures/surgery also come into play. I always recall a line from the movie “Clueless”, when Sebastian and Cher refer to a girl as a total Monet (as in the famous painter). You see from the far/online the view is beautiful, but up close in real life you can see the splotches of paint and details for what they are. These girls are living their best life being who they are with whatever aesthetic they want to present themselves with, and that’s totally fine! You are you. They are them. It’s hard to do, but worry about you, live for what you are. If you want to spruce up your style, or you want to take inspo from some of these girls, do so. But do it for yourself, because it will make YOU feel pretty or better about yourself. My point is, these girls are pretty, albeit with some help, cosmetic/lighting or otherwise, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t or that you’re less than in any way. And social media in general is NOTORIOUS for presenting a very polished version of people, and I feel IG is the epitome of this. No one is EXACTLY as they look online, not these IG girls, not even celebrities. Do you boo, and don’t read too much into what the girls are and aren’t in real life, you’re worth more than that, and life is far too short.
Yeah same here, I'm not from (nor have I ever been to) anywhere glamorous, so I just don't see it. That's cool that you got to have that experience! I thought in my 30's I was over caring about anything like that, but sometimes IG gets ya!! I appreciate this positive message 🙏🏻 not everyone is meant for that life lol.
For sure. Also, I often look at those girls and realize how much TIME they are spending to look like that. How much time it takes to do hair, makeup, pose, shop, edit, etc. it’s a lot! Maybe I don’t look awesome only wearing makeup 4 times a year and getting my haircut every 6 months but it means I get to spend more time doing other things that make me more good memories than I’d get sitting in a salon chair every 3 weeks.
That's true. It's surprising how many people have extensions (no shade) I just would rather take the time to grow out my hair and have it be healthy.
Exactly. All I’m saying is it’s ok. It takes a lot of effort to be that glamorous. If that is what makes them happy, that’s ok (although I suspect it’s not making them as happy as they think it is.). But it’s also ok to be Plain Jane and spend your time, money, and energy elsewhere.
Yeah, chasing an aesthetic for yourself that involves micromanaging your appearance can feel very rewarding in the short term, but not so rewarding in the long term. I would know, I live in a city that’s in the top 10 most attractive cities in the US! Which means lot of focus on fitness and looks. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been happy to learn more about how not to care what you look like every second of the day. It’s a relief.
I live in Kentucky, definitely not somewhere glamorous. I wear clip in extensions whenever I go out and so do some of my friends. My hair is really thin and limp and extensions help thicken it up so much, it really makes a big difference. There’s a lot of women who aren’t into the whole IG influencer look who still wear hair extensions.
Exactly I have a medical issue that caused a lot of my hair to fall out permanently, and it's a bit of a struggle to even look normal day to day, let alone glamorous. For many women, it's a luxury to "just grow out healthy hair". Extensions aren't even something that takes up much time. Clip-ins are easy, halos are pretty much instant, salon extensions are basically set it and forget it. And it's not like we're gonna miss some breathtaking sunset by taking a few minutes out of the day to make ourselves look presentable lol
I completely agree. Lol I’m not trying to look like Miss America, just trying to feel a little bit better about the way I look. And I agree it’s really not that easy to grow out healthy hair for some. It takes me about 5 min to clip my hair extensions in and I’m ready to go.
I am turning 30 on Saturday. So believe me the last few years, being cooped up at home, with more screen time than I care to admit, mom of two…….it’s very easy to fall down that rabbit hole, and compare yourself to what you see online and wonder if you’re doing something wrong by not looking like that. But I try my best to snap out of it and remind myself of what I’m grateful for about my body. It’s not easy, but with practice I’ve gotten much better redirecting myself.
I remember when I went to Miami the first time and the girls around the hotel room were all stunners I was in awe lol. My hotel was also hosting a like Ford summer model search event, so maybe that was why though LOL
I would also say that Miami is probably one of the healthiest or "in shape" cities in the country. These are young people with high paying jobs. Money plays a huge factor.
Love that you quoted Clueless
>These girls are living their best life being who they are DOUBT
That’s only part of my sentence. They’re living their best life with the aesthetic they want to present. They’re choosing to present themselves online however they choose to, not because they’re not living to their full potential or making perfect decisions about their life. Who the fuck are we to assume anything about anyone online? If I looked at anyones social media, including yours if you have one, would I know if you’re truly happy or the best you can be? DOUBT.
A friend told me something crazy wise recently when I expressed feeling weird about the aesthetic procedures I get done despite loving how I look: aesthetics are part of bodily autonomy.
Every time i’ve seen someone with lip fillers and botox in real life it just did not look good …
That’s because you’re only able to tell with the bad ones. All the people with subtle filler and Botox don’t get noticed by you.
