Danae Mercer is one of the few influencers who live up to the #NoFilter hype. The Dubai-based health and fitness specialist made the decision to reveal how viral influencers and celebrities can manipulate photographs to give the impression that they have perfect bodies.
Mercer didn’t hesitate to display her cellulite for all to see. People praised the former editor-in-chief of Women’s Health Middle East for using her revealing social media platforms to talk about women’s issues, especially those pertaining to body image.
Mercer’s trademark Instagram postings, which are frequently beachside and bikini-clad, contrast pictures of her actual, curvaceous form with ones of an elaborately arranged version in which she appears considerably smaller. Her area of expertise is showing how simple photo editing tools, lighting, and angles can readily cover or obfuscate specific parts of her body.
One example Mercer gave was her snapping a photo in the mirror while donning a brown-belted maillot. “LETS talk LIGHTING. Because that’s the main difference in these photos,” she wrote, alongside two images. “In one, my bum is deliberately angled into the shadows. The softer light hides my cellulite and smooths most of my stretchmarks. It’s flattering,” she explains. “In the other, I’m just casually squatting (lol) beside the mirror. My hips and thighs are in the sunlight. Lumps and bumps are on show.”
More than 400,000 people have liked the Instagram photo that revealed Mercer’s cellulite in all its glory. They also commended her for being transparent and shared their own struggles with self-love. “I’m definitely guilty of knowing my ‘flattering’ poses and only doing those,” one follower admitted in the comments, “so I try to be sure to show the more raw photos as well!”
“I found your page yesterday when I needed it the most,” one fan began. “Instagram was starting to have a negative effect on the way I look at myself for a few different reasons (my height, my weight, the fact that my boyfriend loves me but sees this same s–t day in and day out and how do I compete) and you said it exactly … You shouldn’t compare yourself to a stranger on the internet. Basically, God put you in my path at the perfect time. I’m awesome the way I am,” she concluded.
Mercer also revealed that she has recovered from an eating disorder. She talks about her experience with restricted eating and the stages of recovery on her YouTube channel. After becoming pregnant, the body-positive influencer opened up about how it affected her mental health, frankly detailing how she handled her changing body along the process.
