beauty

"This photo was hard to take and is even harder to post."

Beauty blogger Lex Gillies posted an empowering and revealing photo on Instagram this week.

Gillies, an award-winning blogger from the UK, posted the photo that showed one side of her face covered in make-up and the other side bare, revealing severe rosacea.

“Every single time I take a photo of my bare skin I am still shocked, because this is not how I picture myself. When I imagine my face, I think of the girl on the right: happy, comfortable, wearing an amazing lipstick that screams confidence. So when I see the girl on the left, it’s jarring. And it makes me upset,” Gillies wrote.

This photo was hard to take and is even harder to post. Every single time I take a photo of my bare skin I am still shocked, because this is not how I picture myself. When I imagine my face, I think of the girl on the right: happy, comfortable, wearing an amazing lipstick that screams confidence. So when I see the girl on the left, it’s jarring. And it makes me upset. But I absolutely love seeing photos like these from other people. It shows that make up can be transformative and beautiful, but it’s also so so much more than that. Wearing make up makes me feel stronger and helps me to be myself. To others this may sound silly or vain but to me it’s a necessity. It gives me control over something I cannot change and that is so powerful. One of my missions this year is to try to pare back my make up in an attempt to feel more comfortable in my skin. But it’s a slow process and one I’m really struggling with to be honest. I’d love to be more confident about the way I look, but for now I’m just trying to be a little kinder to myself. #perfectlyme

A photo posted by Lex Gillies (@talontedlex) on

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“But I absolutely love seeing photos like these from other people. It shows that make up can be transformative and beautiful, but it’s also so so much more than that. Wearing make up makes me feel stronger and helps me to be myself. To others this may sound silly or vain but to me it’s a necessity. It gives me control over something I cannot change and that is so powerful,” she said.

She wrote that her mission this year was to “pare back my make up in an attempt to feel more comfortable in my skin”.

Gillies admitted that it was a slow process and one that she was struggling with.

“I’d love to be more confident about the way I look, but for now I’m just trying to be a little kinder to myself. #perfectlyme,” she added.

The inspiring photo received a lot of comments, with many of Gillie’s followers sharing stories of their own battle with rosacea.

Gillies is trying to love her own skin more. Image via Instagram.

"Beautiful no matter what! Your blog is my fave and you've really helped me learn how to manage my rosacea. Today, I'm red and blotchy and itchy-face and hiding behind my glasses and hair. Hoping tomorrow will be better, but that's what we do--take it day by day. What ever makes you feel good is always the right thing! x," someone commented.

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"Is it wrong to ask what foundation you use? (Since your post is promoting being comfortable with your skin)I suffer with rosacea around my nose mainly and find it so hard to find a good foundation. I'm self conscious about my nose as it is so the redness just feels like another kick. You are so right to show this pic and thank you. Makes me feel less like I'm the only one with issues," added another.

Others praised Gillies for her honesty and bravery.

"This is so amazing, you are absolutely beaut with and without makeup, youll help so many people with this post! Love this xx," said one.

"You are so brave and such an inspiration to so many, never feel anything other than confident," added another.

Rosacea is a non-contagious skin inflammation that exclusively affects the face. The small surface blood vessels (capillaries) of the skin enlarge, giving the appearance of a permanent flush. The condition first appears between the ages of 30 and 50 years.

Gillies often writes about her experience with rosacea, the products she uses to treat her skin, and the make up she uses to cover up her condition.

She describes herself as "kicking rosacea's butt".

You go girl.