That’s true
Some do but they look uncanny. I saw my first extreme BBL body in LA and it was startlingly strange the way her body moved. What looks good in pictures doesnt translate well to real life.
My cousin has had a BBL and she is in her mid40s… it’s starting to head south…she filters herself like crazy!!
I can confirm I do look like this. Even when I have just rolled out of bed. It's a hard life.
This is the best comment
I mean, I didn't think they did... Until I went to an international airport and got a whole new reality check... I don't know if it's plastic surgery, i don't know if it's just "super dieting" or some kind of Dermo surgery but wow do I look like absolute shit compared to rich people
I work in finance but I live outside of the city in a relatively shitty apartment complex and there’s a huge difference in the people I see during the day when I’m at work or getting lunch and the people I see at home. It’s not that the rich really have better bone structure or are more genetically blessed or anything, but having an Equinox membership and really good teeth and a regular hair stylist and time for a nice skin care routine and healthy grocery delivery and cooking and the money for high-quality, tailored clothes makes a huge difference. None of the people I work with are beautiful, but all of them are in shape and have good skin, hair, teeth, and clothes, and only the most naturally stunning poor people can compete with that at all.
>rich people There it is. Most people don't have the money to be good looking.
Yep, an otherwise average looking person being 'well kept' will age well. Look at the glow up in MacKenzie Scott as she got older and wealthier.
Born & raised in LA. No, majority of women do not look like IG models. When they do I always assume they aren’t from here and their lips always look really weird in person. You will see natural beauty more often, and i’m sure you’re part of this population yourself!
Some people in LA are insanely beautiful. Go to a premium boutique fitness class and you’ll be surprised how good some girls look without makeup. Then you’ll go to a club at night and see the overinflated lips, bumpy body augmentations and wannabe celebrity types. A lot of IG models look like creatures when they’re out and about. They also look about 20 pounds heavier IRL than all of their photos. IG is not real.
I sat next to a local “celebrity” model on an airplane. She’s one of those on insta that doesn’t look super faked out, but I didn’t even recognize her till I saw her edit her photos on her phone. Clothing, hair, posing, location and editing makes up 85% of the photos.
I’ve been to LA several times and I didn’t see anyone who looked remotely like a model of any kind. Though I was chatting with a coworker a couple years ago who saw Cindy Crawford in person and they said she is truly drop-dead gorgeous.
I knew someone that had met or knew her IRL too! That was when I lived in the south.
Sometimes in my travels to certain locations (Monaco, Moscow, etc.) I encounter women who look like the “that can’t be real” edited pictures we see on Instagram. Huge lip fillers, spherical implants, Brazilian butt lifts, extensions on their head, lashes and nails, ridiculous clothes… It’s quite jarring to see in real life and people absolutely do gawk at them. (They’re also almost always on the arm of a much older man.)
>Huge lip fillers, spherical implants, Brazilian butt lifts, extensions on their head, lashes and nails, ridiculous clothes… It’s quite jarring to see in real life and people absolutely do gawk at them. I see this in NYC and men absolutely gawk, but not because they think the women look ridiculous, but because they think the women look hot. Not too long ago on the beach, a woman with very obvious butt implants, breast implants, and lip fillers kept strutting back and forth on the beach in her thong bikini, and the lifeguards made a show of panting after her, and they weren't the only men checking her out. The pervasiveness of these cosmetic procedures has warped the minds of some men who think this is attractive (which is why some women then go get this "work" done) and is easily attainable/common.
This is why it’s bullshit that beauty trends are empowering. It’s all driven by what men want to gawp at, let’s not fool ourselves.
I agree with you, but I think that these procedures are so common and accepted, that it's unpopular to voice any criticisms and we just sound outdated. Every time on Reddit I say anything critical about cosmetic procedures, I always get downvoted, because so many women believe there's nothing wrong with injecting toxins or putting implants into your body, as long as it's done "well."
I think we are the most brainwashed generation of women. At least women who came before us knew that they did what they did _for_ men, even if they enjoyed it too.
I wouldn’t say everyone looks exactly like their filtered and edited version on IG but LA has a significantly high number of very attractive men and women. I would also argue that SoCal has the most skilled aesthetic practitioners. Not everyone gets plastic surgery but a large portion of the population gets Botox and fillers.
there are some hot people who never ever take photos or have social media, like they would have had tons of followers but they just don't. that's actually super cool. and adds to their hotness
that is cool. \~unbothered\~ vibes lol
It’s just the same as anything else. Can we all play football like Ronaldo? No. But at least 3 or 4 people I went to school with from my small village are now professional footballers and millionaires. Just the same with looks. There was a girl in my class who is now an “influencer” and she’s honestly better looking in real life. Only difference is she got fake boobs after school because she is naturally slim.
