Body-positive model Charli Howard has furthered her mission to shake up the industry by launching her very own beauty brand – complete with an unretouched campaign starring a diverse cast of men and women.
The 28-year-old Brit, who is now based in New York, unveiled gernderless brand Squish Beauty to the world officially on August 3, while releasing a series of body-positive imagery that features guys and girls who range from 4’11” to 6′ 2″ in height, and a size 0 to a size 20.
‘Over the past few years, I’ve also started to think about the impact that excessive retouching can have on young girls and women buying beauty products,’ Charli said of the launch.
Making waves: Curvy model Charli Howard has launched her own inclusive beauty brand and celebrated the release by sharing a series of campaign images starring a diverse cast of stars
Fashion star: The 28-year-old, who is from the UK and lives in New York City, features in the unretouched campaign images alongside 18 other models of all shapes and sizes
Putting it out there: The campaign sees a diverse group posing for the camera, including plus-size star Lulu Bonfils who models lingerie and Squish’s cherry-shaped eye and cheek patches
Branching out: Sophia Hadjipanteli, a model who made waves by proudly flaunting her unibrow, poses in a sequin bra and a holographic bustier for the Squish shoot
Beauty for all: The Squish imagery, which has not been Photoshopped, also features men – twin models Jake and Joseph Dupont – with Charli noting that the products are aimed at everyone
Bare: Squish founder Charli said of the campaign, ‘I want young people looking at this campaign to feel represented & good about themselves’
‘From day one, I wanted to use role models with real skin in my brand images – girls with acne, girls with scars, girls with cellulite – but who have voices and great personalities.
‘All bodies are un-retouched, raw and real.’
According to an additional statement from Squish, which comes from the fact that all of the products can quite literally be ‘squished’ into the skin, the brand was ‘founded upon the principle of diversity and celebration of being who you are’.
‘The brand’s (role) models showcase every skin tone and texture (including cellulite, acne and scars), various body shapes and sizes, genders, and who, most importantly, are more than just a pretty face,’ the statement continues.
Charli echoed that sentiment on her Instagram account, where she announced the brand’s official launch, writing: ‘Welcome to squish, the brand designed for everyone.
‘No matter your shape, size or color, squish has got you covered. We have used 19 models to begin with and our photos are 100% Photoshop free!’
She continued: ‘I want young people looking at this campaign to feel represented & good about themselves.’
Special moment: Model Wren Parker, who is a close friend of Charli’s, praised Squish’s message on her Instagram, noting that it was built on a ‘vision of inclusivity and self-love’
Sweet and simple: Squish’s acne patches, as modeled by Lydia Kitty, are flower-shaped and have glass diamantes in the middle in the hopes that they can make pimples a bit less stressful
Wiggle wiggle: The brand was named for the the fact that all of the products can literally be squished into the skin – including the acne patches being modeled by Seynabou Z. Cissé
Loud and proud: Kristy, a DJ known online as Sleepy, has long been an advocate for embracing acne, and even founded her own brand called love, My Acne
Saucy: She poses in the campaign with the brand’s acne patches on her skin, and the hair tie in her long brunette locks
Work it: Wheelchair-bound model Jillian Mercado, who has muscular dystrophy, poses in a sexy snap that sees her showing off plenty of underboob in a leopard print crop top
Role models: ‘I wanted to use role models with real skin in my brand images – girls with acne, girls with scars, girls with cellulite,’ Charli said of campaign stars like Tāi’ja Ki’ānāōnā Kerr
The seasoned model stars in those Photoshop-free snaps alongside an incredibly diverse cast of stars, including the likes of male twins Jake and Joseph Dupont, who are both pictured in a provocative image posing in lingerie-style ensembles while licking lollipops and modeling eye masks.
Plus-size star Lulu Bonfils meanwhile is seen modeling a sexy black lingerie set while wearing the same cherry-shaped eye masks as her male co-stars.
Model Sophia Hadjipanteli, who was thrust into the spotlight after proudly putting her unibrow on show on Instagram – facing cruel criticism from trolls in the process – also landed a spot in the campaign, in which she is seen posing for the camera in a glittery sequin bra, while showing off her brows to full effect.
Wheelchair-bound model Jillian Mercado, who has muscular dystrophy, poses in a sexy snap that sees her showing off plenty of underboob in a leopard print crop top, while posing in the brand’s eye masks – which feature on almost every model in the campaign.
One model, Carmen Fozzard, who is originally from Mozambique, shows off her self harm scars in her campaign shots, which see her posing in a sheer, lime green tiger print lingerie set, while wearing the flower-shaped pimple patches on her face.
The starlet, who is signed to modeling agency Wilhelmina, took to Instagram to share the photos – while praising Charli and Squish for being ‘one of the few beauty brands that chooses not to retouch images of their models’.
Honest: Carmen Fozzard, who is originally from Mozambique, shows off her self harm scars in her campaign shots, which show her posing in lime green lingerie
Tribute: While sharing her photos on Instagram, Carmen praised Squish for being ‘one of the few beauty brands that chooses not to retouch images of their models’
Something different: Isabella Carr, who has posed for big-name brands like Victoria’s Secret Pink and Ugg, poses in a slinky body suit alongside some Jello
Pucker up! Charli is also endeavoring to keep the range ‘as eco-friendly as possible’, explaining that Squish is using recyclable packaging where it can
Something fun: The skincare products are designed to be light-hearted, and bring a fun element to the concept of dealing with eye bags and acne
Get it while it’s hot! The cruelty-free collection includes the Cheeky Cherry Eye & Cheek Masks, Flower Power Acne Patches, and Jelly Lip Gloss
But those aren’t the only products available as part of the initial offering, which Charli says are all inspired by her ‘years of trialing and testing products’ on her own ‘overly sensitive skin’.
The cruelty-free collection includes the Cheeky Cherry Eye & Cheek Masks, Flower Power Acne Patches, and Jelly Lip Gloss – all of which are free from parabens and sulphates and retail for less than $25 each.
‘I wanted to create cute, affordable skincare that works, based on my years of trialing and testing products on my overly sensitive skin,’ she said.
‘My Cheeky Cherry [patches], for example, were created on a Post-It note after I couldn’t find an eye mask that de-puffed the key areas of the face, while the Flower Power Acne Patches make light of blemishes while drawing out impurities.’
Charli is also endeavoring to keep the range ‘as eco-friendly as possible’, explaining that Squish is using recyclable packaging where possible, and is focusing on products that aren’t single-use.
The launch of Charli’s new brand comes four years after she was first thrust into the spotlight as a body positivity advocate when she spoke out against a modeling agency that told her she was ‘too fat’ to make it in the industry – despite the fact that she was a slender size 2 at the time.
Since then, the fashion star has featured in multiple campaigns for big-name brands – including lingerie label Agent Provocateur – and has also released two books.