“Try” by Colbie Caillat Challenges Standard of Beauty

The very talented Colbie Caillat just released the video for her latest single: “Try,” which addresses the beauty standards that women are held to in today’s society.

This is what you want, to belong, so they like you… do you like you?” Colbie and various other women sing to the camera while gradually taking off the picture-perfect makeup applied to their faces, and shaking out their done-up hair.

You don’t have to try so hard,” she asserts, as the skin blurring filter fades from the video, and her fine lines and pores become visible (yep, even celebs have them!).

She features women of different ages and ethnicities, with their own unique characteristics. In the end, they all face the camera wearing only their natural beauty.

 

In an interview with Elle.com, Colbie explains the inspiration for the song:

“Before coming to the studio I wanted to look pretty, so I had my nails done, I made sure I had the best outfit on, I had my hair and makeup artist come over and make me look all polished. And the thing is that I like myself when I’m not that way, but I feel like other people might not like me that way. And I know that most women go through that.”

While she says she still loves getting “all dolled up,” Colbie stresses that trying to live up to other people’s expectations is not what beauty is about. She goes photoshop-free on the cover of her latest EP, Gypsy Heart, and will be sporting less makeup during video shoots.

I absolutely love when celebrities speak out against the pressures that they are faced with as public figures, that eventually trickle down to women everywhere. It is important to hear that the expectation of beauty influenced by media is unrealistic from the women embedded in the media themselves. It helps us bring a little reality to the craziness that is our culture. Kudos to Colbie!

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12 Comments

  1. This video is fantastic =) I hardly wear makeup when I go on my “beauty runs” and no one bothers with me. I like it that way LMAO but it’s funny when I’m there with a friend for lunch and we run into a few stores and I’m all dolled up with a LV bag how quickly they’re all over me showing the latest and greatest.

  2. love this video and song and what it represents!! everyone is beautiful with or without makeup. major kudos to Colbie for putting herself out there in that light.

    1. Definitely! She even said she tried to get her celeb friends to be in the video and a lot of them didn’t want to show themselves without makeup/filters. Hopefully more public figures follow suit.

  3. I love that her cover is makeup-free. I think when people see stars sans makeup it makes beauty more realistic and relatable.

  4. I saw the article about this video, and how she worked with a man (gasp!) to make this song. I admit to struggling sometimes with this topic – I joke about how I can go to Walmart with no makeup on, but I need some for Target! It’s funny, but really does come down to feeling judged. I do love getting dolled up, but most of my time at home is spent with no makeup on, hair in a messy bun. If I leave the house, there is that pressure to put on my “face”!

    1. I feel the same way, especially living so close to my college campus, I’m always running into people which elevates the pressure to always look “presentable.”

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