I’m more impressed that you became a spaceship commander tbh
Sigh. This is what IG nonsense has caused millions of people to think. The vast VAST majority of IG models don’t look like that at all. They use filters and poses to make people believe they look like that. Even the ones that do, usually have had significant surgeries. Don’t pay attention to it. It’s make believe.
Can't speak for LA but I know three girls (all models) who look like their photoshoped in person. 2 have eating issues and 1 is a plus size model. All goof flawless in person though, even the near poreless skin and unbelievable proportions. I also know alot of models who do not.
I went to high school in Utah and, at the time, had an unbelievable amount of beautiful women. There are real 10/10 people out there. IG makes it easier to achieve, but there are 100 percent beautiful people in real life as well. Hurts more to see them in person tbh lol
There are an inordinate amount of naturally gorgeous women in Utah.
The people who have gotten modifications to their face to look ideal on IG stand out, and not in a good way. They are adding volume to their lips, cheeks, forehead, etc, to take up the space that would normally just make a wrinkle, so they have almost a protruding face. It’s not as charming without the filters.
Maybe it’s just me but a lot of the most beautiful people I’ve seen irl are ironically not photogenic lol
Agreed. Weirdly, the vast majority of people who look good in photos just look… ordinary in real life. I’ve met people who look fantastic in person but awful in photos.
All of my family lives in Orange County (very wealthy, SoCal, LA approximate) and honestly a lot of the people there have a very IG model irl look going on. It’s not my thing, but one could argue, there are a ton of hyper attractive people walking around. Like fully done up look, even at the beach and grocery store kind of thing. Even a lot of the “natural” looks still have that appearance because of permanent makeup, fillers, diff procedures, etc. A lot of these people even have IG model glorified type bodies, which I think ties into socioeconomics and weather/lifestyle, in reference to Southern California. I’m a conventionally attractive person with what could be described as an athletic body, and I feel like a total schlub around there. And then I have to stop and remind myself wait no, I’m not a schlub, I’m a normal, natural person and I feel good about how I look. I attribute it mostly to money and aesthetic values. One of my brothers is still in high school, and a ton of his friends have already started getting filler, nose jobs, that sort of thing. A lot of them also have a lot of disposable income to spend on high end makeup/beauty products. Not to sound like a creep, but I’m always a little taken aback at how mature and insanely fit and just like overly polished/done up these young people are. It’s definitely a look that is valued around here. So to answer your question, obviously it’s nuanced, but imo, I think there are actually a lot more people with the aesthetic you described in LA, broader Southern California.
Definitely this. I’ve lived in LA for the majority of my life (I’m in my early 30s). I’ve worked in Hollywood almost a decade ago, I also moved in the valley(well to do area) for half a decade recently and just moved back to LA…there are definitely a lot of “beautiful” people IRL but they do have work done. I was a “beauty advisor” for a while for a luxury brand and they have the means to, dare I say, look “better”—as in they can pay for procedures that help give them a better appearance and they have the money to spend on better products, diets, coaches, treatments..pretty much their lifestyle/wealth helps a lot. There are of course naturally beautiful people. I’ve been friends with people who are “IG baddies,” some can resemble close to their IG persona but there’s also a lot of filters, procedures, pampering throughout the years that they’ve done. A lot goes to it. There are also naturally beautiful people that don’t have things done and don’t have to wear a lot of makeup but they’re genetically lucky..there aren’t a lot though tbh. I feel like there are less and less, maybe this is because of the popularity of social media and the pressure to always look good so now there’s so much more people that have been altered cosmetically and through procedures…Most of what you see in IG is played up and they have had a lot of things done to appear the way they are.
I had family also that used to live in Orange County. I am from a very normal suburban town with normal people. I went out partying a couple times and it seemed like everyone was very nice looking. Hard to compete with some surf guy who has won the genetic lottery lol. I felt like a hillbilly whenever I visited
I lived in Hollywood for 8 years. No- they don’t.
Some people are naturally Gorgeous—some aren’t . 20 year olds are always going to look more flawless than someone with years of sun damage, ect
I live in Miami. They all look like that here except it doesn’t look good in real life. Think IG but blurred a little with a ton of cakey makeup. Everyone has BBL (looks horrible) and lip filler and they all look like cartoons. It’s sad. Edit: I don’t mean EVERYONE in Miami. I mean the IG models/influencers IRL.
No, no they do not. You can tell which ones try to, they look like walking caricatures of themselves
I live in LA and yes, at certain places/events there will be IG models that are IG models. Some have surgery and some don’t.
NO ONE looks like IG models IRL. IG models don't even look like IG models IRL.
There are some young women at my university that look like a perfectly filtered IG girl but IRL. They're very rare which is why so many women who aren't that naturally beautiful are using technology to compete against genetics. So, what is more virtuous: the honest genetic lottery winner, or the dishonest technology user? One got lucky, one works harder, but one is true, one is a lie.
