The evolution of beauty

Article by -Angela Pasajol

Since the beginning of civilization,women were compelled to obey narrow beauty standards to be deemed as attractive.Have we changed ever since?

In ancient Egypt,symmetrical faces, tanned skin,being slim,tall and looking youthful were staple features one must have to be seen as beautiful.Ladies were expected to have long,brunette hair and soft features except for the eyes,which was lined with kohl (the ancestor of eyeliner) to make the eyes more striking.According to hieroglyphs,there was a lot of emphasis on appearance and ladies spent a great deal grooming themselves and was an important aspect of their culture even going as far to bury relatives with their makeup in tombs.

In contrast to that,the ancient Greeks preferred pale white visages,with long,light colored hair and a curvy,plump body.This was because having a darker complexion,shorter hair and being frail were attributed to slaves and having the polar opposite was seen as a status symbol.

The Greeks also invented something called the golden ratio (1.618) which was used to tell how symmetrical our faces were.Til this day we still use it,even subconsciously.It's scientifically proven that humans are more attracted to people with more symmetrical faces because it is an indicator of good health,perfect for mating!

Although, it sounds primal and animistic,it's human nature.

Similar to ancient Greece ,the pale skin phenomenon was prevalent in ancient China and women drank "pearl powder" serums to obtain a pale complexion.The Chinese believed that light skin covered all flaws.Lips were often emphasized and painted with red dye in different shapes,such as circles,flowers and hearts.Women were also expected to have small,thin frames to appear delicate and went through the excruciating process of binding their feet.Countless of poems and songs indicating how beauty was important to Chinese culture,there are even fables about how women gained power and influence through beauty.

During the renaissance,all body types were seen as beautiful and women were idolized and often the subject of countless of artwork.A high hairline was desired as it represented nobility and women coveted long,light hair and tried various methods of dyeing it from oils to lemon juice and even urine.

A common factor we see in these beauty standards was that pale skin was desirable and that women often endured through harsh procedures and treatments to attain the desired look,but what has changed?

Not much unfortunately,In many parts of the world,colourism still exists and whitening creams and soaps are being sold in high volumes with many companies exploiting other peoples insecurities and push the outdated narrative that having lighter skin is associated to how beautiful you are.

Although people have become more accepting of different beauty standards,different features are being celebrated because of social media with more people of colour included in advertisements and makeup lines being diversified but ironically,our perception on beauty seems to have narrowed as well.

Sculpted and sharp features are now sought for and curved bodies with thin waist lines and thigh gaps.Due to social media,both western and eastern cultures have been more accepting to those who undergo surgical procedures for cosmetic purposes.These have been influenced by the use of filters and photo shop and even if women are aware that its based on artificiality,an alarming 30% would still alter their features if given the opportunity.

However,there have been several movements such as #bodypositivity which garnered the attention of many and sparked controversy.Albeit well-intentioned and accepting to plus sized people,its harmful to advertise the idea that its healthy to remain that way.

Even if the idea of natural beauty has been popularized.Beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say,but the same people who promote this,do not share the behind the scenes that involve estheticians,dermatologists,pills and various fad diets.Around 9/10 women say they are unsatisfied with their appearance according to a survey conducted by dove.

We humans will always want to conform to trends and the lack of appreciation of natural beauty was lost ever since the world has come to start.We will always want what we don't have.

And the cold hard truth is that beauty isn't natural. It's conditioned.