SCROLLING through my Instagram feed, my thumbs instinctively pause at any picture of the Kardashian sisters.
As one of their millions of followers, I zoom in and scrutinise their ‘perfect’ faces.
With skin as smooth as a baby's bottom, no wrinkles in sight, jaws strong enough to knock a boxer out, and eyes that seem to get a full eight hours of beauty sleep, these girls look absolutely astonishing.
Kourtney's now 45, Kim is 44 and Khloe is 40, whereas I'm 29 and struggling to Keep Up.
"How are they doing it?" I've often wondered.
I have no kids, I manage to get my sleep in regularly, and I really try to focus on my skincare.
Yet, whenever it comes to taking a selfie, it takes me 10 attempts before I simply give up.
So, I decided to delve deeper into taking the perfect selfie and consulted a skilled team who usually work their magic on A-list celebrities to create those flawless Instagram shots we all admire.
There's ongoing scrutiny surrounding the Kardashian family, who have faced their fair share of criticism for altering their so-called ‘natural’ photos.
Many fans have accused them of transforming their images to an unrealistic level, and this hot topic made me wonder just how much of it is real.
Last week, Kris Jenner, 68, was called out by fans over her “absurd” appearance in “filtered” photos.
Just before that, fans were begging Khloe to stop using beauty filters that make her look unrecognisable.
Over the past years, all of the sisters have had their “edited” pictures “exposed,” with Kylie Jenner even sitting down with her sisters Khloe and Kourtney to talk about how they influenced today’s beauty standards.
Talking on their reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians, she asked her older sisters: “I just feel like we have huge influence and like, what are we doing with that power?
“I just see so many young girls on the internet now fully editing [their pictures]. Like, the editing.”
When we compared the before-and-after photos, the flaws in our natural appearance were glaringly obvious to everyone
Yasmin Harisha
So, with that in mind, the professional editing team carefully examined various profile pictures of the Kardashians and shared with me how they achieved those seemingly unattainable looks.
It turns out there’s a whole range of common alterations that go on behind the scenes.
For instance, skin is smoothed to give that immaculate finish, lips are enhanced, skin is toned, volume is added to the hair, and eyebrows are sculpted.
And the list doesn’t stop there.
Jawlines are reshaped, noses can be pinched and tweaked to take on a preferred shape, and eyes are often adjusted to make them appear larger and more vibrant.
Additionally, teeth are usually whitened, and cheekbones are accentuated.
The Kardashian's have immense influence, which undoubtedly adds pressure to present an ideal of perfection
Yasmin Harisha
This is all to create the polished final image that captivates so many of us.
So, I, along with three other members of the Fabulous team - Senior Writer Abigail Wilson, Lifestyle Reporter Latoya Gayle and Associate Editor Jess Wilson - decided to see what could be done to our faces.
The results? Absolutely shocking. None of us felt remotely good afterwards.
When we compared the before-and-after photos, the flaws in our natural appearance were glaringly obvious to everyone.
I couldn’t stop staring at the colour of my teeth, my double chin, eye bags, and smile lines in the before picture.
I didn’t even realise I had lines on my neck until this editing was done.
It was quite an eye-opener to see how dramatic the changes were in all the photos.
Jess sent one to a friend without mentioning any edits, and her friend replied, 'Oh, what a beautiful robot.' She found the snatched jawline terrifying.
Latoya was also taken aback by the transformation and couldn’t imagine doing this regularly.
She said: “I think it would be easy to start picking myself apart and finding flaws if I spent too much time looking at edited photos.”
Abigail found the results "horrifying."
She said: "I didn't recognise myself. I was already self-conscious of my paper lips but now I'm definitely wondering whether I need to book in a filler appointment, although I do look like a clown and certainly won't be using any filters any time soon."
It was genuinely surprising to see how much can be altered while still maintaining a somewhat natural appearance.
That’s when I realised how many people, myself included, look up to these seemingly flawless images without acknowledging the team working behind the scenes.
With millions of followers, figures like the Kardashians have immense influence, which undoubtedly adds pressure to present an ideal of perfection.
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Although seeing these transformations didn’t exactly boost my confidence, I’m grateful to have had my eyes opened after working with a team that regularly collaborates with A-listers to deliver the ‘perfect shot.’
So, the next time I come across a stunning picture of the Kardashians, or any other influencers, I’ll remind myself of the considerable effort that goes into creating these images.
Kim revealed on Keeping Up With The Kardashians that her eyesight is worsening due to ageing.
The Hollywood star, 43, revealed that it was a "tragic".
Talking to her mother she said: "Can I tell you what tragically happened to me? It’s really hard for me to grasp and it happened overnight. I cannot see.”
She then adds: "I think I can reverse this. I’m gonna eat tons of carrots and I’m gonna do red-light therapy on my eyeballs and open my eyes.";
Kris then speaks to the camera afterwards, and says: "Who’s gonna tell Kim that carrots don’t fix your eyesight? It’s called ageing. She’s getting a bit older.”
