When it comes to embracing our size, hair, and unique features, we've made a lot of progress over the past few years. But one thing we don't always talk about is accepting our skin. While weight loss and hair straightening are considered less obligatory than they used to be, it's usually assumed that if someone has acne, they're at war with it. But French illustrator Izumi Tutti has taken a different attitude: She's chosen to see the beauty in her pimples.
On Instagram, she's been sharing photos of herself with constellations made out of her blemishes, Teen Vogue reports. "I can't control my pimples, but I can change the look I have on them!" she captioned one. She's got a shape that looks a bit like the big dipper on her cheek, dotted in bright green and accompanied by a star.
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She also creates beautiful drawings featuring people with acne.
Tutti's not the only one to use constellations for pimple positivity. Photographer Jamie Rose created a Tumblr called The Constellation Project, where she's posted photos of her face overlaid with lines connecting her pimples. Each shape is labeled based on what caused the acne.
"I am learning every day to accept my flaws and see myself as even more beautiful than before," she wrote. "Hopefully these photographs will inspire you to accept your flaws and see yourself as truly a beautiful person, no matter how many pimples appear on your skin."
Celebrities including Daisy Ridley and Ashley Benson have also been advocating for acne acceptance by posting Instagram photos of themselves with their acne medication showing, Vogue reports. "I thought I might as well show that everybody gets acne and it’s nothing to hide," Benson told Teen Vogue. "I think it’s really important for fans to know that everybody deals with it and you’re not alone, and you’re completely normal."
In addition, designer Moto Guo featured models with visible acne in a fashion show last year.
So, maybe the world is slowly coming around to the idea that acne can be beautiful. Given that as many as 50 million Americans have it, it's about time.