Beauty is defined and can be expressed in a variety of was. Overtime, the definition of beauty has changed. For example, Frida Kahlo in our time is considered unattractive or masculine while in her time, she was the epitome of beauty. This web zine will define the phases of beauty and how women should embrace their flaws regardless of the stereotypes. I will discuss embracing your style, embracing your body type, embracing the beauty of body hair, embracing wearing makeup regardless of stereotypes, and embracing the body you were given without alterations. "...Scholars suggest that women's decisions for cosmetic surgery reflect their desire to attain normative standards of 'beauty'..." (p. 185). Beauty has no defined look and it should not be a stereotypical way to define "beauty".
- Embracing your style: Janelle Monae made her debut in 2011 with her unique style. She gained a signature style of wearing a tuxedo. Women in the media did not understand her style or like it. However, a year or so later women were saw imitating her style. Instead of changing her style, she embraced it and made her own clothing line. "
2. Embracing your body type: "In contemporary U.S. society we are surrounded by images of 'beautiful', thin, young, abled, smiling woman" (p. 188). But, society forgets that REAL women come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Gabby Sidibe and Gabby Douglas are both beautiful women, but society will deem one woman as being more desirable than the other. Diversity is a part of the beauty of women.
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3. Embracing the beauty of body hair: "25-year-old model Harnaam Kaur recently made history as the first bearded woman to walk in a UK fashion show for for a jewelry designer and she did that! “That” being pushed passed her insecurities, strutted on her bullies and felt good about herself all while doing so" (xonecole). Harnaam Kaur totally changed the idea of what "beauty" looks like. She has a condition called PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) which makes women who have it grow excessive facial and body hair where it is commonly found on men. She is the Frida Kahol of modern time.
Watch below: Harnaam Kaur talks about bullies and suicide and how she overcame it.
4. Embrace wearing makeup, if that's what you like: There are so many negative stereotypes formed around women who like to cake there face with makeup. One argument being that "Most of [the beauty industry is] controlled by white males or by other individuals who have accepted what many scholars call ruling-class politics" (p. 192). However, there are other races that have multi-million dollar beauty and makeup lines. However, caking you face with becomes a problem when you start to do it for others and not yourself. Beauty blogger NikkieTutorials on YouTube address this issue during one of her tutorials about the power of makeup. Watch below:
"She was beautiful, but not like
those girls in the magazines.
She was beautiful for the way she thought.
She was beautiful for that sparkle in her eyes when
she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful
for her ability to make other people smile even when she was sad
No, she wasn't beautiful for something as temporary
as her looks. She was beautiful deep
down to her soul." - F. Scott Fitzgerald
those girls in the magazines.
She was beautiful for the way she thought.
She was beautiful for that sparkle in her eyes when
she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful
for her ability to make other people smile even when she was sad
No, she wasn't beautiful for something as temporary
as her looks. She was beautiful deep
down to her soul." - F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. Embrace the body that you were given:, do not change for others: This connects with embracing your body type, however, this is more about not altering you body by going under the knife to do so because of stereotypes. According to the article "The Beauty Ideal" women are "...more likely to get face lifts, eye tucks, tummy tucks, rhinoplasties, breast augmentations, and injections to plump the lips" (p. 193). Like makeup, most women do it for others and not themselves, or they do it because it is the "ideal beauty" look that society has embraced. However, if you get up every morning unhappy about the way you look you have the right to change that.
Works Cited
Joseph, Soraya. "THIS BEARDED LADY IS STRUTTING DOWN RUNWAYS AND REDEFINING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BEAUTIFUL." Http://xonecole.com/. Necole, 6 Mar. 2016. Web. 16 April 2016.
NikkieTutorials. "The Power of MAKEUP!" YouTube. YouTube, 10 May 2015. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.
Shaw, Susan M., and Janet Lee. Women's Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.
Thismorning. "Bearded Woman Bullied To The Point Of Suicide | This Morning." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Mar. 2015. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.
NikkieTutorials. "The Power of MAKEUP!" YouTube. YouTube, 10 May 2015. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.
Shaw, Susan M., and Janet Lee. Women's Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.
Thismorning. "Bearded Woman Bullied To The Point Of Suicide | This Morning." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Mar. 2015. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.
