Oh, the internet.  There are countless bones of contention floating around in cyber space, with two of the biggest being Facebook and selfies.  Is Facebook a great way to connect, or is it just a platform for drama?  Is it vain to take selfies, or is it a confidence booster?  Either way, this week has proven that when you combine the two, you get something that shows that social media and a good ol’ self snap can be a positive power to be reckoned with.

The #nomakeupselfie tag has well and truly taken Facebook (as well as Twitter and Instagram) by storm, and I’m sure by now a lot of you have been nominated to post a photograph of your makeup-less face!  The point of the tag is to raise awareness of cancer, and to raise money for cancer charities, and though it isn’t quite known how the cancer element was added to the tag, and what the connection between a no makeup selfie and cancer is, the campaign has so far been an incredible success.

nomakeupselfie

My sister nominated me to post a #nomakeupselfie, so today I did, and I also made a donation to a charity close to my heart – Anthony Nolan.  Anthony Nolan is the UK’s blood cancer charity and bone marrow register, and their aim is to find a bone marrow donor for everyone who needs one.  Anthony Nolan have seen a huge surge in people joining the register thanks to #nomakeupselfie, with a 343% increase on Wednesday alone, which is absolutely amazing!  The biggest success story I’ve seen though involves Cancer Research, who have received a massive £2million of #nomakeupselfie donations in the last 48 hours.  Just… wow!

Anthony Nolan Donation

Admittedly I’ve seen a few selfies posted without any mention of cancer, and without a donation being made, and some people have been complaining that such photos are nothing but narcissistic, but you can’t argue that the viral campaign has done a lot of good.  I’ve never seen a tag raise this much money for good causes before, or get people to join the bone marrow register and potentially save a life, and I really hope us girls can keep up the good work!  (Although men can take part too by posting a selfie WITH makeup!)

So, dear readers, I now nominate you to post your #nomakeupselfie and make a donation to a cancer charity of your choice.  Oh, and if you’re aged between 16 and 30, please consider joining the Anthony Nolan donor register too.  Thank you.

Naomi x