Beauty standards are temporary

Feb. 1st:

Beauty.  There's a reason why there's an industry based on it.  It preys on our inner desire to be desired.  But there's a nasty little industry secret, if they keep changing the standard for beauty we will keep paying to try and keep up (flash back to my snake oil post here).

Insert history of beauty lesson in photos here --->

  The standards change but the driving force is socioeconomics.  Where do we fall in the scheme of society and what are we expected to do?  Are we supposed to marry and produce children, cool you can look like a full figured woman but in those days its hard to achieve that look because unless your nobility, you're working out all the time and food is expensive.  Times change, we get the right to vote and work outside of the home, guess what, you don't need all that excess in the hip area for making babies, or breasts for that matter.  Except now high calorie food is more easily come by and life in general is more sedentary for the average Jane.  Add in some jewelry, corsets, fashion, and makeup requirements and you got a money making machine

What is a woman to do?  Here's a novel idea, make your own standard of beauty.  You are beautiful just by being the unique person you are.  No amount of thigh gap, cleavage, or cheek bones can make you any more beautiful than you already are.  So when you walk into a room, hold your head high, you're the only woman in the room with your unique mix of traits.  You are fabulous and no one can tell you otherwise.  So keep in mind that those magazine photos are there to try and sell you something by making you believe you aren't pretty enough.  Don't let them!  Don't give them any power over you.  You are strong, fierce, and beautiful.  You have control over what you think, don't let them shame you into doubting yourself. 

Sorry guys, I know this topic has a parallel for you, but I haven't lived it so I don't have the life experience to expound on it.  However you have my deepest empathy for having to live up to photo shopped ideals of handsomeness. You are all handsome in your uniqueness too!

Keep rocking your bad selves! <3