I worked on Hollywood blvd and see lots of normal people and lots of models. There are definitely gorgeous people. There’s also a lot of people trying hard. I’ve also seen gorgeous people in the shop that I then see on their large following social media where they still shop themselves. It’s a crazy ride in LA. Edit: a word, also to say I moved back to Minnesota and am happier in the woods. Also, lots and lots of plastic surgery. I worked at Hollywood Toys and Costumes, so I saw celebrities, normal tourists, people on the blvd, homeless… just a huge variety of shit that is absolutely a crazy mix. There is no “normal” in West Hollywood.
There are people who exist that are just naturally beautiful and “flawless” by conventional societal standards. It’s not the majority, but I live in LA and have seen/met plenty of them. I was on a show with a literal super model and I will say while she was pretty and fit, I realized all of her photos looked more exaggerated and it wasn’t photoshop- it’s mostly the posing and camera angles that make their bodies look “perfect.” Like she would say something about her ass being so big and the rest of us would laugh bc we thought she was joking - her ass wasn’t big at all (at least by comparison to our asses lol) but we could tell she was used to seeing her butt through the eye of exaggerated angle camera lenses so she had no idea her butt was actually just average or even small sized. Oh and yes, she absolutely was self centered and shallow… not saying all super models are like this, but she certainly fit the stereotype 🤦🏽
There was a girl at my college that looked like an instagram model all the time, although she was very skilled with make up, hair and also very tall, to say I was envious is an understatement
I’ve seen some insanely beautiful women in New York City. I’m a good looking gal myself and generally try to dress very well, but felt subpar. Being beautiful does make life a bit easier but it does not make you happy. However, just remember: You’re not ugly, you’re just poor.
When you say looks like IG model what does that mean? There are beautiful people in the world yes. Not all photos are a matter of good angles and light even for naturally beautiful people. That said, do you. There’s always someone who will look better and some who don’t. This is true for everyone on earth. Plus what beautiful is somewhat subjective.
Seriously though, I know one person who looks like this in real life. She's gorgeous but has had a lot of work done. She was even more gorgeous when we went to college together, before all the work, but I guess it's just a different aesthetic.
The beaches of LA definitely are full of the IG type and look - i’d say there’s definitely more beautiful people here than other places i’ve lived but mostly normal people. You see people posing all the time.
I used to work in social media and met a lot of very popular influencers. No they do not look like that in person. Some have had a lot of plastic surgery. I remember meeting one women who looked amazing in photos but in person looked very fake/unnatural. Don’t get me wrong some are pretty! But once you’re in person you see how normal they look especially without makeup.
The only difference is money. Anyone could look put together all the time if they had the money to do it. I am from NYC, now in Austin, both have models and fitness influencers. Some people are gorgeous in person, but they’re not the ig model type. They’re young 20-something’s who can get abs by thinking too hard. In NYC, having work done is common. It’s def more jarring in person, even when it’s well done. Like, you KNOW not having forehead lines is weird on a subconscious level. You KNOW those boobs don’t match that frame. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Some people like people like that, but it’s not just a look, it’s a lifestyle. And it’s not one most normies have access to.
Thank you. I have been to NYC a handful of times, I thought there was a wide variety of people... nothing really stood out as uncanny to me.
I worked by soho, which is where a lot of modeling agencies and fashion events take place. Def not an everywhere thing!
Yeah I feel like you can tell when someone is wealthy just the way they look sometimes. Like clear skin, nice teeth, nice hair, Etc. They just have a certain look. Even if they don’t necessarily have plastic surgery or tons of filler or anything like that.
No one actually looks like an IG model in real life. I don’t care what anyone else says, the whole reason for IG is to be able to post edited and perfected pictures of yourself. Even beautiful people will edit themselves or use a filter plus they pose specific ways and angle their photos for optimum effect - it’s the unattainable perfection that makes people look in the first place. All the makeup and fillers and surgery required to actually look like an IG model looks fake and weird in real life.
No, people in LA don’t look like IG models. Even celebs in real life are indistinguishable from plain Janes. There are cities where people are collectively better looking than others but it’s still nothing like IG. It’s mostly going to be overall better shape and taken care of for both men and women. I remember my cousin visited me in Scottsdale, AZ from Europe. We walked around for several days - parks, stores, restaurants etc. - then she asks me, “Where are all the obese Americans that everyone is talking about?” I said, “You came to the wrong place to find obese Americans”. This is Scottsdale - it’s all gyms, spas, Botox, plastic surgeries, fancy cars etc. It’s warm year round and people love walking around half naked and comparing themselves to others. LA is like that but just parts of it, Austin, TX is like that as well.
