Expressions of Beauty Identity in Instagram Content of @Cindercella

Abstract : Social media has become a primary space for constructing and expressing identity, including beauty identity. Instagram, as one of the most popular visual platforms in Indonesia, fosters the emergence of various beauty representations influenced by dominant and homogenized aesthetic standards. This study adopts a descriptive qualitative approach using qualitative content analysis to examine the representation of beauty identity in the instagram content of @cindercella. Data were collected through non-participant observation of visual and narrative posts, and then analyzed using thematic coding and hermeneutic interpretation techniques. The hyperpersonal model theory serves as the conceptual framework to understand how identity is strategically constructed in digital spaces. Data validity was reinforced through triangulation and socio-cultural contextualization to obtain a deep and comprehensive understanding. The findings of this study indicate that beauty identity in @cindercella’s instagram content is not a singular and fixed entity, but rather the result of a dynamic representational process in which symbols, visual narratives, and audience interpretations interact with one another. This identity is shaped through the selective use of certain signs that negotiate between market demands, social expectations, and personal desires to appear authentic.