What makes you feel beautiful?
Examining self-love and perception
By Mackenzie Gellner, Contributor
What really makes you feel beautiful? Maybe a particular outfit, person or action comes to mind.
With Valentine’s Day still in the air, we should remember that being single doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the day. I encourage everyone to show a little self-love and embrace their inherent beauty.
When you go from one person to the next, there is always something uniquely beautiful to find. This beauty is immeasurable and looks and feels different depending on one’s personality. Some people may love wearing overalls, while others may enjoy purple hair, wearing wide-brimmed glasses, or having tattoo-covered skin. Beauty isn’t only about physical appearance though; personality always plays a part.
It can be seen when someone is talking passionately, making people laugh without being mean or helping others without getting anything in return. Beauty is perception: what each person personally sees as beautiful.
Through the media, the public is shown a type of beauty that is only attainable through excessive means like professional makeup artists or stylists. Since most people are unable to afford this kind of lifestyle. The beauty portrayed leaves the public with the false assumption that being beautiful is unachievable. Being and feeling beautiful, all depends on personal perception. So what is it for you? What makes you feel beautiful?
A group of eight individuals from Mount Royal University, consisting of administration, faculty and students, were asked what makes them feel beautiful. Their personal responses and photos are shown below. You are able to see individuality in both their photos and words, illustrating that everyone has a unique beauty.
“What makes me feel beautiful is the fact that I can make so many people laugh within the span of fifteen minutes of knowing me. It makes me feel beautiful because I know that at the end of the day I can say I put a smile on someone’s face. And it really does boost the way I see and feel about myself. Beauty can be defined in many ways, but the way I see it is through the smiles on others faces because [of] something I did.
— Kemi Omorogbe
“I think people feel beautiful when other people acknowledge and embrace the things that are different about you, this helps people become more comfortable and confident with themselves, which is true beauty, when you are able to be completely yourself and confident because you believe other people see you as beautiful as well.”
— Hailey Wilson
“What makes a person beautiful is the fact that they could just portray their natural inner and outer beauty without being defined by the amount of makeup they wear. Beauty is about expressing yourself in the way that you want and living carefree and happy with your own personal judgments and what you think makes you feel beautiful.”
— Asia Mationg-Smith
“I would say what makes me feel beautiful is usually if I am wearing a nice top, unlike today, if I feel I am presenting myself in a fashion-sensitive way. Also, what makes me feel really good about myself is when I do something for somebody else, like when I pay it forward.”
— Jane Roberts
“Personally, I think feeling beautiful is achieved by living in a way that makes you happy. Dress, work and live how you want to. To me, feeling beautiful and being happy are intertwined. Something that specifically makes me feel beautiful is if I can make someone else feel beautiful. Reminding someone of how amazing they are and seeing them smile makes me feel like a beautiful person.”
— Mackenzie Gellner
“When I do something beautiful for humans then it makes me feel beautiful inside, it’s about how you think about others and how you relate to others. That’s why I teach [a] course on alienation.”
— Bassem Hafez
“I feel beautiful when I take the time to pamper and express myself. I do this through makeup. To me, makeup is a form of art and I use it to express myself with a sharp wing or bold lips to make a statement. I incorporate different colours, highlight and contour to dramatize my look. It makes me look good, and when I look good I feel good. Getting dolled up and taking the time to pamper myself is so important to me. Being comfortable in my own skin, with or without makeup, able to be myself, makes me feel beautiful.”
— Fatima Ahmad
“Smiling and engaging in conversations with anyone makes me feel beautiful, knowing that smiling at someone and having them smile back makes me feel beautiful.”
— Angelica Nefulda