The #ootd's and #selfies become all the rage, with users snapping away photos of their outfits before they leave their homes. On the road or anywhere with internet access, the uploaders bask on the number of likes their photos have garnered over time and the comments saying how good they look in their photos. These mark the rise of the selfie generation.
Of course, as selfies propagate social platforms increasingly, apps which serve the purpose of making one's self-portrait look as good as possible also become increasingly available for use. There are some free apps which present options to make minor modifications to faces. And then there's more intricate Facetune, which is virtually Photoshop and photo editing app combined.
According to a Stuff.co article, Facetune enables users to not only remove facial blemishes on their photos. The app also lets them apply make-up, cover up gray hair, erase wrinkles and modify face shape. The app incorporates a variety of filters to choose from to attain the perfect selfie.
A feature that distinguishes the app from other similar apps is that it also enables users to shed weight- at least in their photos. But users should be careful to use the app sparingly so their selfies don't end up looking creepy and overly artificial. Meticulous eyes may be able to tell if your frame is edited or not.
Overall, Facetune does not really offer a lot of new features for a photo-editing app. But it does bring some Photoshop functions in handy and for an affordable price. The paid app costs $4.99 and is available in both Apple and Android devices.
Facetune and similar photo editing apps have received flak from advocates of natural beauty, claiming that such apps distort and spread impossible standards for physical appearance. A Twitter user wrote that it's "awful" for Facetune to imply that users don't look good enough to post tgeir natural photos online.
Selfies, on the other hand, have been seen as indicators of low self-esteem and insecurity. Over the recent years, coming with the surge of smartphones, people have uploaded over a trillion selfies on social media. The trend is not exactly new, however, Dr. Terri Apter of the University of Cambridge traces the trend back to the 15th century.
"In this way people could control the image projected, and of course the fact that the image was on display marked the importance and status of the person represented," Apter was quoted as saying in a Buffer Social article.
