Valienska Magfira, Amanda Cotton

The Dirt We Carry

Self Portrait by Amanda Cotton

For three months, Amanda Cotton documented her life using her face wipes for her ‘Self Portrait’. These face wipes not only show the removed makeup, but also the dirt and oil that is inevitably released from the face alone. These excess oils that come out from our faces can make us feel insecure although it is completely natural. Other than hormones, there are many contributing factors to explain why we excrete oils from our face. Such as so, the make up and the amount of oils that come off our face can tell us quite a bit about our day.

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Self Portrait; Face Wipe by Amanda Cotton - This photograph is from Amanda Cotton's website . Amanda Cotton

Amanda Cotton’s project appropriately named ‘Self Portrait’ can relate to many people. It shines a light to our insecurities regarding oily faces by using them as primary mediums to share a memory. The dirt, makeup, and oils are like evidence to the day the face has witnessed. Indeed, there is a difference to how we may feel once we wipe our faces clean after a long day as you become confronted with how you carried yourself during the day, whether it was a stressful or fun day for example. But one thing for sure is that relief to finish the day off with a clean face that you can keep on touching without worry. 

You can find more of Amanda's 'body of work' in her website