We love this unretouched photo of Cindy Crawford

Yesterday, Twitter went into full freak-out mode when an unretouched photo of Cindy Crawford surfaced. Originally the photo was thought to be from Marie Claire’s upcoming April issue, but Marie Claire corrected that it was actually from a shoot done for the December 2013 issue of “Marie Claire Mexico and Latin America’s.”

Crawford is one the most famous and powerful super models of all time. She’s also a 48-year old mother of two. The photo that has surfaced shows the Crawford is gorgeous, real, and human. Though we don’t love the idea of a photo leaking without Crawford or Marie Claire’s permission, we do love what this photo celebrates: what a beautiful and real woman looks like in beautiful real life.

The magazine does seem to be, at least publicly, cool with the leak. Their party line?

“No matter where the photo came from, it’s an enlightenment—we’ve always known Crawford was beautiful, but seeing her like this only makes us love her more.”

And as for Crawford herself, here’s what she had to say to Marie Claire last week at the premiere of her new documentary:

“I really think—at any age—it’s learning to be comfortable in your own skin. …If women would treat themselves with the same kind of love they give to their friends, that would be such a great gift we could give ourselves. …What makes you the most attractive is self-confidence. That’s what people see.”

Cindy, you are an inspiration to us all.

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