Xiaxue Photoshopped Herself for 8 DAYS, And Here Are All The Before & After Pix

This is the original pic we shot of Xiaxue with zero digital enhancements. Not too bad, right? It's the result of hours in the hair and make-up chair, immaculate styling and adjusting of clothes and accessories, an experienced photographer who knows how to use the best lighting and angles, and lots and lots of different poses and shots. This is as magical as it gets... without Photoshop.

Behold Xiaxue's handiwork: A taller, skinnier, more perfect version of herself.

A magazine tip for looking taller? Shoot yourself from a lower angle, which our photographer has done here. Xiaxue’s tip? Wear boots that cover your ankles so that it’s easier to Photoshop your legs later, as ankles are not easy to DI. Despite all this, she tells us with a laugh, “I’m always appearing in videos and everyone can see the real me. I’m not trying to pretend to be 1.8m tall. Everyone knows that I’m freaking short!"

Xiaxue tells us, "I think because I actually over-emphasise how much I edit my photos — and I’m quite proud of my skills; to me, it’s like an art — people think the real me is really bad-[looking]. So when they meet me, they say I’m prettier than what they expected."

Says Xiaxue, “I know a lot of people edit their photos, but it’s not quite so drastic [as what I do]... I don’t care if you know it’s fake, but the end product is pleasing to the eye.”

Laughs the pink-haired princess of Photoshop: "I love this series of photos. Xiaxue for President!"

Says Xiaxue: "To me, aesthetics still matter. Every girl wants to take a photo of herself with nicely-styled hair and make-up. The Photoshop is just extra make-up lor. I think the end product looks nicer."

Which are you more impressed by? Xiaxue’s make-up skillz or her Photoshop skillz? Either way, both contribute to the version of herself she puts out on platforms such as Instagram. Btw, she did her own make-up for this shoot.

"I hate influencers. They are the worst," opines Xiaxue. But aren't you an influencer? We ask. "Yes, but I started out being a blogger! I think a blogger has personality — you’re blogging about your life and people like you for who you are. It’s a curated version of yourself but it’s still you. But on Instagram, it’s very impersonal. You are just a model in a picture. You are not you, you are just there as part of the photo. Your captions are just stupid quotes about life copied from somewhere. I don’t care about these people."

Says Xiaxue, "When I see my own face, I just see all the imperfections. I don’t know leh — it’s like if you see a pimple or a flaw you just want to dot it away, and then you do just a bit more here and there..." (Laughs)

"Oh, I think the huge difference is that I admit that I Photoshop my pictures. I make it very clear that that’s clearly not what I look like, and sometimes I post a before and after photo. Everyone who knows me knows lah. I don’t think it’s fakery per se — it’s like putting on a nice jacket, except that you know that under the jacket, you’re still fat."

Real our full interview with the no-holds-barred Xiaxue here. Feeling inspired? Watch her tutorial on how to Photoshop yourself on your phone and try it for yourself.

Photos: Joel Low
Styling: Lirong
Make-up: Xiaxue
Hair: Leng & Mukhlis/NEXT Salon

Catch Xiaxue on LifeSpam at Toggle.sg. New episodes every Wednesday till September 27.