Unpretty

This is a shoutout to all those girls who have ever felt unpretty sometime in their life.

The age-old discussion of inner vs outer beauty came up in a conversation I had between some friends, and one of them, I guess feeling a little unpretty herself, told us her opinion that she’ll wear whatever she wants to, walk around without makeup on, and refuse to do anything ‘girly’ just because it’s the status quo. “And besides, I’d rather have a guy love me for who I am inside, instead of just my physical appearance.” Sound familiar, anyone?

I’d grown up as a tomboy, so I’m very well aware of such sentiments. In fact, I still don’t wear makeup, although I have ditched the guy clothes for more feminine fashions. But the question is, should girls simply sit back and wait for the right guy to fall in love with her personality, a.k.a. inner beauty? Is it wrong to be invested in one’s physical appearance to try to attract someone?

I find it goes a little in both directions. While it is unhealthy to be obsessed with your outer appearance, I think some touch ups here and there can lend a strong hand in pulling up a girl’s self-esteem, and let her inner personality shine brighter because she feels it on both the inside and outside. And while it’s good to work on your inner beauty, I know that physical attraction is a big thing for guys (girls too!), after some discussion with a few guy cousins – apparently, guys are often attracted by appearance at first, but the attraction is intensified as he gets to know the girl more and see her for who she truly is. Of course, it’s every girls’ dream to find her Prince Charming without even trying, but reality usually doesn’t work that way. So if spending an extra 15 minutes every morning getting ready for the day is what’s needed for a girl to make her feel pretty, then by all means, go for it! I find that love is a two-way thing: a guy falls in love with a girl because he thinks she’s beautiful, and when a girl is in love, she’ll want be beautiful for him and make him happy.

When I turned 16, I committed myself to seeing that every girl I came across was beautiful, no matter what she looked like. And I have to say that it’s changed my outlook in life, and the way I talk to other girls. It’s so easy to try to elevate one’s own self-image by putting down another’s, and it’s really saddening when I see what a poor self-image can do to a girl. Sometimes it’s physical, but most of the time, it’s mental and spiritual. All because she thinks she’s ugly.

So take the time to be beautiful, both inside and out, and I guarantee you that life will never be the same again.