I know it’s hard to work with a model and for an industry to whose beauty standards we are beholden, but as long as the requests are coming from those in the photo, then what are we to do? Ruby.

She writes back almost immediately:

Err, ok Ruby. Thanks for the lecture. Pictures look great. You made a tense bitch look hot AF. More soon.

I am right though. The instructions for the retouching nearly always come from the person in the photograph, despite everyone else getting the blame for it. There is a backlash now, with lots of celebrities saying they don’t want to be retouched. And screaming about the attack on feminism if they are. Good for them, really. But as they attack the magazine editors on Instagram, and hammer an already dying industry for hating women, they don’t see what I see. The women in the photographs themselves begging for perfection. Sending the pictures back to me again and again, until the image is so far from the original photograph that they are barely recognisable. They have to be held accountable too. So much of feminism leans towards breaking down the patriarchy. But every day I see that it is women who are damaging other women.

What I would do to have their skin, their confidence? But maybe they are no different from me. They hide the truth as much as I do. They just hide it from a bigger audience, and with a lot less velvet.

Lauren Pearce – Instagram post

@OfficialLP

The image is of Lauren and her fiancé, Gavin Riley. They are standing in a garden, he has a suit on, she is wearing a low-backed, black slinky dress. She is snuggled into him in an awkward embrace entirely set up for a photograph. He has his hands on her hips, she is turning to look at the camera, her left hand in full view. The enormous diamond engagement ring glistening in the sun.

The caption reads:

Love is the answer, always and forever. It’s just weeks until I marry this man. My love, my hero. Maybe I am the luckiest girl alive? He’s my scented candle, my relaxing bath, my CBD gummy … hahaha. You know what I’m saying don’t you? Even my anxiety can’t take me away from him. Who do you love this much? #PanteneFullVolumeShampoo? #Ad #loveistheanswer #mentalhealth #findyourpeople Photo Credit @TheMayraPearce Hey mum;)

@helpmyfeetshine: He is your scented candle? YOUR SCENTED CANDLE? FFS.

@gogerritguuurrl: COUPLE GOALZ

@ChattyMacHatty: One day I’ll find love like this and I will be this happy. For now, I’ll just live it through you.

@Shawnty45: How do you always look so perfect?

@bethanybeetsit: I am so happy for you guys. Can’t wait to see your dress.

@helenviceP: I heard Gav banged a couple of models in the bog while you ate a salad in the restaurant, is that true?

Beth