Social media is a big part of everyday life in the modern age. There’s a seemingly endless stream of new trends and beautiful Instagram models on extravagant vacations to tropical escapes (while sponsoring their favorite products, of course). There are countless YouTube beauty bloggers posting about the latest makeup or skincare techniques all while showing the world their natural beauty. But, what is beauty? How do you define something so intangible?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of “beauty” is “a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.” It is also commonly said that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” or that “beauty comes from within.”
These are several official definitions of beauty created by various people over time, but the reality is that beauty is extremely subjective. The biggest factor to consider when pondering the meaning of beauty on a personal level, is your own self-image. Specifically, your self-image is how you envision yourself and how you feel that others view you. This is also very subjective and doesn’t depend upon the often unrealistic standards outlined by social and mass media. When you think about your self-image you take into consideration not only the external, but the internal as well. Thus, your concept of personal “beauty” is going to be different (and more valid) than what anyone else thinks!