The other day my friend and I were sitting on the beach and we started talking about our images of beauty. It all stemmed from her wearing a bikini and asking me if she should wear one. I asked, “What do you mean, should you wear one?” And she replied, “Well I have a belly and I see women who are much larger then me wearing them.” We basically got down to this: it doesn’t matter what size you are, wear what you want if YOU feel comfortable in it. And if you don’t feel comfortable, it will show and you won’t look good! But this led me to think: where have we gotten our images of beauty and what we “should” look like?

The Foundations of Beauty

Our image of beauty begins at an early age. We learn from the person who is closest to us….our mother. We see our mothers pruning and primping in front of the mirror, applying makeup, fixing their hair, putting on face creams and perfumes (by the way, this is also when we learn to use the same “toxic” products our moms use.) We learn from a very early age that we need to add all these things to make ourselves look “better” or seem more attractive. Since I was young, I have loved perfumes, lotions, lipstick, and makeup. And this ideal progresses with you to adulthood. Whatever happened to true natural beauty? Do you really need all that cream, powder, and eye shadow to feel beautiful? When we see a woman sans makeup, do we say, “Oh man, she looks plain!” What’s wrong with a bare face? I say, at least once a week (or once a month, for those who struggle) take a bare face day! I do…..it also gives your pores a chance to breathe and rest. Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE makeup and how it can enhance your natural beauty, but you shouldn’t become completely dependent on it. It isn’t the makeup that makes you beautiful, it’s who you are as a person that projects that beauty outward.

Striving for an ideal

Can she make herself look like the model in the ad? Is this a realistic ideal for most women?

When you read magazines, the women in the beauty and fashion ads look near perfect. Is this normal? No! Do you realize that many women (even men) compare themselves to what they see in magazines, TV, and movies? Do you realize how unrealistic this is? Those ads are so airbrushed the model’s own mother probably couldn’t recognize her. In addition, celebrities and starlets have so many resources available to them that the average woman simply does not. Personal trainers, personal chefs, personal assistants, nannies, gurus….you name it! Stop comparing yourself to what you see projected out at you.  Why do we all want to be skinny? Because that is what society tells us is the ideal. You will never have Jessica Biehl’s body because you have different genetics and a different body type. It’s simply unrealistic. Let’s start being happy with the face and body we were given and make it the best body we can. So what if you have big legs….they’re beautiful in their own way!

LOVE YOU for YOU

I’m sorry if this post seems a bit preachy…but can you tell I feel very passionately about this subject? Let’s stop striving for what society views as perfect beauty or the perfect body and accept ourselves for who we are, while still knowing we can better ourselves. Let’s come to the realization that we should have our own and not anyone else’s standards of beauty. When we do this, we will feel joy inside and that joy will radiate outward with true beauty.

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Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!