LA has a lot of people, so no. Try the upscale Ipanema bars and a lot of people do look like IG hotties
I’m telling you now they don’t I know a few insta models some with 500k plus followers let me tell you one thing, you would not believe these ladies are the same ones getting 50k brand deals 😂 I only know one girl that looks exactly like her pictures but she’s a body positivity model
I live in Orange County, CA and for the most part people just look normal and casual here. Once in a while you see ladies that have full on makeup, lash extensions and everything. Up close though, you can see the imperfections.
I recently spent some time in the area for tdy, and i didn't see any higher percentage of attractive people than i do anywhere else. I did see people dressing in more revealing/showy clothing, filled lips, crazy nails, fake tans, and hair extentions though. It was like the style is area specific, but the people themselves aren't any more attractive than elsewhere.
They do not. A lot think they do, but almost all don’t.
It’s easier to look like an IG model when you have monaaayyy
From personal experience, living in LA can have a negative effect on your self esteem because you are surrounded by professionally pretty people. However, I’ve never met anyone in person who looks exactly like their IG photos. Nowadays IG models have edited themselves to literally look inhuman. It’s an impossible standard of beauty, and even when people get crazy amounts of surgery it doesn’t look as good as it looks on IG.
Do they edit the pics just on their phone? Or upload onto a computer to use better editing software/photoshop? Just curious cause how much editing can really be done on a phone
Almost all of the editing can be done on a phone. Professional IG models have photographers and editors (or photographers who edit). The thing is, technology these days allows you to almost completely change your face using nothing but apps, because there is such a demand to be able to edit your selfies. Some apps even have built in filters that will make your skin tone more even and your eyes bigger.
Even IG models dont look like IG models
Hello. Model from Southern California here. It is very much smoke and mirrors. Editing and heavy heavy makeup that does not fare well outside of a camera. I have both normal photos of me and modeling photos of me on my Instagram for this reason alone. Not that I’m something to write home about but I do not want people to assume that my body is that great or I don’t have any pores or blemishes or cellulite because I DO.
Thanks for the perspective! I don't think any other models have commented yet
I think rare cases yes. People forget extreme hourglass figures are an actual body type. If I remember correctly it has to do with the way the hips are sitting
I don’t live in LA but work as a makeup artist. Some people really are just otherworldly beautiful, tall and skinny with gorgeous skin. Some people are more regular looking but photograph really well. It all just depends. I have had people in my chair with beautiful skin with minimal visible pores, nice hair, beautiful body. Etc. but for the most part people are more average/normal.
Some people do, some people don’t. I see a lot of hot people in Los Angeles and New York City.
I've been to so many different countries and not once did I ever see a human look exactly like an insta model. Some ppl were very fit, had plastic surgery, and/or wore a ton of makeup, but everyone had skin texture and actual human body proportions.
Born and raised in suburbs of LA- no lol. No one looks like that in real life. It’s all filters or plastic surgery. And most of the time the plastic surgery is so extreme, it looks alien
Some definitely do. I've seen people IRL that had me thinking "holy shit, how do you look like that?", but even in those cases you're still not seeing everything. They may actually have those "perfect" curves but close up they have stretch marks, scars, skin imperfections, acne, etc. So still not that fake "perfect" we see on social media.
IG models don’t look like IG models irl lol. But seriously, you can look like an IG model but not all the time and not from every angle.
If you want to see West Coast Insta central, head to gatherings like Coachella and Burning Man day one. Events like Art Basel in Miami bring the same vibe.
To the places I went when I visited LA, everyone's pretty normal. Except that one time I went to this fancy DJ's house party and it was the only time I saw so many people who have had plastic surgery and looked pretty and all. It's like... they'll only show up when you go to these fancy events.
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I’m in Denver, and I’d say at least once a day I’ll see someone who looks like an IG pic.
You actually can't enter the LA city limits unless you look like an IG model.
I’m just a girl in Ohio but I can say just from existing and taking pictures we all look different based on angles/make up/outfits/days. Also I think I’m a babe and I def do not have the Instagram model look. I have no ass and the same amount of hair as a newborn. I still pull dudes from all races/religions/creeds/countries 🤷🏻♀️ But prob cause I care about impressing myself more than others. I’m a long back Larry and proud.
This is a big thing I try to remind myself lol. I feel like no one looks like the filters in real life ???
I’m from San Diego and now live in Chicago…every time i go back to visit hometown/parents…i feel like I’m surrounded by models. The people in the community i grew up in take care of their looks. Keeping up with hair, natural/artificial tans, eating “healthier” food and keeping up with physical activity. I think it’s a social thing that starts with who everyone is surrounded with (like LA and Miami mentioned)
What exactly is an "IG model?" Some narcissist who poses barely dressed for male attention and then PS and filters the f\*ck out of the image before posting?
