The Kardashians have long reigned supreme as the billion dollar queens of Instagram – thanks to their picture perfect images.
But even by their own admission, it’s a carefully curated façade: Khloe has publicly declared she ‘loves a good filter’, Kim was shown on their reality show staying up all night ‘editing’ her photos and Kylie Jenner once let slip that she relies on ‘Facetune’ for the perfect selfie.
So when Khloe, 38, posted a seemingly unfiltered bikini image on social media this week, she left her followers gobsmacked.
The image quickly went viral, with fans praising the mom-of-two for presenting a refreshing dose of reality and showing off a hint of (shock, horror) cellulite.
Here, Dailymail.com takes a look back at some of the Kardashian family’s realest moments in pictures and lifts the curtain on the glossy veneer of their social media empires…
Khloe Kardashian
This week Khloe Kardashian took social media by storm by posting an unedited bikini snap that exposed a hint of her cellulite. It came just one day after she’d shared heavily airbrushed photos of her wearing the same suit.
In the ‘candid’ snap, Khloe, 38, posed on a side angle, putting her derriere and her abs on full display.
She credited sister Kendall Jenner as the photographer.
‘When your sister knows your angles,’ Khloe wrote in the caption, where she tagged Kendall.
Look, no filter! Khloe Kardashian was praised for sharing a slew of ‘unedited’ snaps which displayed ‘flaws’ and all on Tuesday
Her figure: Khloe seen enjoying a beach day in Mexico in August 2018, four months after she welcomed her first child True
It was a surprising move from Khloe, who previously admitted to being a fan of ‘a good filter, good lighting and an edit here and there’ after another unfiltered bikini image went viral back in April 2021.
After the unedited image began to make the rounds in 2021, it was reported that Khloe and her family were working overtime to wipe any trace of it from the internet.
Khloe addressed the drama on Instagram days later, as she shared live videos of herself to prove that her body ‘isn’t photoshopped.’
Subsequently she issued a lengthy statement where she spoke about the pressure of being in the spotlight and her body being ‘micro-analyzed’ as a public figure.
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star also revealed that being compared unfavorably to her siblings, Kim and Kourtney, in addition to ‘constant ridicule and judgment’ has been ‘too much to bear.’
An excerpt from her message read: ‘As someone who has struggled with body image her whole life, when someone takes a photo of you that isn’t flattering in bad lighting or doesn’t capture your body the way it is after working so hard to get it to this point — and then shares it to the world, you should have every right to ask for it to not be shared, regardless of who you are.
In 2016 Khloe confessed to airbrushing her images, telling People: ‘Of course I believe in airbrushing apps, I just think airbrushing apps, like who doesn’t want to airbrush a thing here or there.
‘I love FaceTune, that one’s great. I don’t really know of many more, but a filter, that’s like airbrushing. Who doesn’t love a good filter? Sometimes you’re having a bad day,’ she said.
Khloe also admitted she likes filters to add a different hue to her images.
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Spot the difference: Khloe’s fans called out the star for posting a heavily filtered snap that altered her face in May 2020 (left). Her real look was then finally revealed on Keeping Up with the Kardashians three months later in August
‘I don’t want to see everybody in color. I need a black and white filter sometimes.’
Back in May 2020, Khloe was accused of heavily editing an Instagram image that showed the reality star looking dramatically different.
When she initially unveiled the image, fans accused the Keeping Up With The Kardashian star of having cosmetic procedures and even going under the knife after she unveiled the super glam look showing off new golden brown tresses.
Her real face was finally revealed on Keeping Up with the Kardashians three months later in August, showing a stark contrast.
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner the billionaire Instagram beauty queen once let slip that her secret to a perfect selfie is ‘good lighting, a good filter [and] Facetune.’
And while she rarely lets her guard down, she has been caught with no make-up (and no filter) on the odd occasion.
Back in 2019, she was snapped looking like an ordinary girl-next-door while sneaking out of her Calabasas estate for a dentist appointment in Beverly Hills.
She wore glasses and ditched her glam squad for a very low-key look.
Kylie was seen fresh faced again in April 2020, looking unrecognizable to fans.
Of course, Kylie’s face has changed a lot over the years thanks in part to her on-off love affair with lip fillers.
The Kylie Cosmetics founder first got her mouth plumped up at the age of 16 after a boy told her he was surprised she was a good kisser with her ‘small’ lips.
Just the girl next door! Kylie Jenner the billionaire Instagram beauty queen stepped out for a rare make-up free (and filter free) outing in 2019
She repeatedly lied about having fillers – even while building her Kylie Cosmetics brand – but finally came clean with fans in 2015.
Her large pout turned plenty of heads, but last July she surprised fans by dissolving her lip fillers completely.
A fan had written beneath the July photo of Kylie with pal Stassi ‘She looks like the old Kylie here idk why,’ to which Kylie responded: ‘I got rid of all my filler.’
But it didn’t last long. She went back to plumping up her pout by October 2018, when she shared a selfie thanking a dermatology clinic for ‘coming through late night with a lip touch up.’
