Sick of the Love Island aesthetic

[Raspberryclouds]

Don't know what else to call it, and don't want to name names or post pictures of people as that's unfair but it's everywhere and makes me feel inadequate.
They've all got a tan, gleaming white teeth, microbladed eyebrows, mermaid hair (they never have short hair like me!)
Plump lips, false eyelashes, freckles, perfect cheekbones and perfect figures, flawless skin. Oh and all have these perfect tiny noses whereas mine is wide.
I know a lot of it is Instagram/filters but most of them look the same in reality.

I feel like some sort of potato in comparison because it seems that this is what's considered attractive. I live in Manchester city centre and there are ten a penny slim, statuesque stunning women with long flowing hair going on a night out.
I didn't think I was awful, but just feel so basic and unremarkable.
I can't afford to get consistent beauty treatments, eyelashes are expensive, I put a fake tan on myself but can't afford constant spray tans, constant teeth whitening and so on.
I need to learn to be happier with what I've got, but just feel so dull, does anyone else feel like this.

This is really interesting. Last week I was on a long haul flight that stopped in Bangkok. A young woman got on the plane and she was next to me. She had had plastic surgery. Her nose had tape on it. The whole journey she was looking at her phone before and after. it was incredible. She'd flown to Thailand, had surgery, spent huge amounts of money. I was just sitting next to the real life person and seeing the photos that obviously meant so much to her. It meant nothing to me. She was nice before and nice after. This is nothing but damaging false images. From someone totally on the outside it is completely false. I felt very sad for her. Having said that, she was clearly happy, but her mind had been turned. There is no real difference.

I'm kinda crushing on the one with the purple hair 😳

It is so vain though, why would you want to look IMO like a doll. I don't watch Love Island but have caught the beginning of it and then 'off' in the past and it strikes me as there isn't much more than the aesthetic and they don't appear articulate- both sexes can't find the words to even describe their feelings! I live in Brighton and it is the dressed down thing or utilitarian clothes, which I'm not actually overly fond of. My DH had to go to the Manchester office (usually works in London) and when he went out for dinner in the evening he did notice more women dressed up and even in the office.

It's not even a step up from that. It's hideous.

OP, I bet you look a whole lot nicer than any of these identikit women.

I do feel sorry for young girls, growing up and seeing these images and thinking that they are what girls "should" look like.

Women who've had their lips inflated always look as if they have got a moustache. I bet you don't look as if you have a moustache.

Def look like sex dolls imo

Bought and paid for beauty. I’d rather look normal for free than look like a blow up doll
for mega £££

Most of the women on the Apprentice this year looked like sex dolls. There was one who I'm sorry but was particularly unattractive - it's not an automatic route to looking beautiful whatsoever.

I would hate to be so reliant on appointments to look good. Ugh. Fake everything, why? At the end of the day do they really look like that. I cannot think of anything worse than being sat in a salon for hours on end each month or booked in for a procedures? Spending so much money. I admit some women are able to just do perfect make-up where its fresh and natural looking but many women to me look like blown up orange fish. And they are so young, 25yr olds looking 35… shocking. Not sure you said how old you are? But i would not compare yourself to these women. I’d focus on realising your natural prettyness beats their fake beauty any day. I got glasses, wear hardly any make-up/never have any beauty appointments booked and could not care less if a Love Island Wannabee is sat next to me… i just think if i got thrown in the deep end of a pool i’d resurface looking like me god know’s what they’d look like 😂😂😂

Where exactly are you seeing these women in Manchester?
I've been in and out of the city all weekend and I can't relate to everyone looking like that!
A few did but the majority didn't

Alot of people use contouring to make their facial features more slimline.

I look totally different on a night out- by day I'm below average looking but after some clip in hair extensions, glue on eyelashes, tan, make up, nice outfit - I don't think I scrub up too bad. People who have the time, effort and money to look like that- then lucky them but it's a treat for me. Why not treat yourself to a glamorous evening out? You won't envy the effort these people put in on a daily basis (Well I don't😆 )

Do you only find men with spray tans and six packs attractive? I bet you don't. It's the same with men and women who look like that. My husband hates falseness in any capacity and is a surfer so the surf chic look is his taste. Natural. Hippyish. Birkenstocks. My daughters bf is the same.