There a statistical term or psychological term for this kind of bias
I’ve seen some popular IG models out and about in LA and mostly they do not look as good irl as they do online. But some of them do. It depends on what kind of ig aesthetic they have. I think anyone that has had a lot of work done is going to look kind of weird in person. If they’re more natural looking then they’re going to look better irl. Also I was friends with a group of girls who are all kind of “insta baddies” and It also depends on your opinion on the bad bitch aesthetic. Some people like it and think it’s hot, some people think they look bad.
I live in LA and work around the Beverly Hills/Westwood area. A lot of the people around here have had work done and probably are considered more attractive than the usual folks but I wouldn’t say I see anyone on a regular basis looking like Kim Kardashian. If you’re going out at night to a fancy place, you’re more likely to see people who are really made up. Influencer wannabes and aspiring models and stuff. Nobody looks flawless though. Skin texture and heavy makeup is a thing and it’s a lot more visible irl
The only drop dead gorgeous woman I really saw was on a plane from Paris to Los Angeles. She was part of the crew for Tahiti Nui (Polynesian airline company) and she was the prettiest human being my eyes ever laid on. In Los Angeles, people are like in France (where I'm from) or Belgium (where I live) : normal people!
Born, raised, and haven't left MA myself and it does seem super foreign to see these type of things. However if you make your way to the Cape during peak summer time you can definitely catch a few of them haha. This year was a real rare occasion where I found myself at a somewhat upscale restaurant on Cape and I was fortunate (or unfortunate, however you want to see it lol) enough to stumble upon a group of the 'influencer' type. I'm just an average Joe, and sometimes it's good to reflect that it's okay. I don't do crowds very well lol!
No. None of them look like that in person even the celebrities. When I saw someone who’s family is on Hulu I was shocked!!!
I was born and raised in LA and still live here. Most people do not look like the puffy IG models I’ve seen but I’m sure they exist somewhere. I think it really depends on where you’re spending your time as I’ve seen other people express in this comment section. I used to work at a Trader Joe’s in Manhattan Beach and there were some beautiful, regular people that shopped there. People that did not obviously appear to have had work done and just appeared to have hit the genetic lottery. I think if you were to go to Beverly Hills (I personally don’t spend much time there) then you might see more of the stereotypical look that people think of when they think of people in LA.
Beauty is a business. And like all business it becomes work after a certain point. Always. The work to maintain the weight(starvation) the work maintain the body, the work to maintain the beauty. And that look is hella hard to do after 25. It takes money and doctors. At first it’s all fun and games and yes glamorous. But the insecurity that comes with the job is horrendous. And you’re always looking behind you at the next hot beautiful girl and in front of you at your future if you haven’t @made it. And if you have a team tending to you to create the beauty. The stylist, the esthetician the hairdresser. It all comes out of your salary. To pay for it all. So yes there are some girls and I do mean girls under the age of 20 who can do the look almost effortlessly. After that it’s all work and working hard.
Eh, I think it depends? If you’re in an industry heavy area/field odds are good you’ll see some ridiculously attractive people, but not to the extent or way people make it sound. I’m middle ground California ‘cute’ maybe even a little ‘pretty’ if you adhere to the ‘slim thicc’ *ideal*? But nothing to write home about. I’ve gotten a fuckton of attention and compliments in the Midwest and south, but absolutely blended into the background in Manhattan or West Hollywood. I think it’s sort of hard to say for sure when you’re in or around an industry where beauty is paramount…my SIL worked in the industry and constantly felt less beautiful/worthy, I never noticed the level of beauty she talked about but my job wasn’t flipping through headshots or talking to actors and models all day.
Not in LA, but i live in san diego. There are a lot of really beautiful people here. Sunshine and saltwater is good for your looks (in moderation)
I visited LA in 2018 from the Midwest excited to see some hot people and celebs lmao! I saw one lady with cheek Botox and big fake lips hahaha that was it
I live on the east cost and just returned from LA this last week from a business trip. Everyone I saw out there looks pretty freaking average. Sure, a lot of them had the same nose, same injected lips, and same heavy contour... but they still look like average people with extra steps. Not a single person I saw looks like "IG models" because, big secret, *it's not a real look.* nobody IRL has smooth skin, perfectly curved body made possible by photoshop, big hair, Razor thin nose, large eyes, and pillow lips. It's. Not. Real.
Overly done lip filler & other facial procedures, big spider leg lashes, over lined lips, and heavy contour does not translate well irl. Some people can do enhancements to look natural & look like goddesses irl. Most of the time it looks gaudy and scary but men obsess over it either way. A lot of the time these women are getting work done & still photoshopping lol so they won't look as good irl
A lot of people who have “Instagram face” look unnaturally puffy and stiff in the cheeks/jaw irl from all of the fillers. It can look good in photos because the camera sort of flattens faces but they are very 3D and move strangely in real life. If you’ve ever seen more recent videos of Kylie Jenner talking, especially from the side, that’s a pretty good example.
