“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” –Thich Nhat Hanh
In today’s world, people have specific expectations for a woman’s appearance. The general consensus seems to be that we need to be slim with long hair and a specific body type. Media portrays women in this type of way and many different networks encourage this expectation. I have seen so many stores that advertise clothes worn by these gorgeous, skinny models. Not everyone looks like this because everyone has their own unique body. Beauty is not defined by a number on a scale. We all want to look our best but we always compare ourselves to others. We need to stop self-deprecating ourselves and start to love who we are.
Natural beauty should be embraced; everyone should try to accept themselves and be confident. But the term, “natural beauty” has different definitions for different people. One might want to wear makeup while another person may not prefer it. Do what makes YOU feel beautiful.
I love wearing makeup. I tend to wear foundation everyday to hide my red, strawberry face because it makes me feel more self-assured. I welcome the world with a smile because I feel like my best self. I hear so many people say, “you don’t need makeup” and “be natural” but this is me trying to embrace my looks. Makeup makes me feel more beautiful. I no longer have the need to compare myself to others because for me, makeup doesn’t create beauty, it enhances it and increases my self-esteem.
It is not always easy to feel confident in your own skin especially with the media’s fabricated ideals. Here are some tips to increase your self-love:
1. Disregard the media-defined ideals of beauty: Unfortunately, you cannot alter society’s perception of beauty, but you can change your own. Admire the beauty in people around you and don’t focus on the unrealistic beauty on screen.
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2. Maintain a healthy body: Don’t be concerned about your body’s shape but your body’s health. Make sure you exercise and eat right but don’t do it to the point where you try to mold into a fashion model.
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3. Focus on the other aspects of beauty: Beauty has many different layers: the physical surface level and the deeper, authentic side that people enjoy. Reveal those inner qualities and focus more on your personality instead of your looks.
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4. Smile: In my psychology class, we learned about facial feedback hypothesis – your facial expressions can actually influence your emotions. Smile more! It will not only make the people around you happy, but it might also make you feel content.
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Do what makes you feel beautiful. Don’t abide by society’s expectations because it is conventional and unrealistic. Give yourself permission to be your authentic self and embrace all of you. If you feel as though wearing makeup or changing your outfits once and awhile makes you feel more confident, do it. But remember that your appearance isn’t everything. Focus on the other aspects of beauty and realize your self-worth. Feel confident in your own skin because everyone is unique and different; it is what makes the world an amazing place.