An influencer has revealed the truth behind the carefully curated images she used to share on social media – showing how she could completely alter her appearance to make herself appear “perfect” in just a few clicks.

Josephine Livin, 23, from Copenhagen, Denmark, took to TikTok to reveal to her 52,400 followers just how “ugly” unrealistic beauty standards are on social media.

In a clip, which has been viewed over 26.6 million times and has racked up 3.1 million likes, the coach and influencer shares shots of herself that have been heavily edited on a photo filter app.

She then reveals the original photos of her makeup-free face before editing, showing the stark contrast between how some people portray themselves online and reality.

“It’s really common to use filters and edit on social media – I think the majority of people online are editing or using filters to a certain degree, whether that's smoothing their skin a little or using a filter in their story,” Josephine said

“I think it's so important to talk about how not everything you see online is real.

“A lot of pictures are curated, edited, filtered, faked, and that hopefully will help people realize that they're not ugly, beauty standards are.”

Josephine, who shares pictures of herself on Instagram (@josephinelivin), has previously felt the pressure to be “perfect” online and was a frequent user of filters.

She added: “I had another Instagram three years ago where I obsessed about the perfect pictures.

“I sometimes used a filter on a story I would post. But I don’t on my new account.”

To create the edited photos for her TikTok video, Josephine used FaceApp and a filter.

She said: “I edited my face on an app called FaceApp with the pro version and used the filter ‘star’.

“I think it's scary how easy it is today to change your entire appearance with one click – in my opinion, filters shouldn't even be an option.

“I think when you have the option to edit your face or use a filter that's literally changing your face to match societies ideals of what's beautiful, you're also somehow told the way you look right now isn't enough and beautiful, and I think that's wrong.”

Josephine has also posted clips of her old Instagram photos with captions revealing the tough mental health struggles that were going on behind the scenes of the seemingly perfect images.

In one image Josephine appears to be healthy whilst showing her ab muscles in a mirror selfie. In reality, the influencer said she was “so obsessed trying to take the perfect selfie” that she had “several breakdowns”.

But despite her good intentions, Josephine has had many negative reactions to the video with some people criticising her for being “fake” – not realising that she created the edited photos to illustrate that it is possible.

She said: “Some didn't get the point of the video and called me fake thinking I used those filters myself, but many thanked me for bringing awareness and showing that what I show in the video is even possible to do with just a filter.

“My favourite is the people sending me private messages telling me that they now feel a little more confident after seeing me without the filters, that it gave them the courage to stop using filters themselves, or it somehow helped them realize that nothing has ever been wrong with them in the first place.”

Her honesty has struck a chord with millions on social media, with one user commenting: “THANK YOU. I want my teenage daughters to watch this every day.”

“This whole time I thought I was just bad at makeup,” another viewer quipped.

Another user wrote: “It’s shameful. People do not realise how harmful it is on the other end for people who don’t see through the edits.”

“What!! So I’ve been putting a full face of makeup on and people be out here editing it on. I can’t even,” someone else commented.

One user wrote: “HOW?? I’d be embarrassed to go out in public if I posted pictures that heavily filtered.”

“Social media is not fake, people are. It just underlines issues with confidence,” added someone else.

Another person said: “I’ve always wondered why my social media doesn’t look as good as others, I’ve come to realise I just post my own face and they don’t.”

An influencer has revealed the truth behind the carefully curated images she used to share on social media – showing how she could completely alter her appearance to make herself appear “perfect” in just a few clicks.

Josephine Livin, 23, from Copenhagen, Denmark, took to TikTok to reveal to her 52,400 followers just how “ugly” unrealistic beauty standards are on social media.

In a clip, which has been viewed over 26.6 million times and has racked up 3.1 million likes, the coach and influencer shares shots of herself that have been heavily edited on a photo filter app.

She then reveals the original photos of her makeup-free face before editing, showing the stark contrast between how some people portray themselves online and reality.

“It’s really common to use filters and edit on social media – I think the majority of people online are editing or using filters to a certain degree, whether that's smoothing their skin a little or using a filter in their story,” Josephine told Jam Press.

“I think it's so important to talk about how not everything you see online is real.

“A lot of pictures are curated, edited, filtered, faked, and that hopefully will help people realize that they're not ugly, beauty standards are.”

Josephine, who shares pictures of herself on Instagram (@josephinelivin), has previously felt the pressure to be “perfect” online and was a frequent user of filters.

She added: “I had another Instagram three years ago where I obsessed about the perfect pictures.

“I sometimes used a filter on a story I would post. But I don’t on my new account.”

To create the edited photos for her TikTok video, Josephine used FaceApp and a filter.

She said: “I edited my face on an app called FaceApp with the pro version and used the filter ‘star’.

“I think it's scary how easy it is today to change your entire appearance with one click – in my opinion, filters shouldn't even be an option.

“I think when you have the option to edit your face or use a filter that's literally changing your face to match societies ideals of what's beautiful, you're also somehow told the way you look right now isn't enough and beautiful, and I think that's wrong.”

Josephine has also posted clips of her old Instagram photos with captions revealing the tough mental health struggles that were going on behind the scenes of the seemingly perfect images.

In one image Josephine appears to be healthy whilst showing her ab muscles in a mirror selfie. In reality, the influencer said she was “so obsessed trying to take the perfect selfie” that she had “several breakdowns”.

But despite her good intentions, Josephine has had many negative reactions to the video with some people criticising her for being “fake” – not realising that she created the edited photos to illustrate that it is possible.

She said: “Some didn't get the point of the video and called me fake thinking I used those filters myself, but many thanked me for bringing awareness and showing that what I show in the video is even possible to do with just a filter.

“My favourite is the people sending me private messages telling me that they now feel a little more confident after seeing me without the filters, that it gave them the courage to stop using filters themselves, or it somehow helped them realize that nothing has ever been wrong with them in the first place.”

Her honesty has struck a chord with millions on social media, with one user commenting: “THANK YOU. I want my teenage daughters to watch this every day.”

“This whole time I thought I was just bad at makeup,” another viewer quipped.

Another user wrote: “It’s shameful. People do not realise how harmful it is on the other end for people who don’t see through the edits.”

“What!! So I’ve been putting a full face of makeup on and people be out here editing it on. I can’t even,” someone else commented.

One user wrote: “HOW?? I’d be embarrassed to go out in public if I posted pictures that heavily filtered.”

“Social media is not fake, people are. It just underlines issues with confidence,” added someone else.

Another person said: “I’ve always wondered why my social media doesn’t look as good as others, I’ve come to realise I just post my own face and they don’t.”