Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...you!
There is a phrase that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Yet us women spend hundreds of pounds and hours of our time waxing, dying, painting, brushing to achieve our idea of the ideal beauty. We stress so much about the dress we need to fit into, the photos we’re going to be in that we forget we are beautiful already.
There is constant stress surrounding us in the media, we all strive to look like the celebrities that grace the covers of our favourite magazines, and it is so full of contradictions.
The media constantly stresses the importance of being ‘curvy’. But what does ‘curvy’ mean? Kim Kardashian is celebrated for being a curvy and confident woman, and yet in this months edition of Cosmo she says she’s a British size 8. Cathy Relf wrote in the Guardian last month that “it’s possible for size 10 and curvy to go together-but they generally don’t.” It’s no wonder that a BBC survey revealed that a third of those who are a size 12 believe they are overweight and 51% of young women want cosmetic surgery. Wonder Woman spoke to a group of guys and girls to compare the different ways that men and women think about beauty. Here is what they said:
Richard Smith, 24, said: “I think women are most beautiful when their eyes sparkle and when they are confident and their personality shines through. I like girls with curves, my girlfriend is always moaning about her weight but I think she’s perfect the way she is, I don’t want her to get too skinny. I still tell her she looks pretty when she’s not wearing any make-up but she never believes me.”
Kerry Harrison, 19, said: “I feel the most beautiful when I’ve got my make up done, my hair done and I’m just about to go out. When I go out, I get dressed up for myself for my own confidence because when you’re surrounded by so many other gorgeous girls it makes you feel rubbish.”
Andy King, 20, said: “I think girls worry too much about the way they look. It’s nice that they make an effort but girls who are comfortable in their own skin is so much sexier than girls who are vain and constantly stress about their looks.”
Grace Thornton, 20, said: “I try to be confident about myself but I’m not going to lie, when I can’t get into my usual size in the fitting room, I want to cry. I like expensive beauty products and I always make sure my hair is straightened and my nails done. That always makes me feel better.”
It seems the only people that care the most about the way us ladies look is, well, us. Maybe that’s the most important thing, we want to look our best for our own piece of mind rather than anybody else’s. The main thing is to be confident and content with the person you are, and if you feel you need a slick of lipgloss to help you on your way then great but in the wise words of Christina Aguilera “You are beautiful,” go on sing it from the top of your voice, sometimes that’s all you need. WW
Click play below to listen to some Wonder Women readers have their say:
What makes women beautiful? by wonder-woman-6
