Written by Ashyra Bristol
The Meaning of Beauty: Realistic Standards of Beauty
Beauty is about self love: many of the images on my site are airbrushed, photoshopped and there to inspire and be visually artistic! My website is NOT to cause any feelings of insecurity or comparison to expectations that are not achievable.
The topics I write about and products I recommend give me that confidence to feel better, healthier and more beautiful. This is why I support a healthy beauty regime to feel and look my best. If it makes me feel better, I’m all for it. I know what beauty means to me. So what does Beauty mean to you? The Tropical Duchess wants to know.
Research tells me the meaning of beauty is possessing qualities that delight the senses, especially the eye or the ear, or awaken admiration or approval in the mind. Beautiful is a woman who has a distinctive personality; one who can laugh at anything, including themselves, and one who is especially kind and caring to others. She is a woman who can inexplicably make you feel really good just by being around her, and yet brings such great sadness when she is gone. Breathtaking.
However, globalisation is changing local cultures and integrating them into a universal standard of beauty. Ideals include features such as round eyes, thin body, narrow faces, pouting lips, small noses and high cheekbones. This gives a confusing message and drive to look a certain way. It could be said that this message has been further fuelled by social media.
I am fully aware of how to protect myself from The dark side of social media and always aim to offer my readers the same level of confidence, avoiding and understanding how unrealistic beauty standards in some cases can cause identity issues. Is the media to blame?
Team Tropical Duchess carried out a survey with over 100 respondents. When asked what their views are on the media portraying unrealistic standards of beauty 10% agreed they knew how to protect themselves from the dark side of social media, 10% agreed the media encourages men and women into battling identity issues, mental health issues and body dysmorphia and 14% agreed the media is a false world of idealism.
On the flip side 9% agreed the media has created a whole new world meaning jobs, community, empowerment & education, and being visually artistic, a whopping 30% agreed that most people use social media however celebrities, influencers, models and brands use social media to sell themselves by creating an image of perfection, followed by another whopping 27% agreeing that it’s impossible to to avoid a multitude of perfectly toned beauties, flat stomachs, plump breasts, long legs and perfectly rounded butts.
Which leads me to believe does the media control us or do we control the media? In one way, the digital age has opened us up to another world, created jobs we never knew could exist and connected people around the world. On the other hand, the pressure to keep up with what we see online has become a morbid cycle which is destroying lives one click at a time. Whilst we may believe we are mindlessly scrolling though such content, our subconscious is soaking it all up and before we know it, those perfectly formed bodies have become the standard by which we measure everything else.
There is an apparent problem within this false world of idealism. Thousands of famous people and models on social media document their workout routines, eating habits, and other aspects of their lifestyle that contribute to the way they look. There is only one problem with this industry; it’s not real. However does following celebrity tips, product recommendations and advice make us feel better about ourselves?
Celebrities are responsible for being so competitive they have taken their level of beauty to a level that is unattainable because it’s not real. More often than not, their looks are a combination of gym, strict beauty regime, professional makeup, plastic surgery and a generous amount of photo retouching. I will do everything in my power to learn all their secrets and share it with my readers, address the positive and negative topics and come up with the best solution. I need to know if this lifestyle is healthy, worthy and morale.
What about beauty and body positivity? We need to love ourselves and know we are beautiful. Everyone deserves self-love and self-care and my website motivates and educates my readers on expert advice for self love and self care. My website is a platform for women of all shapes, colours and sizes to come together to support each other and show that beauty comes in endless forms.
The discussion of beauty is a timeless topic that is evolving and therefore until we get this right, we all need to understand what beauty means, is the message of beauty clear to us all?
Beauty is about being beautiful inside and out; being authentic; being original; having quirks and embracing them. Being happy, confident and healthy is my definition of "beauty." Because these traits are what makes us attractive. I will continue to use my voice and to embrace and share what beauty means to me because standards of beauty are changing for the better.
There are people out everywhere talking about the different forms of beauty; all in an effort to empower women with their own unique power of being female!
Body Positivity & Tips for Feeling Beautiful
◇ As soon as you're about to criticise yourself, stop and think if you would say that to someone else. Be your best friend and be kinder to yourself.
◇ Don't put anyone's body down. Putting people down only makes you feel bad in the long run, don't rely on anyone else for your boost, especially when it's negativity.
◇ Point out the things you love about yourself. Look in the mirror and tell yourself what you love about you.
◇ Weight doesn't mean as much as you think it does. It is just one small detail in YOU and everything you have to offer the world, stop dwelling on it.
◇ Learn how to take and embrace compliments. People say positive things because they genuinely think it, appreciate it and believe it.
◇ Set goals that have nothing to do with how you look. Finding happiness in non cosmetic places will help with like long happiness. Never stop setting goals for yourself.
◇ Surround yourself with positivity. Try to say negative words less and replace them with positive words. Promote good vibes!
◇ Get off Instagram and don't compare yourself to unrealistic social media. Everyone knows that social media is a place where people post what they want you to see in them, not the real them. So stop thinking you have to look and act they way they do.
◇ Tell yourself thank you! You do a lot for others and yourself and you deserve to be thanked.
◇ REALISE THAT SELF WORTH HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH YOUR BODY, AND ALL TO DO WITH YOUR MIND. Be remembered for the amazing person you are and the amazing things you do, that's what really matters and what this world really needs. Focus on those things and happiness will come to you.
◇ Fake it till' you make it. That is soooo true. When I am feeling like I am lacking confidence, I just act that way I want to feel and... wow I soon after actually start feeling "really" confident. I didn't change anything about my appearance, just the way I carried myself, and that makes a world of a difference.
Written by Ashyra Bristol ©
For more insight into Ashyra's work, head over to her website and links below.
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Very well written👍😁!