Fresh faced! Kylie seen sans makeup or filters in April 2020 in Beverly Hills while running out to grabs snacks
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My how she’s changed: Kylie (pictured right at 14) started using lip fillers at 16, but persistently denied it before finally coming clean with fans in 2015. She was seen with a huge puffy pout (right) in March 2018
No flaws allowed: Kylie is pictured looking fabulous in a candid shot at Paris Fashion Week in January this year (left) but altered her appearance with a filter for a social media snap she later posted to her Instagram account (right)
Facetune fan: Kylie looked sensational in a red flowery Dolce and Gabbana dress with matching lipstick for the Kourtney Kardashian/Travis Barker wedding but shared filtered images of the same outfit
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian’s carefully curated image unraveled after unfiltered and unflattering paparazzi pictures exposed her real body while she was on a trip to Mexico in 2017.
Speaking after images emerged of the reality star frolicking in a thong bikini, the mother-of-four admitted she wasn’t in her ‘best shape’ and hadn’t worked out for 12 weeks when the pictures were taken. (She even tried to claim the photographer altered the images to make her look ‘way worse’.)
More recently, Kim gave fans a rare unfiltered look at her pre-glam look on the sixth episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians last year, when she appeared on camera without makeup and dressed in a bathrobe.
The reality star, 42, who is known for showcasing her polished looks in sultry selfies to her millions of Instagram followers, was called out by fans on Reddit as they compared a social snap to professional ones taken at the soiree in March 2022.
The star’s skin texture looked noticeably different to photos posted to Kim’s Instagram grid – with fans accusing Kim of filtering her visage and setting ‘unrealistic standards’ of beauty.
Real vs fake: Kim Kardashian’s carefully curated image unraveled after unfiltered and unflattering paparazzi pictures exposed her real body while she was on a trip to Mexico in 2017 (left). She is pictured right on her Instagram in October 2019
Beach days: Kim pictured in Tulum in April 2017 versus a SKIMS swimwear shoot in January 2022
Before and after: Kim gave fans a rare unfiltered look at her pre-glam look on the sixth episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians last year, when she appeared on camera without makeup and dressed in a bathrobe (seen right later in the show)
Smoothing it over: Kim is pictured left on the red carpet at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner last year and right on her Instagram
Filter fanatic: Kim’s real skin texture was on show in candid snaps from Vanity Fair Oscars after-party last year (left). She is pictured right in a photo posted to her grid
What a difference: In May 2022, Kim dyed her hair platinum blonde from raven hair in one sitting for the Met Gala, where she emulated Marilyn Monroe. She was seen rocking her real hair in a TikTok video shared in January 2023 – with no wigs or extensions
Kourtney Kardashian
Kourtney Kardashian’s bikini body was seen unfiltered during her vacation to France in July 2019 – with the star later posting images in the same bikini to her Instagram – and appearing very different.
Kourtney looked much more perfected in social media snaps she shared of her face-to-camera look she rocked for The Kardashians series – compared to how she looked in the actual show stills.
She also sported a very filtered look in images she shared from her registry office wedding in LA last year before heading to Italy for her third lavish ceremony.
The family have been sharing a slew of snaps from the wedding weekend, as part of their sponsorship deal with Dolce & Gabbana.
As MailOnline exclusively revealed, the showbiz wedding of the year has been sponsored by the luxury fashion house in a deal worth millions.
The worldwide coverage of the reality stars showcasing the brand’s clothes against the idyllic backdrop of the Italian Riviera is set to give millions of pounds worth of free publicity to Dolce & Gabbana which has been hit by controversies in recent years.
Dolce & Gabbana has been quick to capitalize on the reality stars giving their apparent backing to the brand by retweeting pictures of them in their outfits.
Real Kourtney: The mom of three was seen filter free during her vacation to Corsica, France in July 2019
Her version: Kourtney shared images to her Instagram account in the same suit
Instagram vs reality: She also sported a very filtered look in images (pictured) she shared from her registry office wedding in LA before heading to Italy for her third lavish ceremony
Glowing: In addition, Kourtney looked much more perfected in social media snaps (right) she shared of her face-to-camera look she rocked for The Kardashians series – compared to how she looked in the actual show stills (left)
Star: Kourtney attended the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards in April 2022 (left) but shared filtered versions of the images online (right)
Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner was criticized for a racy snap she shared in 2021, with fans claiming she tried to photoshop herself to look like Barbie.
In the image, which was a behind the scenes snap the model took during a SKIMS shoot, she is wearing a red bra and panties set – with her lithe supermodel proportions appearing exaggerated.
In 2019, Kendall opened up about the realities of suffering from adult acne, while calling out the importance of speaking about blemishes that impact grown-ups, just days after she faced backlash for her Proactiv MD commercial.
The star hit the red carpet in 2018 with visible pimples on her skin – which fans applauded.
Model Kendall, 27, is perhaps more subtle with her filters but isn’t a stranger to using them.
She also used a heavy filter sharing pictures from the 2022 Met Gala where she stunned in a black Prada dress.
Real or not? Kendall Jenner was criticized for a racy snap she shared in 2021, with fans claiming she tried to photoshop herself to look like Barbie
Pushing through: Kendall, pictured in January 2018, confessed being a model made having acne more stressful
Closer look: Kendall seen with her facial texture; the photo was taken January 7, 2018 at the Golden Globes
Posing: She also used a heavy filter sharing pictures from this year’s Met Gala where she stunned in a black Prada dress
