MAYBE IT'S MAYBELLINE
By: Kyla Tollefson
We all know the Maybelline slogan, “Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline.” What is “it”? Do I have that? Will I ever?
I always wondered if I had what it took to be something; if I had “it”. There is such expectancy about what we need to have, look like, talk like, and be. It starts at a young age. I felt, and still feel, like the world is constantly throwing in my face this standard that I need to reach…to be enough.
We compare ourselves to figures in magazines. These images are airbrushed, and millions of dollars are put into altering them. Girls pour hours into their beauty routine, but does that actually fulfill the insecurity? We compare ourselves to these models who are maybe even more insecure than we are because they are constantly being watched and displayed. Why do we do this to ourselves?
We even compare ourselves to our friends or girls we see around school. We look at our sister and ask why she got the “good genes.” We spend so much time wanting and trying to be something different. Most of us dream of being really skinny, with a killer butt and super thin legs, but would we be happy?
Americans spend about $7 million dollars on beauty products. Add to the $7 million on beauty products the amount spent on cosmetic surgery, diets, and weight loss programs. We think all these things will bring us happiness, but we are only left with an empty wallet.
It’s easy to have a false sense of happiness. I am learning that being happy with who I am, and being vulnerable as I let people into my life and heart, brings about a sense of true joy. I don’t want to be perfect, because there is no such thing.
We live surrounded by a culture that is obsessed with their looks, but I am being challenged to accept myself for all my flaws and hiccups. I am who I am supposed to be.
