As a person who writes about beauty products on a regular basis, I feel that it is my responsibility to speak about the darker aspects of this world as well. Beauty standards all around the globe are becoming more and more unforgiving by the minute, making it painfully hard for women to feel confident in their own skin. Of course, in an ideal world, everyone should be brave enough to embrace their “flaws” but constant scrutiny at a microscopic level can make the strongest succumb to the pressure. Here are 5 beauty standards that I would banish from the face of the planet if I had supernatural powers (until then, this blog will have to suffice).
1. Greasy roots – So many women feel obliged to wash their hair more often than they want, just to avoid showing up at work with those darned greasy roots. This makes for an arduous chore if you have long, fine hair and live in one of the hot and humid parts of the world. Shampooing the hair is an activity that should help maintain personal hygiene, and greasy hair doesn’t necessarily mean dirty hair. This obsession with super clean, fluffy hair has to go.
2. Hairy Body – Waxing, shaving, plucking and pulling, the pains that women have to endure to ensure that someone doesn’t die at the sight of their hairy armpits! One day when (Wo)man has evolved enough, there will no longer be any hair on the human body. Until then, it would be great if people could learn not to collapse if a few strands of hair poke through the stockings or the eyebrows are not perfect arches.
3. Blemished Skin – Only a small minority is blessed with flawless skin that is as perfect as porcelain. The rest of us do have acne, scars, and redness, and covering them up with layers of makeup does not work wonders for the skin. Of course, we like applying makeup when we want to conceal our blemishes, but do let us be if our skin needs to breathe. Most of us are well aware of our imperfect skin, so concerned comments about the bumps and pores do not really serve any purpose.
Wanting to treat your blemishes should be a choice and not an ask. And if you do choose to get clearer skin, simply search online for “Dermaplaning in Weston, FL” or a local alternative. Dermaplaning is a tried and tested procedure that gently exfoliates the skin and reduces pigmentation and imperfections. Make sure to trust only a reputed professional for the best results!
4. Chipped Polish – Let us face it, chipped polish is and will always be a reality. Nobody carries a bottle of nail paint around for a quick touch up every time they need to use their hands for ripping open packages or scrubbing utensils. It is hard to defy the laws of wear and tear, so let us stop considering chipped polish as a cardinal sin. Who knows, it might be the next hot trend after clumped mascara and messy lipstick.
5. Muffin Tops – It is obvious that nobody would refuse picture perfect abs if they were offered on a platter, however, they are not. Muffin tops are not necessarily the result of a sedentary lifestyle and could be caused due to a lot of factors ranging from hormonal fluctuations to genetics. Starving, Spanx, or an incredible ability to hold your breath should not be mandatory for looking fabulous.
These are some of the beauty standards that I refuse to abide by on most occasions. It will eliminate a lot of stress if you stop giving importance to these rules each time you get ready. How you want to dress up and how much makeup you want to apply should always be governed by your choice (that may fluctuate each day). So relax and be yourself 🙂
Mrinalini
Mrinalini is a beauty blogger with over 7 years of experience in reviewing skincare, makeup, and wellness products. Her professional experience in the biomedical space plus her keen interest in testing products spanning decades gives her the upper edge when it comes to reviewing new beauty products, particularly for oily, acne-prone, Indian skin.
Well said!!
Agree with the sentiment behind your post though with that said I also believe a woman should take pride in her appearance. With regards to the chipped nail polish I remove mine fortnightly and not once do I see a chip. So there is a fine line between laziness and practicality. Thanks for sharing as always!
I agree with your views, nail polish or not I like maintaining a good appearance. However we should go a little easy on passing judgement if we see someone with chipped polish and should ourselves not get panicked if we need to step out when our nails are not perfect 🙂
Great post. “would be great if people could learn not to collapse if a few strands of hair poke through” was a particular favourite 😀
Haha, it was quite a rant 🙂 Glad you liked it!
I am so glad you wrote this post and shared it too. Couldn’t agree with you more. I think it is increasingly becoming difficult to be comfortable in our own skin, inspiration is one thing but feeling pressurized to look flawless all the time and looking preen and pampered all the time is absolutely ridiculous.
Loved reading your thoughts ❤❤❤
xx
Saabri
http://www.phashionbug.com
Thanks a lot for the support! I agree with you completely. The lines between looking presentable and looking flawlessly fashionable have blurred. We need to redefine them. I have personally been in a dilemma at times whether to spend more time on getting ready or rush to work to complete work that is actually important.
This is so true! Especially the greasy hair part! An amazing post!
Thanks 🙂
It is greatly appreciated that you spoke up on this topic. There are so many blogs about beauty, all focused on using products, wearing makeup clothing and hair….the darker side of beauty and womens self esteem is important. Great post! Thanks for sharing! Please check out my post https://ladyhoodjourney.com/2017/04/08/uniqueness-is-beauty/ i would appreciate your feedback!
Thanks a lot! Will definitely check out your blog post 🙂
Thanks so much and you are welcome!!!!
Reblogged this on LADYHOOD journey and commented:
Popular culture puts a lot of pressure on women to look, feel, and act a certain way. Not conforming to the standard of beauty imposed by popular culture is one of the most difficult tasks for women. Self-doubt is inevitable when you look at every billboard, magazine cover, music video, and social media profile picture.
The pressure is in abundance and we practically kill ourselves with plastic surgery and implants, tanning, and skin bleaching are just a few of those horrible habits we have adopted to try to fit into the standard of beauty.
I reblogged this post because women need to understand that they are beautiful regardless of shaving, contour, bumps and blemishes, stretch marks, muffin tops, or having perfect nails and hair. We are all beautiful and when self-love a priority, confidence becomes your standard of beauty.
Thank you so much for sharing <3
Of course!!!! Thank you for sharing your voice!!!! 💋
Great post! I think that we’re hardest on ourselves. I’ll have friends tell me not to look at them because they haven’t put on their “face” yet. And I’m thinking they look beautiful, even makeup-free.
I hope this post reaches the girls and women that need it.
I agree, we judge ourselves the most, but if you come to think about it, we weren’t born like this. At some point in our lives these beauty standards are fed to our brains by various sources. I wish this would change!
Yes! We have to love and value ourselves first and understand that feeling good trumps looking “good”.
I’m glad I found this post! I agree with all of your points!! It’s crazy really! People can be so judge mental
Thanks a lot! I am glad that you agree with what I say 🙂