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I’m perfect. Well, at least for now

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This year, the strangest thing happened to me.

I finally have the perfect look – and I didn’t have to do anything to get it.

Since the definition of perfection is always evolving, all I had to do was wait for my particular set of attributes to become “trendy”.  Thanks to Kim Kardashian and Cara Delevingne they have.

My big bum went from being a nuisance to being my greatest asset (excuse the pun), my eyebrows are on fleek rather than bushy and my small waist is no longer awkwardly disproportional, but highly sought after.

For the first time, I am so close to being society’s definition of perfect - and I have realised that it is all bullshit.

In her column, We spend too much time hating our bodies, Marisa Crous points out that notion of the perfect body is manufactured and regardless of our different tastes and preferences we are all brain washed into thinking that there is only one way to look.

Growing up in the ‘90s and being a teen in the ‘00s meant I was constantly subjected to image after image of thin models and pop stars in crop tops. Curves were not a thing and people were plucking their eyebrows so much you could barely see them.

Basically ‘perfect’ was the complete opposite of me.

I felt crap about how I looked, just like everyone else, and tried hard to change that.

I remember begging my mom at 12 to let me get my eyebrows waxed. When she refused I stole her hair remover and slapped it on my face so I could tame my bushy brows. This was just  one of the many drastically stupid things I did to look ‘better’.

Thank God my mom caught me before any real damage was done.

When I was old enough, she took me to get my eyebrows shaped. She told me to keep them thick and as natural as possible– advice that is really paying off now. Thanks mom!

Now that the tables have turned, I can’t help but think about all the girls who are not naturally curvy or can’t grow thick eyebrows. They probably feel as shit now as I did back then – and it is absolutely ridiculous.

Natural traits like body shape and hair should not be forced into trends. You should never have to feel bad about what you were or were not born with.

What am I supposed to do when freckles are in? What can any of us do?

Nothing - and we shouldn’t have to.

Rather than try and adhere to a perception of perfection (which really does not exist) we should focus on our own versions. The version you are comfortable with, that is the essence of you, and that makes you happy.

And when this era of perfection that I so conveniently fit into is over, I will keep on being flawless in my own way –just like you.

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