21 Times When People’s Instagram Pics Fell Short of Reality

As long as social media has been around we’ve had people trying to market their lives as being perfect. The lengths that someone will go to in the pursuit toward catching that highly unrealistic, perfect Instagram picture is alarming. Occasionally though, we get lucky and the antics can catch up with them. These folks

1. “I’m scared she’s so close.”

A grayscale profile picture of a woman with long dark hair and prominent makeup. The dating profile displays her age as 31, her sexual orientation as straight, and she is less than a mile away. There are icons for passion interests and interaction options at the bottom.
u/sovietbatman/via reddit.com

“Watch out she’s right behind you.” – u/emkey23

“It’s like something you’d see in a horror movie.” – u/boleynshead

2. “They tried to use the warp tool.”

A woman with long blonde hair is wearing a form-fitting, long-sleeved pink dress. She stands outdoors on a paved area with green foliage in the background. She is posed with her arms bent slightly at her sides and wearing open-toed shoes.
u/deleted/via reddit.com

“Ain’t no way.” – u/jhidalg4

“Come on now.” – u/lydiarosebw

3. “When your whole head is half the size of your biceps.”

A person with long hair takes a mirror selfie in a dimly lit room. They are wearing a sleeveless dark shirt, a necklace with spikes, and a fingerless glove on their left hand. Their muscular arms are prominently displayed. No facial features are clearly visible.
u/odradekflusen/via reddit.com

“What? He skipped head day at the gym.” – u/beladona7

“Well it looks plausible.” – u/VINNAY_p

4. “No words.”

Two women sit at a dining table covered with a variety of colorful dishes, including grilled meats, vegetables, dips, and salads. The woman on the left has long dark hair, while the woman on the right has blonde hair and wears a polka dot top. They both smile warmly.

“It looks like she copy pasted a video game character’s face on her own.” – u/ohdearitsrichardii

“First this made me genuinely laugh out loud, but then I just felt bad.” – u/StrictAngle

5. “You’d think she might look a little different in real life.”

A person with long blonde hair, full makeup, and red lipstick is holding a glass with a dark beverage. They are wearing a red coat over a white buttoned shirt. The background features a tiled section and wooden frames.
u/yoshiwot42/via reddit.com

“This level of editing on a dating app is so weird to me.” – u/elderberrykiwi

“Noses are overrated anyways.” – u/deleted

6. “Found this on Pinterest for long hair.”

A woman with extremely long, curly brown hair sits on a soft beige blanket. She is wearing a white knit sweater and matching white socks, and she has her head resting on her hand while smiling. The background shows a large window with light coming in.
u/harlequin-ermaid/via reddit.com

“It’s like wallpaper. You can see the same pattern repeating itself.” – u/ohdearitsrichardiii

“I’d need a neck support.” – u/sweetnsalty24

7. “Left photo was taken at event unedited, and she posted the right pic.”

Split image of the same woman with short dark hair. Left: She's wearing sunglasses, a black coat, and a white collared shirt, smiling slightly. Right: She's indoors, making direct eye contact, wearing a cozy robe, and smiling softly with natural makeup.
u/twinkletoes728/via reddit.com

“Stop it that looks scary different.” – u/Sar_Bear1

“She looks like she used a filter of her own daughter’s face.” – u/Loudmouthed

8. “This is just getting ridiculous.”

Two people are posing closely together at what appears to be a social event. The person on the left, with long blonde hair, is holding a glass up towards the camera. The person on the right has short brown hair, and they are smiling. Musical instruments are visible in the background.
u/bopz/via reddit.com

“She didn’t even look like this when she was young.” – u/Mander2019

“Curious why not one person on Instagram calls her out on these. She looks ridiculous.” – u/deleted

9. “I just.”

A man with white hair and a light gray North Face jacket stands next to a woman with brown hair pulled back, wearing a white t-shirt. Both are smiling at the camera in a warmly lit indoor setting.
u/amysee/via reddit.com

“This reminds me of demon characters from a horror movie.” – u/paninislife4real

“Her eyes are so scary.” – u/angelicwoo

10. “Never heard of skin texture.”

A woman with long, straight blonde hair and makeup sits in front of a white door, resting her elbow on one knee and her hand near her face. She is wearing a white sweatshirt with a small, colorful logo in the center and black pants.
u/kirkduyt/via reddit.com

“Texture? I hardly know her.” – u/DLuLuChanel

“I’m a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world.” – u/Suspiciouss

11. “What she’s tagged in vs. what she posts.”

