Where did all the thin lips go?

This post originally appeared in Clare and Jessie Stephens’ newsletter, Mamamia Deep Dive. You can subscribe (for free) right here. 

Excuse us for a moment, but we have a question.

Whatever happened to the thin lip?

The small, unassuming mouth, almost hiding on the bottom third of the face, eclipsed entirely by the eyes or the nose or the cheek bones.

The lips that accentuate the tiny dimples at the corners of the mouth, full of expression – whether that be amusement, contempt, or deep pondering.

Not that anyone’s ever asked but we bloody love a thin lip. And crooked teeth. They give a face character.

But the thin lip is going extinct and this is a matter of critical importance.

You see, we talk a lot about body diversity and rightfully so.

 

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First time at the Pride of Britain awards and it was completely awe inspiring. I presented a special award to 10 year old Max, who helped change the law with an opt out campaign (which means consent to donate organs is presumed) to save hundreds of lives. Congratulations Max, what an inspiration you are ❤️

A post shared by elliegoulding (@elliegoulding) on Oct 30, 2018 at 8:38am PDT

But has anyone else noticed that all of a sudden everyone has exactly the same face?

On television and in popular culture, that face is overwhelmingly white.

Big lips. Small nose. Teeth so big and blindingly white it’s as though there are no gaps between them. Sun-kissed skin. Big eyes. Hair that was straightened, and then curled, and then brushed out a little bit, until it’s sort of wavy and effortless.

And there is nothing at all wrong with that face. In fact, that’s a great face. It’s just that… we don’t know where all the other faces went and we’re concerned.

Where are the thin lips? The big noses? The noses with a bump or two on them? The hooded eyelids? The little teeth? The normal coloured ones? The fair skin with freckles? The curly hair? The greys? The smile lines? The big chins? The dark circles under the eyes? The black faces? The Asian faces? The faces of disability?

WHERE ARE THEY?

Because we… liked those faces. There was personality in those faces – something distinct and interesting that drew you to them.

But someone, somewhere decided that thin lips were a bit sh*t and we were not personally consulted.

 

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Loving all @ysl ???? @anthonyvaccarello ????

A post shared by Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan) on Nov 9, 2018 at 2:03pm PST

They started yelling that we needed to over-line our lips before applying lipstick, or inject them with things, and even after that we still need to pout in photos so they look even bigger.

“Don’t you want to look like Kylie Jenner?” they asked and, well, no. Not really.

We want to look like… us.

And that’s why we want to celebrate the goddamn thin lip.

Oh. And if we could bring the cankle (not that it’s ever been… in) that would be very much appreciated.

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