Before-and-after videos speculating about the changing appearances of celebrities are not uncommon. In fact, whether it's side-by-side photos hinting at Selena Gomez undergoing plastic surgery, aestheticians commenting freely on Kylie Jenner's lip filler, or then-versus-now videos zooming in on Jennifer Aniston's purportedly 'puffy' complexion, they're pretty much an omnipresent occurrence in the online world right now.
The fact is, this shouldn't be the case: we shouldn't ever be commenting on anyone's decision to undergo tweakments, or not, or change the anatomy of their face. But, as proved by singer Charli XCX, there is one way to put these videos in their place.
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In an Instagram series titled What Have They Had?, which dissects celebrities' tweakments over the years, injector Molly Bailey (who goes by the name @baileysbotox) created a video divulging the possible aesthetic treatments undergone by the 32-year-old singer. Showing both a picture of Charli back when she was 21 and a current photo, she raises questions about whether she's had an eyebrow lift, Botox, lip filler, and even rhinoplasty.
'What seems to be the most noticeable change is her lifted brows and extra upper eyelid space,' Bailey wrote in the caption. 'Likely the result of an endoscopic ponytail lift that’s popular among young Hollywood, an upper blepharoplasty or the less invasive brow threads plus a tox brow lift. It gives her the cat-eye effect that’s so Julia,' she continues.
As for Charli XCX's hot take on it? 'Omg I'm obsessed w this sh*t,' she commented on the post. As the Apple singer has been enjoying the unwavering success of her new album, and she, along with the rest of the world, the ubiquitous 'Brat Girl Summer', her open, overt and funny response rings true of the Brat sentiment. After all, it was she who said that a brat girl is 'honest, blunt and a little bit volatile.'
The injector, who initially published the post, has since responded to Charli's comment saying, 'Brat girls are breaking the stigma of cosmetic treatments and we’re here for it.' She also nodded to the Brat girl aesthetic, saying that the idea is to do whatever it is that makes you confident and not care about what anyone else thinks.
Though Charli's comment is refreshing to see, when so many conceal and cover up only to further amplify the filtered perfection we see online, the endless scrutiny of celebrities, all of whom are held to unattainable beauty standards, is not something to be overlooked.
Ealier this month, Gomez clapped back at plastic surgeon physician assistant Marissa Barrionuevo's TikTok video, which dissected a series of side-by-side photos of the actor and singer. 'Honestly I hate this. I was on stripes because of a flare up,' Gomez responded after she'd been prescribed a steroid by her doctor which had caused her skin to react. 'I have Botox. That's it. Leave me alone,' she said. Meanwhile, Aniston's recent video was met with a barrage of negative comments circulating about her plastic surgery, with one even commenting 'Oh … the plastic surgery didn’t go well this time.'
Charli XCX, on the other hand, has taken the speculation, the scrutiny and the scrupulous eye of social media and turned it on its head. It's not the first time she has poked fun at something like this, nor she has been refreshingly honest about injectables. Previously, the singer made headlines about her aim for more music awards in the future. 'Need more Botox before accepting any awards tho,' she said.
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Amelia Bell is the Multiplatform Beauty Director for ELLE UK and Harper’s Bazaar, developing beauty strategy, writing, editing, and commissioning, and leading beauty content across both sites. Amelia has a particular interest in wellness and longevity, exploring the skin-mind connection, and decoding the latest treatments, tweakments and runway trends. She also has bylines for Women's Health, Refinery29, British Vogue, Harrods Magazine, and more.
