Beauty is a highly contended thing universally. In its popularity, we’ve been subject to several beauty norms that have solidified into cliches over the years. As beauty enthusiasts ourselves, we’d like to highlight the fact that there is no ‘normal’ in beauty. Beauty is whatever makes you feel beautiful best, and since this is incredibly subjective, there’s no way to define set rules for beauty. 

Here are some misconceptions about beauty that have plagued us for years, something that’s slowly changing, to our delight. 

1. Bright lipstick doesn’t suit dark skin

While some shades and tones suit certain shades of skin better, there is no hard and fast rule to lipstick shades and makeup. With enough confidence, you can pull off any shade of lipstick. So if you’ve ever been wary of that bright red shade, go ahead and try it on, it might go better than you expect it to. 

2. Makeup is worn to cover up insecurities 

Perhaps the biggest cliche in beauty, most makeup fanatics have heard something similar. The truth is that makeup can be used for a range of different reasons, from accentuating natural features to doing creative looks. How you use makeup and the reason behind it is your own to decide, and it needn't always be to cover up ‘imperfections’. 

3. Body hair is a strict no

It’s weird to see the same people who rave about “natural skin” switch up when it comes to body hair, which is as natural as it gets. Apart from being annoying, frequently waxing, shaving, and plucking hair can irritate your skin and lead to ingrown hairs, unless you invest in more pricey methods of hair removal. The easiest way out of this mess is to just normalize hair everywhere. 

4. Clear skin equals perfect skin

Normal skin comes with texture. We all get bumps, pores, and blackheads that stand out. The myth of glass skin being common can be largely attributed to social media filters that airbrush out the texture. The truth is that skin texture doesn’t go away even with makeup, and the sooner we normalize this, the sooner we can let go of our stress over perfect skin.  

5.  The perfect body

By now it should be evident that beauty is subjective. What seems “perfect” for someone may not be so for somebody else. And since you can’t please everyone, it's best to stick to what makes you feel best when it comes to beauty. Bodies and features come in all shapes and sizes, even healthy ones. Therefore, it’s imperative that we pay no heed to the myth that skinny equals healthy.