What is Natural Beauty?

This will be something JOLI focus on a lot this year as the desire to be perfect grows at a ridiculous rate along with the feeling of not being good enough.  As the statistics for cosmetic surgery and diet pills go up, up, up at an ever increasing rate.

The question “What is natural beauty?” is a difficult question to answer which is why it is so important to ask this question and discuss the responses.  It is especially important for older women to discuss this and share their wisdom with young girls and teens who may be feeling they have no physical attributes - not realising they're actually gorgeous in their own right.

Is it someone with the perfect symmetrical face?  Is it someone who can wear no makeup and still look amazing?  Someone blessed with perfect skin and long lashes?  Is it someone with the ability to maintain their super slim figure?  Is it the girl who can be the sexiest and most provocative?  Or is it non of the above?

When you think of women you admire for their beauty (inner or outer) what is it about those women that appeals to you?

When I think of women whom I admire, what draws me to them is usually their vibrant personalities.  People who laugh and smile and who make me laugh and enjoy myself, they’re so enticing to be around.  Women whom I can converse with.  Women who are successful, who may not be the perfect ideal and yet go out and achieve their goals because they know their self-worth, who they are, what they stand for and what they want out of life.  

 (Patricia Arquette: one woman I admire because she refused to lose weight for her role in Medium.  Patricia said she plays a mother of three and wants to look like a mother of three, not like some size 0 lady who has never had children.)

Yet do we hold ourselves in the same esteem as we hold others?

Advertisers use our insecurities to make money (and it works).  For example the use of size 0 models and actresses.   Size 0 is unobtainable and quite frankly shouldn’t be attempted to be obtained in the first place.  It is super UNHEALTHY!  Yet here women are thinking we’re not good enough because we cannot get to size zero like the women on Desperate Housewives, or because we don’t have perfect flawless skin and perfect physical proportions.

Once upon a time being a larger women was IN.  It was considered healthier, wealthier, more attractive than your regular starved wafe.  You only need look at old paintings of women to see this.  Many women today resemble the ladies from these old paintings and yet we despise our bodies because we think we shouldn’t look this way.

  Venus Anadyomene (Venus Rising from the Sea) by Titain

What is your idea of natural beauty?

For me (as in my personal self) it’s a number of things:

·         Ageing gracefully without plastic surgery.  (Though I do confess I have thought about getting Botox injections on my frown line once or twice.  Especially when I see my 3 year old has no frown line when he frowns, whereas my frown line is present even when I’m not frowning *wink wink)

·         Not hiding under layers of makeup.

·         Being healthy and taking care of myself.  Trying to eat right, exercise regularly and look after my skin.

·         Loving who I am as a person.  Knowing what my strengths are and admiring them.

·         Nurturing myself.

Would LOVE for you to share your views with us. 

[We are accepting guest blogs regarding how women perceive themselves, their body image, their looks and what influenced their opinions of themselves. If you would like to be part of our guest blogs please contact us]