Ever get that feeling that no matter how good your contour is, how perfect your curls are and how cute your outfit is, you never feel good enough? That’s because the media has portrayed that “beautiful” is defined by skin color and body shape. Every morning you need to wake up, look in the mirror and remind yourself that you are perfect just the way you are.
Nowadays media has ruined a teenage girl/young adult’s self-esteem. If you are not a skinny, tall, tan, blonde with big boobs and a tight butt you aren’t what society thinks is “beautiful”. It’s very rare to find someone who won’t get photoshopped–there is even a video of how much a picture of a female gets edited before being on a cover of a magazine. Let’s be honest, we all watch the Victoria’s Secret fashion show eating a tub of ice cream and wishing we looked like Adriana Lima, but why? Because that’s what we are taught is beautiful. Diversity is beautiful and the media is too thickheaded to show anyone who doesn’t fit the standards of what they think is beautiful.
It is so commonplace to walk into a supermarket or drugstore and see magazines constantly suggesting ways to better a girl’s skin, hair, or makeup. Why isn’t there a magazine suggesting ways to better your self esteem without attempting to better your looks? Yes, that perfectly winged eyeliner and those on-fleek eyebrows look good, and they’re quite the accomplishment; but what truly matters is what’s behind that beat face. What do you have when you don’t have that “makeup mask” on? Now there’s nothing wrong with being more confident having a full face of makeup on, but your looks shouldn’t be everything you have.
I like to say, “Your outfit isn’t complete without a smile,” and I fulfill that saying by always trying to make myself and the people around me laugh. I try my best to let my personality shine through no matter what I do. And it hasn’t been easy to get to this point–probably since puberty until this past year, I was constantly worried what others thought about me. It took until I was twenty-one years old to realize and learn that the people who love you don’t love you because your makeup is always on point or your body is perfect, they love you because of your imperfections and your quirks. They love you, simply you. And you should learn to love yourself just as much as they do.
So go ahead: try all those beauty tricks and DIY facemasks and whatever else you find in magazines or on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, etc. but know that you are enough without all that. Try that Victoria’s Secret model workout, or try that diet one of the Kardashian’s swears by, do whatever you want. Make sure your outfit and makeup and hair are on point, but do it for yourself.
Here’s something to think about, the girls you are comparing yourself too are most likely comparing themselves to someone else because they are having the same thoughts you are. You can’t hate yourself into loving yourself. Everyone is beautiful in their own way. Be yourself, and love yourself, and others will love you too.