Beauty Nation

Beauty presents a cultural standard for comparison, and it can cause unhappiness and dissatisfaction when not achieved. But we all can the best that we can be, inside and out, as our unique selves. And it does not have to cost a forturne to improve our outside appearance.

The television sitcom Ugly Betty portrays the life of a girl faced with hardships due to society's unwelcoming attitudes toward those they deem unattractive for some subjective reason. But Betty's inner personality erupts into outer beauty and prevails over first impressios.

However, a person may also be targeted for harassment because of their beauty. In Malena, a strikingly beautiful Italian woman is forced into poverty by the women of the community who refuse to give her work for fear that she may "woo" their husbands.

Researchers have found that good looking students get higher grades from their teachers than students with an ordinary appearance. Studies have even shown that handsome criminals receive lighter sentences than less attractive convicts.

Is it okay to be a crminal as long as you look good doing it?

  Beauty and Beast

The concept of beauty and not involves a subjective judgment. Cultures define it differently. One man's horor is another man's beauty. Ugliness is most commonly a thing that is unpleasant to look upon. Thus, the perception of ugliness can be mistaken or short-sighted, as in the story of The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen.

Although ugliness is normally viewed as a visible characteristic, it can also be an internal attribute. For example, an individual could be outwardly attractive but inwardly thoughtless and cruel. It is also possible to be in an "ugly mood," which is a temporary, internal state of unpleasantness.

 
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  Coming to terms with make-up

beauty bling bling Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and gels, deodorants, baby products, bath oils, bubble baths, bath salts, butters and many other types of products. A subset of cosmetics is called "make-up," which refers primarily to colored products intended to alter the user’s appearance. Many manufacturers distinguish between decorative cosmetics and care cosmetics.

The manufacture of cosmetics is currently dominated by a small number of multinational corporations that originated in the early 20th century, but the distribution and sale of cosmetics is spread among a wide range of different businesses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which regulates cosmetics in the United States defines cosmetics as items: "intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance without affecting the body's structure or functions." This broad definition includes, as well, any material intended for use as a component of a cosmetic product. The FDA specifically excludes soap from this category

What is beauty?

Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Beauty is part of aesthetics, society, and culture. An "ideal beauty" is an entity which is admired, or possesses features widely attributed to beauty in a particular culture, for perfection.

The experience of "beauty" often involves the interpretation of some entity as being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being. Because this is a subjective experience, it is often said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." In its most profound sense, beauty may engender an experience of positive reflection about one's own existence. Something of beauty is anything that resonates with personal meaning.