Stop watching that rank, shitty show. Four Love Islanders have died in tragic circumstances/committed suicide. Striving to look like that is no recipe for happiness for any of them. They don't feel confident or secure, it has nothing whatsoever to do with real love and is no route to happiness. There is zero point in aspiring towards that superficial gloss. It doesn't solve a single problem, it creates them.

Focus on getting and feeling fit and strong, taking care of your skin, hair, nails, teeth and dressing exactly as you please.

By highly educated, they probably mean went to a university.

To be honest, I agree with you that the overwhelming majority of highly educated people don't look like this. And I would also lack confidence in a barrister or other professional who presented themselves in this way.

You might see someone with nails or tasteful lash extensions but it's rare to see highly educated professionals kitted out with the orange tan, lip injections, straggly extensions and all.

My advice is to casually observe some of them from nearby for a few minutes
Do they look genuinely happy in themselves?
Happy with the company they keep?
Are they relaxed or fidgety and primping?
Is the conversation exciting, amusing and stimulating or are they putting on fake voices or saying stupid or bitchy things for a laugh?
Are they equally valued or do one or two stand out holding court?

A friend of mine often posts pics of her daughter and friends on nights out. I have to look very carefully to spot the daughter because they all look exactly, and I mean exactly the same.

Another friend went on a hen weekend with a younger bunch of women recently and on the Sunday morning she had to subtly find out their names again because they were unrecognisable from the night before.

High maintenance is fine, whatever floats your boat. But to the 'outside world' it's a bit of a head scratcher really.

The difference is money, which gives access to both better quality products as well as better quality surgeons/aestheticians.

There are plenty of well educated women, in professional jobs, that have a high maintenance appearance.

I really dislike the LI look. I have a friend who constantly posts pictures of her 20-something daughter on social media cooing about how beautiful her daughter is. She is LI personified. Which is fine, that's her choice but personally I'd rather see posts about daughters/women who are actually doing something! Standing around with a pack of makeup on, looking like a sex doll is not something I'd want my DD to do.

All that aside... OP... you seem very fixated on what people look like rather than what they are actually like. The clips of the 'beautiful people' I've seen on Gogglebox (I've never watched LI it doesn't appeal to me) don't show personalities I'd be keen to interact with.

I was listening to a podcast with Jayde Adam's recently and she said that the popular people at school tend to crash and burn later... they have no resilience or practise in how to deal with situations as they've just relied on their looks to get them through life. Interesting observation.

My advise would be to stop comparing what you look like to what others look like and concentrate more on being a fabulous human being.

Even Bella Hadid regrets her nose job. The grass isn't always greener.

*To be honest, I agree with you that the overwhelming majority of highly educated people don't look like this. And I would also lack confidence in a barrister or other professional who presented themselves in this way.

You might see someone with nails or tasteful lash extensions but it's rare to see highly educated professionals kitted out with the orange tan, lip injections, straggly extensions and all.*

Same. It would be considered unprofessional in my line of work.

I also think the women on the Apprentice looked horrendous with their trout pouts and suit jackets with seemingly nothing underneath. I'm not a prude but it's so OTT in your face and a bit like a blow up doll.

There's lots of people I think look great but they're much more classy and natural looking.

I really do need to boost my confidence and love what I have got and what I am selling. ....... what you are selling??!! You are not a product, you are a person!!

I think you need to go back to the drawing board with your thinking here. There is a great deal more to you than your looks - or "a look."

Personally I find that look (of which you are so envious) utterly gross.

This! I find the perfect look so boring and so do most of my social circle

What are you selling?

Glue on eyelashes. Plastic clip in hair extensions. Shit pumped into face to look like a sex doll.
I fucking despair that this is seen as in any way normal or desirable.

Both Hadid's look very different pre surgery. I think it's a horrible, generic look, big teeth, big lips, false breasts, hair extensions, eyebrow tattoo, nose job, cheek implants, filler etc etc......

I wear fake tan, have lashes etc and could talk to you about all these things. Although, I’d probably choose not to as your attitude stinks. Having feminine interests doesn’t make anyone morally or intellectually inferior you know.