Yes. I am an ordinary woman. A woman who doesnt match up to any social standard of beauty. I have a brown skin and I have'nt bothered becoming fair or lovely using any product or foundation or treatment.
I have crater like acne on my face. Marks and scars aplenty from pimples, hormones, sun tanning, stress and even anxiety.
I have dry skin, that needs to be mositurized twice a day so that it doesnt become dry or flaky. Nothing close to the surreal, supple soft skin that women are supposed to have!
My palms, are rough with countless intersceting lines and far from soft! On most occasions they are harder and more rough than the hands of most men and women with whom I would shake hands! (Pre corona times). My nails are brittle and chip easy, seldom looking like the manicured beautiful hands of the women seen in media.
I have cellulite, strech mars and most defintely a figure that doesnt fit the social standards of beauty.
Neither do I have a sun kissed, golden glow on my face when I wake up or through my day!
So yes, I am an ordinary woman.
The only thing extraordinary about me is my ability to see beauty in ordinary! To not be fooled by socially apporoved, unrealistic ideas of beauty and await being accepted only if I fit those standards!
There will always be someone who will disapprove of how you look because you dont fit their ideals of beauty. And you wont even know when you forgot to love yourself, too busy waiting to be approved by someone else!
Who made these ideals? And who cares about them?
The only ideal I care about and adhere to, is that of acceptance. Acceptance of myself for who and how I am. And accpetance of you, for who and how ou are!
And that the only glow I truly care about is the one that comes from within!
Priyanka Kadam