‘A Bikini a Day’ Model Claps Back at Body-Shaming Article

It’s no secret that filters and Photoshop work wonders to camouflage cellulite for the nearly 90 percent of women who are affected by it. But body-positive bikini babe Natasha Oakley is now the target of an unflattering article in the Daily Mail Australia that takes aim at her “imperfections” and seems to shame her for having dimply skin and trying to hide it.

The story reads like an exposé and shows two photos of Oakley spliced together: One is an edited pic from the model’s Instagram, and the other is a raw photo of her on the beach with a bit of cellulite on her thighs. “The magic of Instagram!” boasts the headline. “Untouched photos show the REAL body of bikini blogger Natasha Oakley.” The Daily Mail goes on to accuse Oakley of using filters and “the best angles” to mask her imperfections — like almost every Instagram user (or person in a photo ever).

Health and self-love guru Angela Simson of the Gratitude Project was sickened by the scrutinizing. In a rant on Instagram, she came to 25-year-old Oakley’s defense, calling out the article and pointing to Oakley as “a freaking gorgeous model, incredible businesswoman, and someone I would happily look up to. … Her body is TO DIE FOR with or without a filter. But the article is laced with compliments as if to make up for the fact that they are having a dig at her for not being perfect.”

Oakley appreciated the solidarity, reposting Simson’s rant and thanking her for her kind words. Then she took aim at the writer of the Daily Mail story, saying, “Danielle who works for @dailymailau decided to write an entire article based on finding horrible paparazzi photos of me with cellulite and putting me down about my figure. She is now in my mind an exact representation of what is wrong in the world and what a woman should never aspire to be.”

Oakley has been defending the flaws in her figure for a while now. Last year, in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she addressed negativity about her barely there cellulite — this time from her Instagram followers. She acknowledged that her female fans are usually very supportive, but she felt it was important to speak up about the ones who were critical. “I personally cannot imagine commenting something mean on another girl’s photo, and those that do should honestly be ashamed of themselves,” Oakley said.

The she blatantly acknowledged that she knows her best angles for photos and never claimed to be flawless. “No matter how good my photos look I also have imperfections. No one is perfect, and I think these days it’s easy to forget that.”

In the interview, Oakley says she shares bikini shots of herself with the world not to be picked apart but to inspire other women to embrace their unique selves. “Individuality is beautiful,” she said, noting that she never compares herself with others.

A study by social media marketing company Spredfast revealed that 11 percent of Instagrammers who use the hashtag #nofilter are lying — they’re actually using filters, but the more subtle ones like Amaro and Lo-Fi. And it’s not just Instagram’s built-in filters that are to blame for the illusion of perfection. According to Business Insider, more and more teens are using photo-filtering apps like Facetune and VSCO to banish blemishes.

With so many tools at their disposal, it’s impossible to expect everyone to stop using smoke-and-mirrors tactics to show themselves in their best light — it’s par for the course on social media. Maybe the best we can expect is for people in the public eye, like Oakley, to be honest about it. And, as she says, to “support each other, celebrate each other, and come from love.”

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