Why is it that a woman can be as beautiful as the sunset on a beach, yet think she should hide behind the mountains? The ideals that society has placed us to uphold and treasure are absurd. We believe that if you don't have big lips, long eyelashes, the perfect tummy, big breasts, a Kim K. booty, long legs, luscious hair, and a cute nose, you couldn't possibly be attractive. Media has taught girls from a young age that beauty is what meets the eye, no deeper. What is funny, however, is that those celebrities that appear so perfect are actually photoshopping their pictures, even on Instagram. Google it.

I am not vain, I do not believe I am the hottest human being on this Earth, but I do believe I am beautiful and I do love myself. Most women don't understand how to love themselves because of these high ideals stressed towards women in the media. You can love yourself, but every day find something new to pick out about yourself that isn't quite right because it isn't "perfect."

Women are constantly picking themselves apart based on what we see in magazines, Instagram, TV, Movies, and the VS Runway. So, what is it that us women do to fix the imperfection we see?

Iggy Azalea's makeup the other night was beyond perf... I HAVE to look like that today. *Cues YouTube makeup video* Okay, I've got the eye shadow and the lipstick, but I don't like her brows, I want Kim K's brows. And I loved Kylie's lip color the other night... Let's do that. What should I do with my hair today? Let's go for the Victoria's Secret waves.

Great, now my face is flawless. But my body is not. Let me grab my bombshell bra. There, perfect... wait, no... where is my booty at? Ugh, I need to get my squats in today.

Now that we are all made up and feeling "perfect," we are craving those yummy snacks everyone is eating. Yeah, I can't, because I want to look like Beyonce, and we know the Queen doesn't eat like that. After that, we have to work out, but not with just any workout, we want the workouts the celebs are doing, because if it works for them, it'll work for me, right?

We wake up the next day and do it again, because God forbid us to ever go out in public while not put together, society would hate to see us in our raw beauty.

It becomes a vicious cycle, and girls can't ever stop the madness until they see it for themselves. I'm not saying makeup is evil or working out and eating healthy is a problem, because those are all wonderful things that truly can make you feel better about yourself and create a healthy and loving lifestyle. But DO IT FOR YOU. When you do things to be like someone else or because the guy you have a crush on doesn't look at you unless you do, then you need to reevaluate how you are living your life. Are you living for you? Or are you living for society's need for perfection?

The issue isn't within the products or the activities but in that little girls are being taught to conform to ideals that simply do not exist without the help of Photoshop or plastic surgery or extreme dedication and great genes. Either way, it needs to be shown that being yourself is beautiful, because is it. Chin up, ladies, and remember that you didn't need to Photoshop your Insta pics like Beyonce did, so who's the real Queen?

xoxo,

Sidney

P.S.I invite you to show your #RawBeauty on social media this week. Let's show these celebs who the real beauties are!

Photo by Jon Mak Photography.