Redefined Beauty

I just finished watching The Tyra Show. I know. Day time talk didn't used to be my MO, but I stay home now and that's how I veg while my son is in preschool and my daughter is napping.

Today, Tyra was talking about redefining beauty and really looking at what is beautiful and why, what true beauty means, etc.

I guess part of it was good - Tyra did the show without make-up for the most part, and wore a zip-up hoodie and yoga pants with sneakers. I thought that was awesome. She also had husbands talking about what they think is physically beautiful about their wives, and I admit it, I cried over it.

But there were other parts that pissed me off.

She gave everyone in the audience lipstick and base. That was their little gift for being on there and talking about redefining beauty. So basically, you're beautiful without the makeup, but you sure as hell better put some on before you go out tonight.

It makes me mad.

I guess that's part of this blog too.


I hate make-up. I hate how it feels on my face. I hate how women feel like they need to wear it to be beautiful. I don't wear make-up. Ever. Unless I'm on stage, and stage make-up doesn't count because it's really a lot more like paint or wax or something. Either way, why do we have to pretend to be something we're not? Why do we have to cover up what we look like?

I find myself caught in the trap as well. I'm not trying to say I'm the most self-confident person ever. In my last post, I talked about feeling self-conscious when people look at me differently because of my hair. And I am. I don't want people to judge me based on that. To not talk to me because of it. To not invite my son to birthday parties because his mom is "weird" or to pity me because they think I'm ill. Why can't people just give other people the benefit of the doubt?

It's so hard not to judge based on appearance. I mean, that's what we see, it's the first thing.

I wish I had a gift for seeing the essence of people before their appearance. I need to work on that.

But really, I'd like to see beauty truly redefined. I'd like to see us all stop worrying so much about we look like and worrying more about how we feel. Healthy, or happy, or cozy, or whatever. And how we make other people feel too. I don't know. It all seems very idealistic.

I look in the mirror and I think, hey, she's kinda cute, but she needs to lose that baby roll hanging over those jeans. It's tough. We all want to be attractive to the people around us. We long to be loved.

I think all the women should band together and just stop wearing make-up. Like, every woman in the world, for one day, no make-up.

You know what's funny? I bet the guys wouldn't even notice.