British content creator and actress Chiara King has built a devoted digital following, but her experience behind the screen is just as compelling. With The Influencer Project—the documentary-style psychological thriller from the producers of The Blair Witch Project—hitting theaters October 2, King tackles darker themes drawn from lived experience.
Beyond favorite beauty picks, we asked King a modern-day question: What does the relentless act of editing yourself for an audience do to your relationship with your own beauty and self-worth? That and more, ahead.
You’ve built your career being seen. How has that changed your relationship with your own reflection?
“On camera, I’ve definitely had to learn to love myself more because I see myself more than I ever have. I notice everything. The freckle in my eye, which is actually a sunspot, my slightly crooked lower teeth, my frown lines when I raise my eyebrows. Instead of being critical of those things, I’m learning to see them as the things that make me different. And different is cool, at least in my opinion, especially in a world where we’re all constantly striving to look the same.
Off camera, I actually try to spend as little time on my phone as possible when I’m with close friends and family. My phone is my work, so when I put it away, even though I’m definitely not perfect at it, I’m able to truly switch off. I find that having that downtime also makes me much more creative.”
The Influencer Project digs into the gap between ‘curated’ and ‘authentic.’ Is there a specific moment from your own online life where you felt that gap the most?
“Absolutely. I learned a hard lesson from sharing my love life so authentically online. I posted about all my relationships because I wanted to be honest, but it ended up biting me in the bum because the relationships never lasted very long. I think after a while it started to become performative, and I couldn’t really just be in my relationships anymore. I was always conscious of how things looked online.
I’ve definitely learned my lesson. Now I make more general, relatable content that isn’t necessarily about my personal life. And honestly, I have a lot more peace in my life because of it. As much as I love being open with my audience, laying your heart on the table for millions of people to have an opinion on can really affect you. I’ve learned that I can still be authentic without sharing every part of my life.”
Filters and editing tools have basically reset what people think a ‘normal’ face looks like. Has that shifted your own beauty standards, even the ones you hold for yourself?
“Not really, actually. I don’t use FaceApp, and I try to post photos of myself that aren’t necessarily the most traditionally ‘pretty.’ I think that’s part of why girls resonate with me. I have to remind myself that people aren’t following me solely because of how I look; they’re following me for the message I’m putting out into the world.
Knowing that takes so much pressure off. It reminds me that my value online and in life isn’t dependent on my appearance. I don’t think any woman or man should feel like their looks are where their value comes from.”
What does a genuinely good, no-pressure beauty day look like for you now?
“Waking up, taking my dog for a walk in sweats with no makeup and letting my skin breathe for at least a little while before I’ll eventually end up in light makeup for filming, events or whatever else the day brings.
And I actually love makeup! A light, effortless makeup look makes me feel more comfortable and, in a way, feels like putting on my armor. But not a mask, a piece of armor that is soft and breathable and still me.”
A lot of creators talk about performing confidence before they actually feel it. Was that ever true for you, and did making this film change that at all?
“Oh—100 percent. The character ‘Chiara King’ is way more ballsy and confident than I am. She refuses to play the victim and stands up for what she believes, especially when it comes to getting justice for the hardship that she deals with in the film.
For me, on the other hand, I am still learning how to do that. To stand firmly on my own two feet and stand up for myself. I definitely still allow fear to take over sometimes, but that’s okay. I’m still learning and growing and making mistakes. It’s all part of the process.”
If you could tell your audience one honest thing about what’s real versus edited in the images they scroll past every day, what would it be?
“Take everything you see online with a grain of salt. So much of what we see is curated, even when it’s presented as completely authentic. And don’t believe that one product or one beauty routine is going to magically change your life just because someone online says it did.
What can actually change your life is learning to accept yourself for who you are and spending a little less time online. When you focus more on yourself and less on everyone else, which is so easy to forget when you’re constantly scrolling, you start to feel so much more fulfilled. You stop thinking as much about who you should be or what you should look like.
You are you. Don’t change that. You’re beautiful inside and out, and I hope you can trust that.”