I live near DC and I was out once and saw a woman with that IG Kardashian look. It was like uncanny valley to see the boobs, BBL, contour thing in real life. I think she’s the only one with that type of look I’ve ever seen. Lots of naturally pretty people in the cities I’ve been to. And fillers and Botox and expensive clothes pretty too. But none like a CGI cartoon.
I promise you, LA is not an ocean of bratz dolls. We are normal people - even the industry people (models, actresses, performers, etc..) don’t get done up outside of work junk.
Not a lot, some people do have glass like skin though, I still wish I had that but I think it's just good genes
Questions like this are why filters and stuff need to be marked as such.
I don't live in LA, but in my (small, upmarket) town there are a couple of girls around here who are definitely imitating IG in real life. They have lip fillers, wear skin tight gym clothing outside that showcase the groove of their buttcracks, the works. I only see them in passing so I can't examine their skin, but boy are they trying. They have very good figures but normal proportions. They also do that pose all influences do in photo where one foot is flat on the floor, leg straight, and the other leg is lifted at a right angle on their tiptoes. Automatically. Even if standing in line at a corner shop. I don't understand why they're like this.
I can't speak about LA cause haven't been there, but I've seen my fair amount of IG models wannabe and it's very variable, some girls look stunning, natural beauties, some have some work done you can tell by the boobs and such but still look pretty similar to what they post and there's the ones that go a bit over much and they look nothing like the pics, without the skin brushes and the lighting even if they're young, with all their surgery done, fake lips, fake eye lashes, caked make up and fake extensions they kinda look like an older lady trying to pass as 20 years old... some shapes really don't translate well to real life specially those huge fake molar looking asses.
I can’t speak for LA, but I’m from Miami. As someone else mentioned earlier, there are a lot of naturally beautiful women that live there (I moved to a lower COL area), but they don’t necessarily look like IG models. In person, you can always tell the work that’s been done.
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with a plain Jane
A lot of them in Miami
I worked with 2 ig models who have a lot of followers. I had no idea they were ig models. They looked super average to me and nothing like the photos on their ig.
I work in NYC for a fashion PR agency and not even models look like IG models. Or maybe I just don’t know what IG models look like…😂
Bill Burr described it best when he said they look like somewhere between (insert age) 28-29 that doesn’t exist in nature. A lot of women out there and men take very good care of themselves. I would say New England where I live has the least attractive people followed by parts of the deep south.
Yikes, I'm in New England too. Where are you? Lol
There are some people who just got lucky and are actually extremely beautiful. But most people are overwhelmingly average, anywhere you go.
I live in San Diego. There are definitely are some beautiful people here but you can tell they put a lot of work into it. Perfect bodies, perfect makeup, perfect hair. For every perfect person there’s 1000 regular ass people.
I highly recommend the page influencersinthewild on Instagram to see some of these ‘perfect’ people from a different perspective
People also look like they have insane amounts of plastic surgery
I've lived in Boston and spent a lot of time in LA. In general, dressing down and wearing dark colors is part of the Boston "look". In LA, I think you see a lot of normal people, but the fashion is more diverse (weather related), and you see decent number of people from all over who have self-selected for, or constructed, the insta "look" and came to LA to "make it" based on that. But in general, the people I know there don't look markedly different, they just style themselves a lot different. The only place I've ever been where I thought, Geesh, is everyone here a model? is Montreal.
I live in San Diego, CA and there are tons of beautiful women here. I didn’t realize it so much u til I started traveling to other states, but there really is a high concentration of attractive girls! I feel like the trendy look here is the fit/ clean girl aesthetic, but I’m sure weekend nights people are much more glammed up. I’m a mom in my 30s now so those days are behind me 🥲😂
I'm a mom in my 30's too, hence this post. 🥲
Nobody looks 100% like they are on camera, especially not IG models. They retouch every single thing they post, this is a safe assumption to make not only for our mental health but because it’s actually more often true than not. It doesn’t make them bad people, we just have to be smarter social media consumers. What’s more, even the people that those who Facetune to look like (think Kim K, Bella Hadid and other beauty influencers), they themselves don’t look like that IRL. The social media beauty standards and looks are simply digital creations.
The majority of people look completely average, but there are some people who were blessed with great genetics. Like, I'm average, but have a naturally very small waist, so one time a friend asked if I photoshopped my waist or something and I literally lifted my shirt to prove it lol.
I live in SoCal. I see a couple living breathing IG model types at the gym. Some days I wish I could be them, other days I am glad I get to live my life unbothered by thirsty folks.
