About Face

As a woman raising daughters with a career linked to the publishing industry – and, I’ll admit, a bit of a pop-culture junkie – I’ve been following the Kelly Clarkson, Self magazine airbrush brouhaha.

While listening to the Self editor talk out both sides of her mouth about drastically modifying the photo of Clarkson for a cover story about being happy with yourself, I stumbled across this from Bazaar.

Kudos to these gorgeous 30- and 40-something women for posing without makeup or perfectly coifed hair, and kudos to Bazaar for publishing it.

I’d love to see more photos like this, and I’d like to see it from cover girls who aren’t supermodels to begin with.  And don’t tell me un-airbrushed photos don’t sell magazines. This will be the first personal-interest magazine I’ve purchased from a newsstand in the past six months, and I’m buying it just for a closer look at these natural photos.

Thanks, Bazaar, for the step in the right direction.