What is Pure Beauty?

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Everyone has their own idea of what pure beauty is. According to Webster's Dictionary, the definition of beauty is “the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit” (“Beauty”). However, the definition of pure beauty has become warped and manipulated into a standard that only a select few can achieve. Nonetheless, beauty is more than what is behind the counter and computer. With these high criteria society sets, many women have false ideals of what is truly beautiful because of the increased use of Photoshop programs, the willingness to put themselves at risk under a surgeon's scalpel, and many are now spending hundreds of dollars annually on cosmetic products in order to capture these unattainable stereotypes. It is no surprise to anyone that advertisements seen on television, in magazines, and on billboards are Photoshopped, but it is surprising to what extent. According to an anonymous photo-retoucher, every single image used in advertising has been retouched, whether it is features like skin, curves, or hair, the industry just redefines the models looks to fit their own definition of what beauty is. No longer is it just covering up acne or blemishes, now models are being but on smaller bodies, or fattened up to look healthier. (“100 Percent”). To what extent can these altered images still be considered human photographs? The celebrities seen on the cover of People, Vogue, Redbook, and countless other magazines, are not as flawless as they appear. Even though as a society it is realized that there is some Photoshop behind the images, the extent Ashbaugh 2 to which it is applied is what is not recognized. How... ... middle of paper ... ...ug. Karen. "Makeup & Beauty Blog." Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Tips, Pictures and More. TotallyHer, 31 Dec. 2010. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. Kita, Natalie. "Will Insurance Cover the Cost of My Plastic Surgery?" Security Alert:. American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 10 Mar. 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. Parker-Pope, Tara. "Many Normal-Weight Teens Feel Fat." Well Many NormalWeight Teens Feel Fat Comments. New York Times, 23 June 2008. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. Reporter, Daily Mail. "'Models Don't Look That Much Better than the Rest of Us': Photographer's Self-portrait Series Proves Just How Deceptive Beauty Campaigns Can Be." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 12 Dec. 2013. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. Tantleff-Dunn, Stacey. "Too Fat to Be a Princess? Study Shows Young Girls Worry About Body Image." UCF Today. University of Central Florida, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.

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