In modern society, there is a lot of pressure on celebrities, - especially female celebrities - to be good role models. Women like Kim Kardashian and her sisters are constantly 'slut-shamed' by the media who claim that the fact that they post scantily-clad images online and take ownership of their bodies is a negative thing for young women. While the arguments both for and against the Kardashians are compelling and could easily span past my word count, that's an argument for another day.
But one woman who rarely receives scorn for her public persona is Demi Lovato. The actress-cum-singer, who started her career on Barney and Friends, is known for being extremely open when it comes to her struggles with eating disorders and her mental health.
Lovato is also a campaigner for body positivity, and in an interview with US Weekly the 25-year-old said:
"I think society tells us we need makeovers, but why can’t we embrace the beauty that we naturally have? I love makeup. I love doing my hair. I have extensions.
"But there’s a time and a place for everything, and natural beauty needs to be celebrated."
Obviously deciding to be an ambassador for natural beauty being celebrated, Lovato decided to go make up free for a campaign with Vogue. In the video below, the singer can be seen entering her bedroom with a full face of makeup before removing it to eventually reveal her natural face. Take a look at it below.
Despite the message being one of celebration and loving the skin you are in, the video has divided fans.
"Demi is very positive and she is trying to help woman [sic] to feel great in their own skin.. I am so proud of her," said one YouTube commenter.
"I was not surprised to see this. Demi is always showing her beautiful bare face. She is the most transparent and real actress I have ever known," agreed another.
However, others were not so convinced about the message, with one person saying:
"Let's call out everyone who wears makeup and show our flaws through the beauty behemoth that is Vogue all while under exceptional lighting and the production of a professional team...yes that will seem unfiltered to us."
Another said that they didn't really get the hype around the video.
"Ooo shocker. A 25-year-old looks good without makeup on? What does it matter if a person wears makeup or not? As long as you feel comfortable does it matter?"
Lastly, one woman pointed out that women should be allowed to express themselves however they want, whether it be through wearing makeup or not.
"Hey everyone I have a fun idea how about we stop shaming women for a) wearing makeup, or b) not wearing makeup and just let them feel free to do what they want to express themselves/make themselves feel good regardless of our opinions on how they look."
While Lovato's video was clearly intended to empower women, the internet being the internet, some people were always going to complain. At the end of the day, she's not telling people to remove their makeup - she's just trying to get people to love themselves with or without a bit of paint on their face.