Is it the Western standard? Some women who have been hailed as beauties: Dorothy Dandridge, Sade, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Lena Horne, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Halle Berry. Iman, Phylicia Rashad, Jennifer Aniston, and Lupita Nyong’o are all quite different in their beauty.
Before you begin to fret that you are not like any of the above mentioned, or worry that you are not fair skinned, or full lipped with all the curves in the right places, it is important to understand that what people have as their vision of beauty varies from place to place. Beautiful in Africa is different from India, China, Europe, Australia or USA. People of different races come in different shapes, sizes, ages and hues. One has to take a global perspective on what beauty is because as far as beauty goes, it’s really different strokes for different folks. Beautiful is really as diverse as there are tribes and tongues.
The multibillion-dollar beauty and fashion industries both shape and depend on the cult-like worship of what physical attributes the public sees as beautiful. However, the media, and the beauty and fashion worlds depict a particular ideal of beauty; and use the faux-perfection of airbrushing of advertising to reinforce certain physical attributes. A photographer, an editor or a casting director may be subject to his or her personal predilections of what beauty is and foist them upon the public, leading entire societal likes and dislikes to shift, too.
And most women are affected by these false, narrow depictions. For most women, the way to become beautiful is to enhance the way they look physically through the magic of make-up, clothing, and hair. Or go through cosmetic surgery. We need to dig deeper and go beyond artifice. It is important to free oneself from beauty stereotypes as portrayed by the mass media and build up self-esteem and confidence in the way you look.
Fortunately, there has been a major shift when it comes to diversity in beauty, an evolving and increasingly inclusive take on what is considered gorgeous. There is nothing altruistic about this shift by the industries in question; it is just that it makes perfect sense for the bottom line.
However, in order to get away from obsessing on whether one is beautiful or not, one should dig deeper and go beyond the ephemeral.
The poem, Time Tested Beauty Tips, written by Sam Levenson, an American humorist, writer, television host and journalist for his grandchildren crosses all levels of beauty and is timeless.
TIME TESTED BEAUTY TIPS
“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed. Never throw out anybody.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.
It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!”
What an apt definition of beauty!
It was Audrey Hepburn, one of the world’s most famous actresses and fashion icons of the twentieth century who popularized this poem. She is reputed to have read it to her children.
The final question I ask: is beauty important and does it matter? For better or worse, beauty matters because we humans are preoccupied with the concept of beauty. But what we term as beautiful varies from place to place, subject to whims and caprices, and is highly subjective. It is in this regard that we must really define our own personal style by grooming ourselves, taking care of our health and getting to be comfortable in our own skin irrespective of our hue, size, or shape.
What is important is that one should radiate a beauty of heart and spirit and be a shining example of the common belief that people are beautiful inside and outside.
We should learn to love and appreciate ourselves the way we are. The song ‘Every Thing is Beautiful’ by Ray Stevens summed up the subject of beauty in a line of the song thus: “And everybody’s beautiful in their own way.”
Yes! Each and every one of us is beautiful in our own way! Be comfortable in who you are and how you look.
Image: madamenoire.com