Olivia Jade Giannulli has some serious thoughts on beauty filters

It's definitely been a minute since we heard from Olivia Jade Giannulli on anything beauty-related. After her involvement in 2019's college admission scandal, it was unclear whether she'd return to social media or the beauty space at al. She went totally quiet on both YouTube and Instagram for months after the news broke, and has only posted a handful of times since.

But after breaking her silence on said taboo topic on an episode of Jada Pinkett Smith's web television talk show Red Table Talk, it seems the silent stage may be over.

Taking to her Instagram Story to share her thoughts on social media beauty filters, Giannulli posted a startling side-by-side comparison of herself with and without them, captioning it "Insta vs. reality". And while her plea for transparency is perhaps a little ironic considering the events of the last year, she does make some solid points, backing up Lizzo's rock-solid "you got that no-filter beauty" argument.

"There is nothing wrong with using these filters to smooth your features – everyone should do whatever tf they want to their own pics, BUT I do truly hope all the young girls on IG know that this is not normal and it's not reality," she wrote alongside the pics. "Seriously no one is born looking like this and you don't need to compare [yo]urself to impossible standards! You are beautiful without the effects also."

It clearly wasn't just a classic Paris filter Giannulli was playing with, either. While the skin-smoothing effect on the filtered picture was no doubt the most intense change, the shapes of her features were all different as well, with her lips looking larger, her eyes appearing more almond-shaped and her nose showing a more angular slope. Basically, she went all in for full effect.

But though her natural beauty is obviously still incredibly evident in the original picture (whether you're feeling forgiving of her family or not, the genes are still strong), it just goes to show the level of non-reality that filters can provide.

Giannulli does appear to practice what she preaches in the 'embrace your natural beauty' arena, though. While she tends to post a mix of both natural skin selfies and full-glam shots, her skin texture is always visible, no matter how flawless the foundation. And we must say, we appreciate it. Because people have pores, yes, and that's completely okay.

Main image credit: @oliviajade

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