[why no one you know looks like a model]

Topic: Culture

We all know that pictures of models and celebrities are retouched to get rid of anything remotely ugly. But take a look at this portfolio by retouching artist Glenn Feron to see what exactly changes from the original photo to the finished product. It’s instructive: pin-up models have cellulite, stretch marks, armpit folds and big asses; even genuinely gorgeous people like Halle Berry and Usher crease when they bend.

So if you fantasize about dieting and working out until you’re as sleek and smooth as a top model, you might just discover that you’re already that smooth — or, rather, that they’re just as lumpen as your average beautiful person.