About Beauty and Beautiful Songs About It

One of my all-time favorite song is Unpretty by TLC. I saw it first when I was 11 or 12 in MTV. Even though my English listening skill was very limited back then, I could understand what the girlband was trying to say through the song.

Never insecure until I met you
Now I'm being stupid
I used to be so cute to me
Just a little bit skinny (Unpretty - TLC)

(Unpretty - Glee Cover)

Girls are burdened with expectations for their appearance. Beauty salon, diet program, make-up, fashion, cosmetic surgery are exist to fulfill the so-called girls' need for being pretty. The thing is, why do they feel unpretty? It's because they see people who "speak" about how the girls don't live up to the requirements to be pretty.

About Beauty and Why I Gave Up On It

I am not what beauty products and tv shows would refer as beautiful in their campaign. Dark skin, curly hair, too wide eyes, big round face, wide forehead are not listed in the stereotypical features of beauty. At least that was the trend during the first 20 years of my life (still apply for most of them nowadays, though).

Some of you might think it's ironic that a supermodel was who make me finally understand that I am indeed beautiful. But it was Tyra Banks and her American Next Top Model who showed me that women who look like me could be approved as very beautiful by those who are most critical about visual beauty.

And when I believe I'm beautiful, I decided to cover it.

I am a muslimah (feminine noun for "someone whose faith is Islam"). In Quran, muslimahs are instructed to cover their heads with veils (khimar) and their bodies with loose clothes (hijab). However, I don't wear them only for Allah. I wear them also for myself and all women in this world.