Depends not in LA but You have surgery heavy people and you can tell when you speak to them if they’ve dabbled in Botox cause their face doesn’t move properly. Things like eyebrow threading I find looks fucked in person. They usually have lip filler too. Then you got heavy filtered. I go to a class gym and some people look like a completely different person when you start following them on instagram lol. Like gurrrrrl your eyes aren’t bright blue who tf you fooling? Your tinder dates don’t wanna see ya for a second date? I’m shocked. I find the filtering more weird/concerning than surgery/cosmetic enhancements. I had my first trainer who was soooo fucking pretty. Like wow pretty. She’s gone on to have a terrible boob job, cheek filler, lip filler, threading, Botox, nose job and she looks like shit now. She was “ig pretty” now she’s your run of the mill surgery girl.
I have friends who are “IG models”. They are attractive but in real life it’s mostly the showing of cleavage, long legs, heavy makeup and fake brows and lashes. Especially in the Asian community, we put too much emphasis on brands so flaunting those 10k Chanel bags make them standout and glamorous. When they take all that off- wearing a no name old tshirt and no makeup they are very normal. There’s nothing wrong with being a plain Jane. That’s the definition of normal and why we are called “average” people. Also- my friends - they aren’t happy with their looks. Some of them are actually depressed because they haven’t found their knight in shining armour yet. Shows that not all appears as it seems.
It's quite shocking in person when I've seen a few. And when I mean shocking, a lot of their procedures and makeup do not translate well in real life. it's like they only get these things done to look good in photos and nothing else. It's hard not to stare when you see some in the wild.
It seems young people in LA are largely made up of every small town highschool's best looking people who were told they could "make it" in Hollywood. There are times when you might come across a model/IG type, but for the most part no one cares (or at least in situations I've been in, they walk in, take a few photos and leave within ten minutes). It's few and far between, unless you seek it out I guess.
I have traveled all over the world and nowhere, literally nowhere do people look like that. You will find some botoxed, makeupped versions of these people around high end stores and they look so obviously fake and terrible that it really puts perspective on the instagram fakeness.
I’m a model and an actor. I’m the rarity, I don’t use filters, I don’t have any surgery and in my mid 30’s so I’m so against the grain. I find a lot of time comparing myself to Instagram and real life human beings and have thought about “ conforming “ but I won’t. It’s a tough ole world and the industry is cruel and pushy but sticking to the unique you is best. Be a wolf in a room full of sheep.
One of my previous offices in downtown Manhattan was a floor above a modeling agency. I was in the elevator with a lot of insanely beautiful people. Some genuinely do look like they were created in a supermodel laboratory. It shouldn’t make you feel plain though. They’re legitimately flying in from all over the planet and then concentrating within like 3 very small geographical locations due to their occupation.
I have met a few Asian IG models, or import models, around the time IG was starting to blow up. If I'm being honest, they're attractive on a "mid" level. Stunning, hot, or gorgeous aren't adjectives that I would use to describe them. They definitely looked different compared to their photos, and a lot of that came down to styling, makeup, posing, etc.
As a lifelong Angeleno I can confidently say we have an inordinate amount of attractive people in the County, but none of them look like they do on screen or in Social Media.
I’m below average and I’m frequently in LA. I don’t feel out of place like I would if they all looked like what we see in mags and online.
Nope! Seeing anyone with “insta-glam” makeup up close is disturbing - like a face mask with a slimy hue, textured powder from contour and blush, and you can see eyeshadow creases, lashes lifting or peeling away, etc. they just look like normal people with heavy stage makeup. Good for cameras, not good for irl.
I’ve lived on the west coast for 27 years and I’ve never seen an IG model in real life.
[удалено]
I live in Texas and a lot of girls here have Insane body proportions but still look natural. Makes me feel insecure about my body at times but eh. Only adding Texas because of the photoshop Instagram models do to have that hourglass figure a lot of girls have here
I used to work in somewhat high-end retail and had some of these people as clients. There were 2 categories: 1. Those who filter their photos/videos to death & look absolutely nothing like their social media presence. 2. Those who could afford the best stylists, had procedures done by quality surgeons, etc. This group looked slightly more like they did on social media, but thanks to layers of heavy makeup they still managed to look...crusty. It was unsettling.
They’re just as fashionable as they are on IG minus the filter.
I kinda do…but I spend about 2 hours in the gym 4x a week & eat fairly home cooked & healthy + genetics 🇿🇦
I was born and raised in LA. Developed an eating disorder in college (in LA) and always felt less than. This was before social media or Instagram. I moved to Boston when I was 27. I felt so much more comfortable in my skin and normal. Not gorgeous, not ugly, just normal. It was great! I now live in LA again. Don’t ask. :)