A woman with long dark hair, wearing a white crop top and matching high-waisted skirt, is seen in this side-by-side image. She has a slim chain belt around her waist. The left image shows her smiling and the right image shows her with a neutral expression.
u/esteelayla/via reddit.com

“She can’t even look like her.” – u/Good_Mornin_Sunshine

“People who have that much work done, always end up with these giant faces.” – u/1AliceDerland

12. “She always has a V shaped face on Instagram.”

A woman with slicked-back hair wears a red lace outfit and flower-shaped earrings. On the left, she poses with her hand near her face, displaying matching red nails. On the right, she smiles, showing a similar look. Both images are side by side.
u/romeofantasy/via reddit.com

“That’s why I never recognize her on TV until she sings.” – u/paperpurplefrog

“I can’t quite figure out what she did to her face, but she looks so different now.” – u/icyfloydian

13. “Amazing.”

Split image showing two photos of the same person. On the left, the individual has long blonde hair styled in waves and wears makeup with a neutral expression. On the right, they wear a red football jersey, a red hat, sunglasses, and have a smiling expression.
u/lenirhodes/via reddit.com

“I scrolled by fast at first and thought the second picture was Bret Michaels.” – u/mmbhec

“I have no idea who this is, but she looks like she went way overboard on the fake tan in the second picture.” – u/squee_

14. “Skin texture for thee and not for me.”

A man in a tuxedo stands next to a woman in elaborate, vintage-style makeup and attire, adorned with feathers and lace. The woman holds a sign reading "Leave Me Alone I'm Tired!!". They are posing indoors at what appears to be a formal event or gathering.
u/youneedcheeses/via reddit.com

“How does a 47 year old look older than a 65 year old? Oh yeah, filters.” – u/nothingbetter85

“Nothing looks worse than people who edit themselves and not the other people in the photo.” – u/deleted

15. “Those are some unique sunglasses.”

A woman with blonde hair and side-swept bangs is smiling at the camera. She is wearing large aviator sunglasses and a light-colored jacket. The background shows trees and greenery, suggesting an outdoor setting.
u/triangledancer/via reddit.com

“It’s fashion, sweetie.” – u/tearose11

“Wonder if she was trying to lengthen her hair.” – u/chipcrazy

16. “Completely makeup free.”

A woman with blonde hair pulled back is smiling at the camera, wearing a red top and a necklace with triangular pendants. She has hoop earrings and minimal makeup. The background features a wooden wall. The social media post caption reads, “43 makeup free (kinda. Ha. I did curl my lashes).”
u/abearmin/via reddit.com

“She always does the tongue against the teeth thing.” – u/Funny_Coconut

“This world is disappointing.” – u/loveyouloveme_

17. “So many questions.”

Two photos side by side of a young woman with long blonde hair wearing a black romper and sunglasses hanging from the neckline. In both photos, she is standing outdoors with other people, some of whom are partially visible. She is smiling in the photo on the right.
u/snoo81069/via reddit.com

“She spends extra time editing the photos when it’s not even necessary.” – u/Unauthorized_Fr

“Yeah, she’s messed up for doing that.” – u/emotionalpizza6342

18. “What she posts vs. what she looks like in real life.”

Side-by-side images of the same woman with dark hair and prominent lips, showing contrasting appearances. In the left image, she has smooth skin and subtle makeup; in the right photo, her skin appears uneven and her expression is more serious.
u/wolfie1805/via reddit.com

“Smells upper lip constantly.” – u/deleted

“People care more about what they look like in pictures, than in real life. Crazy times.” – u/Dudewheresmycah

19. “Online dating prospect.”

A man with styled dark hair and a short beard sits in the driver's seat of a car, wearing a light blue checkered shirt with rolled sleeves and sunglasses hanging from the collar. He looks directly at the camera with a serious expression and his left hand on the steering wheel.
u/kissedbymelancholy/via reddit.com

“That hairline isn’t natural.” – u/_petunia7x

“Please meet him in person so that you can see what he really looks like.” – u/Trauma11

20. “Yes, it’s the same person.”

Two women with long, brown hair are pictured side by side. The woman on the left is dressed casually in a white T-shirt, while the woman on the right is smiling and wearing a sparkly black outfit with sequins. Both have similar hairstyles and similar hair color.
u/jpct88/via reddit.com

“She’s clearly using the younger feature on FaceApp.” – u/deleted

“She never even looked like that.” – u/sincethenn

21. “That’s seriously far out.”

A two-panel image features a woman with long blonde hair, wearing a pink lace top and a pink scarf tied in a bow. The left panel shows her looking slightly to the side, while the right panel captures her smiling softly at the camera.
u/_Ben_/via reddit.com

“The delusion is real.” – u/WasabiPedicure

‘I can’t stop laughing.” – u/47squirrels