Beauty, apparently a simple word behind which there are a lot of thing hiding. It doesn’t mean much to someone, while to others it represents everything. However, there is always an interminable dilemma – does it bring happiness and a more comfortable life to those who own it, or maybe it just complicates it?
If you take a look into the vocabulary you will find many interpretations of this six-letter word: grace, appeal, affection, weirdness, irresistibility, divinity. The question is just who is looking for it and where.
Time Machine
Through history the ideals of beauty have endured a sequence of changes. Ancient Egypt appreciated slim women with narrow shoulders, Chinese dynasties forced small feet, which came in very painful ways that even led to bone deformity, which was the case in the early twentieth century when holes in the cheeks represented a “must have“, to the point that there was a specially designed device that helped to cause them artificially on the face.
High forehead, as well as, believe it or not, not having eyelashes are a novelty that brought the age of rebirth, while Queen Elizabeth I, a porcelain white skin tone, was considered an unavoidable trend. A century later, moles have conquered the world of beauty, to the point that the place where it was drawn had a special meaning.
Therefore, it could be seen in the woman’s face whether the lady was married, single or a widow. Corsets and dense, long hair made Victorian-era women irresistible, blondes with untamed slim waistlines and lavish breasts were exactly what made Marilyn Monroe a symbol of the Sixties, and much later. Modern times have brought uniformity, some would say artificial look, maybe even plastic. For condemnation or freedom of choice?
Point of view from another angle
We can have an eternal debate about what is good and what is not. The essence is; you have to love yourself to give others the opportunity to do so.
When we look in the mirror, we have a habit of looking for flaws first, instead of virtues, but try to look around and inside of yourself. Put on a smile and remember the moment when the first wrinkle of laughter decorated your face, remember how much you love the scar on your forehead because it is the memory of the craziest winter fun of your life, how delicious was the chocolate that brought 200 g of excess to the waist.
Smile because it’s a beautiful winter day, because coffee is delicious, because you have someone to hug you or you have decided to be alone because you have the right to make good choices because you love yourself and appreciate who you are.
The essence of beauty is happiness, because “You attract what you radiate.” It is only important that you find your ideal. For someone, ideals are perfectly shaped nails, the ideal shade of lipstick, a crazy night out, for others the ultimate triumph and successful completion of a business venture. Like warm children’s hands that joyfully hug you around the neck at the end of a busy day, a sunny day, when it’s raining in the night, hot chocolate, sour lemonade….
Lift your head high, take another look at the one in the mirror, and discover what lies in its gaze, for one thing is sure, beauty is only and exclusively in the eye of the beholder.