"The Beauty Myth", a life changing read for a makeup artist.

Author of "The Beauty Myth", Naomi Wolf

I walked through the JFK airport heading to Seattle to get a celebrity client makeup ready and spend time with one of my oldest, dearest friends. As I sipped my latte I began to subconsciously noticed all the women with incredible amounts of cosmetic surgery or injections done as I walked down the long busy terminal. Personally, as a woman who has been a proud participant in my own "Vanity" and getting botox since the age of 24 years young, I wholeheartedly support what brings a person joy or confidence, also recognizing underlying health issues also can exist, but this blog is all about Vanity- setting aside all other types of surgeries and health concerns. This is not a bash nor judgement, consider this a heartfelt humanity observation in the eyes of "Physical Beauty."

Phones have become our daily lives, serving not just as communication devices and ways to access literally anything, but also as our way of capturing "memories" through photos. Smartphone cameras has revolutionized not just photography but the way we participate in our daily lives. Allowing everyone to document their lives in real-time, all of the time, and with the normality of "filters" and "popular backgrounds/themes/vibes"; This has lead to a phenomenon where everyone appears similar or competitive in their curated online personas. And where majority of the time we only see each other online, it is basically our actual persona, or what 99% of people perceive it to be. This has created a culture where the desire to be a certain type of physically-beautiful "to view" is amplified, with many of us resorting to various beauty treatments and diets. Even if you don't participate in the typical Botox and Fillers, there are viral trends of eating gelatin (yes, the classic Jello), as a more "natural alternative" to firming the skin. On top of that the market has been flooded for years with moisturizers, serums, facials, injections that promise to help you maintain your youthful glow. As a licensed Esthetcian there are major benefits in taking care of your skin, using quality products, etc however a major part of the market and the way "they get ya" is further feeding into what author Naomi Wolf coins as "The Beauty Myth". Where our beauty standards are blended with capitalism, tied to consumerism and unrealistic societal expectations that take away what it means to be individually beautiful and uniquely human.

In my perpetual quest for eternal youth that society (plus our own animalistic-desires that we are here to survive and thrive), I can't help to ask have we lost sight what truly contributes to our well-being and vitality? What actually makes us youthful? Where we receive nutrients through real food? Did you know whole-real-foods (vs your powders, bars, etc) actually are made by nature to be processed for our bodies with built in enzymes, vitamins/minerals, fiber, amino acids; where it can be directly absorbed and used properly to support our bodies, both mentally and physically. Or coming back to the basics of Vitamin D through sunshine, regular exercise and movement, even if this is a stretch of the body, a conscious inhale and exhale, or simple walk outside. I believe these are the things that actually enhance longevity and have a side effect of "when you eat good you feel good, when you move your body you feel good, and when you feel good you look good."

So much of looking good is a "relative feeling", as someone who has struggled with my own body dysmorphia (as many of us do) or what it means to be "beautiful". Looking back, even when I was the most "physically beautiful" in "traditionally-marketed-standard-terms", it didn't matter if I didn't feel it on the inside. In 2008 I jumped on the trend of HCG shots for weight loss, (even though I was very thin at the time the doctor still said yes and prescribed it because I am sure of the financial profit he would make, a toxic system banking off of my own bodies dysmorphia), these quick fixes that prioritize immediate results over sustainable health. Similar to new trends such as Ozempic, a medication originally designed for diabetes has gained attention for weight loss benefits. This worries me because of harmful side effects but with my background, and my own harmful side effects I have personally faced, I only have deep love, support, and compassion for those who participate.

Years ago, I read the book, The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf. It clarified the different aspects of beauty and helped me understand both sides of the same coin. The "Beauty Myth" claims that there is an elusive quality called “beauty” – a quality that we should do everything in our power to pursue, achieve and maintain. That beauty is an inherently good and beneficial quality and that, without it, you risk being worthless and invisible. Consider those who are at the top of their professions, even with all their achievements and success, the pressure to look good doesn’t change. If anything, those with more power and status are criticized more and the pressure to look "beautiful" only gets worse. The "Beauty Myth" plays a sneaky part in cultural ideology with the power to control us and make us feel smaller if we don't meet this standards. Catch this!- Before the Industrial Revolution between 1760 and 1840, the social value of women was based on their work within the domestic sphere, their natural abilities, physical strength and fertility – not "beauty". With Industrialization- women wanted to participate, this lead to the patriarchy needing a subtle and more deceptive method for undermining women’s power. And BINGO- here we are, the "Beauty Myth" was born: keeping all of us trapped, women self-competing with each other. And since images and standards of beauty change (now faster than ever), it makes it impossible to keep up, you have to exit the rat race and take off the colored glasses. Welcome in your own beauty, your own individuality, and that is what will make you radiate. Going back to what mentioned earlier, when you feel good, you look good.

This clarified the different aspects of beauty and helped me understand both sides of the same coin. As a professional makeup artist I remember while learning the darker aspects to beauty and where it came from were challenging to untangle. I was so passionate about my career and felt like I was supporting another form of that toxic system I mentioned earlier with the HCG shots story. However to my surprise, it intensified my passion for my career and my desire to help everyone feel their best and most beautiful but with a new depth and awareness, truly having the ability to see everyone as their own type of beautiful, professionally enhancing their unique characteristics.

I identify as a very feminine woman and enjoy the process of "getting ready" and the feelings it evokes. I can now enjoy it even more on my own terms, now that I understand the capitalism, false advertising, games, and patriarchy behind it.

Returning to my walk in the JFK airport, have you noticed how everyone is beginning to look alike? When I watch TV shows, particularly reality TV, it's rare that the actors don't resemble each other in some way. I think if we are not careful this will lead to a form of "othering," where if I see a stylish individual who hasn't participated in injections or surgeries can they be equally celebrated as truly beautiful? Imagine if campaigns or television actually featured aging humans as the main character that is the "hot protagonist". For example, I was thinking about humans beginning to have all have the same smile/veneers. (And don’t get me wrong, I myself was considering Invisalign to broaden my smile.) What has recently shifted for me is this yearning for authenticity in the appearance of people and places. We see AI backgrounds, staged backgrounds, and AI people regularly. I would guess at least 50% of advertisements are AI and as someone who personally works in advertising as a makeup artist, I know that number is only growing. So in a way by getting Invisalign I feel like I'm competing with AI which goes against what I stand for and who I want to become. I want to become more human, more embodied, more authentic, more connected to myself and somatics, not less. As I've deepened my personal embodiment with Yoga Teacher Training I've gained an even greater passion for what it means to be connected to our bodies, passionately stepping into being a yoga teacher to help others find that too.

So now what to do with all this observation and perspective on beauty? I don’t think there is a right or wrong, I think it’s a both/and. I think it’s a taking it day-by-day. A living in the moment and living life, evolving with it but not becoming it. Still remaining YOU, what makes you- YOU, while still being immersed in present day society. Who knows?... I might still get Invisalign or love a glammed makeup look where I feel like a snatched, lashed, modern day piece of art, however I still know in my core that beauty and my worth is on my terms, not theirs.

May you too find empowerment in the awareness of the unrealistic and delusional societal standards saying bye-bye to the false chains of the "Beauty Myth" and hello to a greater sense of love, truth, and what it actual means to be vibrantly beautiful and youthful.

Sincerely and warmly,

Cami