Any female, young or old, is desperately trying to find one ounce of her body that she can tolerate. Not love. Just tolerate. And I don't blame us, considering the influx of media images we as women face on a daily basis. Any female who is even eligible to be photographed must have a petite figure, long legs, perfectly straight white teeth and tiny boy hips. She also must have no blemishes whatsoever, not even a hint of a double chin, and zero hair on her body except on her perfectly shaped head. Because, like, that's completely normal. We ALL look like that...right?
The female body is under crisis. And I'm declaring war.
So I want to show you how you don't have to just tolerate your body anymore, you really can love it. Even celebrities (gasp) have some "imperfect" features, and they completely rock them. The reality is, you're hot, and you don't even know it. So allow me to enlighten you, eh?
Here are six physical features that you should absolutely love.
1. BIRTHMARKS/MOLES
In a culture that idolizes even skin tone, zero blemishes and a bright complexion, it's easy to understand why women everywhere despise one of the most individual and unique markings on their entire body. The birthmark, no matter where it lies, is completely shunned from today's beauty standards. But I call bullsh*t.
Let's just take a look at Cindy Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, Eva Mendes, Angelina Jolie, Catherine Zeta Jones, Rachel McAdams, Jessica Simpson... the list goes on and on. ALL of these women either have a birthmark or a mole, and most of them have them on their faces. And as we can all see, they aren't holding them back. Not even for a second.
Birthmarks bring a pop of individuality to our bodies. They make us stand out, make us different from the rest. The key to birthmarks and moles isn't hiding them, it's owning them. Make it your "thing." Play it up. Cindy Crawford did that just... and look where she is. Maybe people laughed at her in the beginning, but I can guarantee you, she's laughing all the way to the bank now. So I invite every female with a marking on her body to celebrate it, not hide it. Who knows, it could just be your trademark one day.
2. THIGHS
I'm kinda sure every female human hates her thighs. And 99 percent of the time, it's not because they're too small. This odd concept of the "thigh gap" has taken the nation by storm. Outrage over the nearly impossible standard to slim our thighs to the point where they don't even touch (what does that even feel like?) has come to a roaring boil, but girls everywhere still try to emulate it.
But I'm here to tell you, that you don't have to have a three inch space between your thighs in order to love them. (Sorry Ja'mie). I mean, hell, if Kate Upton doesn't have a thigh gap, why would I want one? Same with Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lawrence, and Scarlett Johansen. Now, wouldn't it have been a shame if these women let their toned thighs hold them back?
Some women simply do not have the bodies to even achieve the thigh gap. I'm one of them, and so are a lot of girls. It does not mean we aren't healthy, we don't eat right or we don't exercise. It simply means we were built more like Kate Upton.
3. STRONG NOSE
You say big, I say strong. Because that's exactly what these noses are! If eyes are the window to the soul, noses are the bridge to your character. They make a statement. Strong noses are classic, timeless and noble. Plus, if you rock it, they can be the most beautifully defining part about you. Just like girls with a striking birthmark can totally be the next Cindy Crawford, girls with the strong noses can be tomorrow's Streisand. Hello, gorgeous.
Or if Barb isn't your cup of tea, I have some other lovely examples for you. Lea Michele, Jennifer Aniston, Jemima Kirke, Claire Danes, and Penelope Cruz all have some rather defining noses that they certainly seem to be proud of. Michele has spoken publicly about how she was strongly encouraged to get a nose job before she hit celebrity status and refused.
P.S., Michele calls her nose "distinctive" and is proud of her decision. Werkit.
4. SMALL BREASTS
Forget the padded bras, girls. Having small boobs is awesome. Sure, watching the Victoria Secret Fashion Show might not be the most fun time of year (ughhhhh), but there's no need to hate on your chest.
Fun fact time! After a rather odd photo shop job done on Keira Knightley for a movie poster, she recently agreed to pose topless ONLY if the photos were not photoshopped to enhance her breasts. Girlfriend is proud of her flat chest, and wants people to see her as she is. And with that said, I wish the same for you! (Not to pose nude of course, don't put words in my mouth dears.)
So let's get to it. First of all, flatter chested women can totally get away wearing many different wardrobe styles. Sure, some clothing is meant to be filled out, but I have seen shirt after dress after romper that were really not meant for bras. Yay! Second, exercising is WAY more pleasant. I know this from personal experience. (My other exercising buds do not share my boob deficiency and whine from time to time. But we don't have to get into that.)
Third, smaller breasts have a certain classy look to them. Take the Olsen twins, Evangeline Lily, Cameron Diaz, Natalie Portman, Zoe Saldana, Charlize Theron, Keira Knightley, and Kate Moss. None of these women have much going on in the chest department and they are fabulously gorgeous. Small boobies unite!
5. IMPERFECT TEETH
For most, it takes a lot of work and money to get a perfectly straight, white set of teeth. Not even kidding, last week the dentist quoted me like $1,000 to get my teeth all perfectly colored and straight and blah blah blah. I'm sorry, one thousand dollars? Fo real? Ha. I'll take my crooked teeth and pay rent instead okkkk?
Hardly anyone is born with perfect pearly whites, yet there is a mega emphasis on obtaining this look. Now, I'm all about having healthy teeth and brushing and flossing and rinsing and whatever else we need to do, but I'm not really convinced our smiles all need to look identical.
If you aren't loving your teeth because you either didn't get braces, or they shifted afterwards (guilty -- and YES I wore my freaking retainer, mom), it's OK. I actually find that people without perfectly aligned teeth tend to have a bit more character in their smile. Take Kirsten Dunst, Keira Knightley, Madonna, Jewel, and one of my absolutely favorites Anna Paquin. I'm pretty sure none of you cringe when these fabulous ladies shoot a smile, and why should you? These women are beautiful and have teeth that deserve to be shown.
I'm convinced you do as well. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars just to look like everyone else-you can totally rock your own smile on your own terms.
6. BIG HIPS
Although hips don't quite receive the full on shame the thighs endure, they are definitely in the race. Having large hips overnight became the easiest way to call ourselves fat, when in reality, lots of toned, healthy women have them.
Yes, runway models and high fashion models for the most part do not have wide hips. And yes, they're really hot, too. They typically are tall, slender, and lack the typical feminine curves. But that does not mean that hips aren't sexy, or that they are something to be ashamed of. In fact, I find it a bit easier to do the cat walk with a full pair of hips swinging side to side. In my hallway. Alone.
Plus I am more than fine joining the ranks of Shakira, Beyonce, Nikki Minaj, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Winslet, Sofia Vergara, and my future best friend (she doesn't know this yet) Chrissy Teigen. Our hips don't lie. They don't even fib.
Want to love your body?
Good. You totally should. Cut out comparing, and focus on appreciation. You do not have an identical body to anybody else on the planet, and that's amazing. You have features that no one else has! Own them. Love them.
Hi! Did you like this article?! YAY!! In that case, come hang out with me here! I do life coaching and things like that. We can talk about body image and other things that girls deal with on a daily basis.
Photo credit from top to bottom that took me forever: amazingbeautyworld.com, xovain.com, thebeautygypsy.com, billboard.com, complex.com, theguardian.com, thewire.com, imageevent.com, wallpampers.com, embeddedblog.com, famousface.us, mamastylista.com