Haven't posted a thread in here for ages, ha! So, the question, can we improve ourselves to be 'beautiful' or 'handsome' in an effective manner or does it backfire that we can't do it? Is natural beauty the only beauty that we can effectively be beautiful? I see too often girls that wear make up too much or too often that they do not properly express being beautiful as they can be. When I rarely see a girl without make up on, I more readily see how beautiful they are then if they wore make up. I find it funny that the applying of make up can dwindle their beauty, when they attempt to be more beautiful. Please, Discuss.
What people perceive as beauty and beautiful is subjective, so improving upon becoming beautiful for everyone is impossible, I would say. However, considering what is widely accepted as beautiful, which is being fit and haivng close to a perfectly symmetrical face, you can work out and get plastic surgery. Keep in mind though, there are people who consider being overweight or underweight to be most beautiful of all. The idea of beauty is not only subjective, but it is also very abstract. I don't think natural beauty is necessarily more beautiful than an artificial one, put on by make-up/surgery. The possibility of backfire with artificial (make-up) beauty is, of course, you may feel insecure without it. Many women have this idea that they don't want others to see them without make-up, because they believe they are ugly. In most of these cases, that isn't true, but I have seen some women whom I would consider beautiful with make-up, "become" ugly without make-up. The possibility of backfire from surgery, could be a loss of self. If you alter your appearance, you might not recognize youself, and think "Who am I?" Anything, as simple as a change of hairstyle, might make you feel somewhat odd, imagine what an alteration of a face could do. Anyhow, back to the make-up. It's like most things in life, everything has to be in doses. If you become orange, then you've overdone it. I like a subtle layer of make-up, which is what the girlfriends I've had do, and that is what I find most attractive and beautiful.
Well, to use the cliché, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Nothing we do can really be universally accepted as 'beautiful.' True, there are sciences behind what we find attractive--as Noroz mentioned, having a symmetrical face--and societal values when it comes to physical appearance (in America, for women, having a thin frame etc.), but you'll see people are rather divided when it comes to something like makeup, plastic surgery, hairstyle, and so on. Personally, I don't think there's such a thing as an 'ugly person,' just someone who doesn't quite know how to make themselves pretty. Of course, I am applying my concepts of beauty (and the lack thereof) here, and I of course see them as absolute, but bear with me here, hah. For example, I have no problem with full-figured/curvy women (as long as it's not unhealthy), but they don't look so nice when they hide behind baggy tees and sweatpants. If they dressed in something more flattering, however, then yes, they are improving their 'beauty.' I'm really not a fan of makeup, myself. I don't wear it, though that's mostly attributed to me being lazy rather than any opinions or values. I do see a lot of girls who absolutely cake it on, and it's really unfortunate, because I'm sure they're quite pretty underneath. There are also times when you see a girl without her makeup and are like "wow, I did not know you actually looked like that." I tend to favor the natural look. I think humans are naturally pretty things, and we should use products/external means to enhance that, not to create the illusion of it.
So what can I say about this? Well, I'll basically have to repeat what Noroz and Misty just said, haha. What is "beauty"? Something we find visually appealing, something we're attracted to, as a lot of people already know. Naturally, we respond to people who are healthier; relatively fit (like, not skinny, not obese, but I suppose there are some people out there with quite odd preferences; just don't encourage it in people, it's unhealthy...). So typically, clear skin, bright eyes, and the rest are dependent on whether one is male or female; usually. So yes, in terms of beauty, the natural kind is pretty important; think of it as the base color for a ball on a piece of paper. When it comes to make up, as Misty said, it should be used to enhance your beauty. Everyone is beautiful in his or her own way, s/he just has to find a way to use make up to his/her advantage; or if s/he needs it at all. One can't just put layers upon layers of the stuff in hopes that it conceals all of him/her. Make up was invented to conceal what needed to be concealed (I think), like pimples, or scars, etc. Surgery and all that, I would honestly discourage cause a lot of things can go wrong. What if the surgeons mess up? What if that silicon in one's breast somehow some way affects her health by rupturing? What if s/he doesn't feel like him/herself anymore? I prefer it if the person just makes-do with what s/he has. However, if the person really is insistent and is aware of the risks and everything, then go ahead. Just be careful, I suppose? You know, just avoid making rash decisions when it comes to plastic surgery... It's hard to fix when something goes wrong. So in a nutshell; to me, natural beauty is the most important, but putting on make-up to enhance what a person has isn't bad or anything. Just don't overdo it; after all, the more one tries to make oneself beautiful, s/he might actually just be making him/herself... Less appealing than what s/he's capable of (does that make sense?). For plastic surgery, I just hope the person knows what s/he's getting into; the risks, etc. But then again, beauty can easily be based on personality, right? Which just means you have to be the best person you can be. So yeah, hope this makes sense...
