Faux Real?
Let's talk about beauty for a minute. We all know that beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder. My question today is, what is beauty to the beheld? Does that handsome fella you're starin' down see himself as so? Does that vixen you've been stalking deem herself stalk worthy? I know beauty's all about perception, and that's what I wanna get into.
I've always said I hate being called "cute." And I do. I'm not cute, monkeys riding unicycles while juggling beach balls are cute. It's not that I don't appreciate the compliment, it just irks me a little bit. When someone calls me cute, I take it. It's not until they get to know me that they find out it's one of my pet peeves. My point is, I want to be beautiful. I feel like that word encompasses so much more than "cute." Beautiful to me means inside and out. Granted, I cancel out both "beautiful" and "cute" once I open my mouth for more than a smile, but it's the thought that counts. But I'm getting sidetracked...
I've always felt blessed by my looks and get numerous compliments about my skin. I RARELY wear make up and don't have a skin care regimen (which has got to change, I know, but I will one day). The Goddess (my GORGEOUS, perfect 6 cousin La'Keyia, for those new readers) gets mad at me all the time for being able to wake up and look fabulous (says she, I don't wake up with a mirror in my face so I can't call it). Now, my lack of "enhancement" doesn't come from a place of cockiness (like, "See I look to good to be wearin' MAC," or somethin'), it comes from my roots. My mother wore no makeup. All she did was toss on some lipstick and walk out the house. And she was beautiful day in and day out. Even at her sickest, she was gorgeous. So naturally, I never felt the urge to wear make up. I figured if my mom didn't have to wear any to be fly, neither did I, but I'm a little extra so I kicked the natural thing up a notch and didn't even wear lipstick. We used to battle over the fact that make up to me was lip gloss. I'd go to the MAC and Clinique counters for a quick make over, but it was usually washed off by the time I got home. (Funny story and side note: I once went to MAC and the guy at the counter SWORE I was wearing foundation and mascara, so he kept telling me to wash my face before he applied the new make up. I told him I wasn't, so he started rubbing and pinching my cheeks to make sure. When he realized I was telling the truth, he called everyone over and had the manager come over and do my make up. Why, I don't know, but they all stood around in amazement like they'd never seen clear skin before...)
So, "enhancements" as opposed to pure fakeness. Where's the difference lie? My best friend and I are always at odds about this issue because I believe we're both beautiful in our own rights. I think she's naturally beautiful, but she thinks she needs "enhancements." She does the eyelash and hair thing, both of which I don't agree with. I told her so and she told me I wasn't living in the right world. I don't know, I just think it's false advertising. You're tricking whatever guy decides to ask for your number. If you're already at your best when you meet, what's there to build up to? It actually pisses me off when naturally pretty girls take it over the top. You're fly, we GET it. If a guy's gonna ask you out, they're gonna do it regardless. Men talk to women when they're in sweats, why? Cuz (and I'm just guessin' here, I am NOT a man) if you're pretty at your "worst," they know when you get fly, you're just that, FLY.
I've always said I hate being called "cute." And I do. I'm not cute, monkeys riding unicycles while juggling beach balls are cute. It's not that I don't appreciate the compliment, it just irks me a little bit. When someone calls me cute, I take it. It's not until they get to know me that they find out it's one of my pet peeves. My point is, I want to be beautiful. I feel like that word encompasses so much more than "cute." Beautiful to me means inside and out. Granted, I cancel out both "beautiful" and "cute" once I open my mouth for more than a smile, but it's the thought that counts. But I'm getting sidetracked...
I've always felt blessed by my looks and get numerous compliments about my skin. I RARELY wear make up and don't have a skin care regimen (which has got to change, I know, but I will one day). The Goddess (my GORGEOUS, perfect 6 cousin La'Keyia, for those new readers) gets mad at me all the time for being able to wake up and look fabulous (says she, I don't wake up with a mirror in my face so I can't call it). Now, my lack of "enhancement" doesn't come from a place of cockiness (like, "See I look to good to be wearin' MAC," or somethin'), it comes from my roots. My mother wore no makeup. All she did was toss on some lipstick and walk out the house. And she was beautiful day in and day out. Even at her sickest, she was gorgeous. So naturally, I never felt the urge to wear make up. I figured if my mom didn't have to wear any to be fly, neither did I, but I'm a little extra so I kicked the natural thing up a notch and didn't even wear lipstick. We used to battle over the fact that make up to me was lip gloss. I'd go to the MAC and Clinique counters for a quick make over, but it was usually washed off by the time I got home. (Funny story and side note: I once went to MAC and the guy at the counter SWORE I was wearing foundation and mascara, so he kept telling me to wash my face before he applied the new make up. I told him I wasn't, so he started rubbing and pinching my cheeks to make sure. When he realized I was telling the truth, he called everyone over and had the manager come over and do my make up. Why, I don't know, but they all stood around in amazement like they'd never seen clear skin before...)
So, "enhancements" as opposed to pure fakeness. Where's the difference lie? My best friend and I are always at odds about this issue because I believe we're both beautiful in our own rights. I think she's naturally beautiful, but she thinks she needs "enhancements." She does the eyelash and hair thing, both of which I don't agree with. I told her so and she told me I wasn't living in the right world. I don't know, I just think it's false advertising. You're tricking whatever guy decides to ask for your number. If you're already at your best when you meet, what's there to build up to? It actually pisses me off when naturally pretty girls take it over the top. You're fly, we GET it. If a guy's gonna ask you out, they're gonna do it regardless. Men talk to women when they're in sweats, why? Cuz (and I'm just guessin' here, I am NOT a man) if you're pretty at your "worst," they know when you get fly, you're just that, FLY.
So where's the line get drawn? Is a chick with fake eyelashes allowed to comment on a chick with implants? They're both attachments to your body used to fulfill someone else's (or your own) concept of beauty. Maybe I'm coming from it at the wrong angle since I've got this natural look about me. Maybe guys ARE into the silicone, yaky and MAC and I'm just...outdated. I remember a few years back, when people started looking deeper than the surface to find their soulmates. That trend lasted a few years, too, but it looks like we're back to the T&A era all over again. We had a good run, though, us natural beauties (like light skinned and "average" dudes) and I'm sure our time will come again. Wendy's got it right, I guess, and I can either adjust or wait for the next go-round cuz right now, we live in a world where everything faux is real.
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