'It's called reality versus Instagram': Bikini designer admits to photoshopping her images - and speaks out on being 'social media perfect'

• e-mail

She's one of the most candid Instagram stars around, but sometimes even Karina Irby likes to see what it would be like to look 'perfect' on social media. 

The Australian bikini designer has become famous for behind-the-scenes posts that showcase her body sans filter. 

But on Monday Karina, the CEO of Moana Bikini, decided to pose a question to her followers with two images posted back to back.

One was unedited, and the other had been Photoshopped.  

Australian bikini designer Karina Irby decided to pose a question to her Instagram followers, first posting this unedited image 

On the same post she included this Photoshopped version, and asked: 'Which do you prefer?'

'Sometimes I like to Photoshop my images and see what I'd look like if I was "social media perfect",' she wrote in the caption. 

'You know... those girls you scroll past and think..."HOW?!" Which do you prefer?' 

Karina, 27, then added that, along with a Moana bikini, she was wearing 'back wrinkles, cellulite, and eczema' and had a care factor of zero. 

The post has already racked up more than 42,000 likes, plus plenty of supportive comments.

'The first pic... you are absolutely gorgeous without photoshop,' one fan wrote, choosing the unedited photo as their favourite. 

'Natural every day! Thanks for your motivation,' another added.  

Karina has become known for her candid and behind-the-scenes Instagram posts, publicly speaking out about her images showing cellulite and eczema scars 

But even Karina likes to utilise a few photography tricks, and recently the Port Macquarie native revealed her number one tip for ridding yourself of cellulite 

To illustrate her point, Karina shared a photo on Instagram of her behind and used flattering light to make her cellulite disappear

But even Karina likes to utilise a few photography tricks, and recently the Port Macquarie native revealed her number one tip for ridding yourself of cellulite. 

'Afternoon light is basically trick photography,' she wrote in the caption of her photo. 'Remember, lighting plays a HUGE part in how images come out. 

'Direct light on the body hides cellulite and lady lumps whereas when the light is above you it highlights...well...everything.' 

In a previous image, Karina stressed how important it is to ensure that young women are aware that the images they see aren't a true representation of reality.

'Every day I see overly edited images from personal pages and business pages,' she said.

'Along with those "perfect" images comes a flood of women comparing themselves to a retouched image and tagging friends. 

'Direct light on the body hides cellulite and lady lumps whereas when the light is above you it highlights.... well.... everything,' she said

'From time to time I go out of my way to read these comments and go as far as visiting those girls' profiles who are putting themselves down.

'They are always such beautiful, unique women and I wish that they would see that too.'

Accompanying this caption was a post of two side-by-side images: one that was completely unedited and the other that she Photoshopped so she could look 'perfect'.

Karina also explained the lengths it took to achieve the final product, where she had to airbrush out her cellulite and eczema scars, smoothe her skin, lift her bum, narrow her shoulders and pull in her waist.

Her thighs, arms and neck were also thinned, her jawline sculpted and a couple of 'glowing filters' were added.  

Karina previously posted this Instagram comparison snap to show the difference between natural (left) and edited (right)

Her thighs, arms and neck were also thinned, her jawline sculpted and a couple of ‘glowing filters’ added

Karina stressed how important it is to ensure that young women are aware that the images they see aren't a true representation of reality 

'Let's play a game. It's called reality vs Instagram,' she wrote in the caption to the comparison shot.

'Every morning I wake up and scroll through my personal Instagram feed and spy "Insta girls" posting unrealistic images of themselves.

'The girls I follow that portray these images have big followings, often with hundreds of thousands of young girls looking up to them as a role models.'

She explained that the truth is these girls don't look like this, they look like everyone else.

'I simply want you to love yourself,' she wrote. 'And stop comparing yourself to unrealistic images online'. 

'The truth is these girls don't look like this. They look like you, like everyone,' the 27-year-old (pictured) wrote

'Every morning I wake up and scroll through my personal Instagram feed and spy "Insta girls" posting unrealistic images of themselves,' Karina began her now-viral post