A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through Snapchat and saw Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Vogue "Get Ready With Me" video displayed on my For You page.
Like many millennial women, I love makeup and learning what other people's process looks like.
But the most insightful part of these videos, specifically Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez's video, is her message about accepting ourselves for who we are.
While getting ready she says "Our culture is so predicated on diminishing women and preying on our self-esteem, and so it's quite a radical act—and it's almost like a mini protest—to love yourself in a society that's always telling you you're not the right weight, you're not the right color, you're not the right, you know, whatever it is," she says. "When you stand up and say, 'You know what? You don't make that decision. I make that decision,' it's very powerful."
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Guide to Her Signature Red Lip | Beauty Secrets | Voguewww.youtube.com
This message stayed with me, and I could stop thinking about it.
Our society is always telling women how we should and shouldn't dress, what makeup styles are in or how we should and shouldn't look.
While I like staying up on specific trends, I should not be making choices to look a certain way based on what society deems as right.
I agree with the congresswoman; accepting yourself is the most radical act women in this decade can make.
It is hard to love ourselves when gossip magazines shame celebrities for gaining even the littlest bit of weight or for stepping outside without a full beat.
Fashion magazines, although getting better, are filled with thin women only five percent of women look like naturally.
We have this picture of what the "perfect" body type is. Even me, a working model, finds it difficult to accept the way I look every single day. Instead of being filled with negative thoughts, I should find ways to love myself.
Reality television shows like "The Bachelor" or "Big Brother" show these flawless looking women with perfect skin, hair, and bodies, all who have quickly risen to fame.
No wonder women and young girls struggle with self-love and acceptance.
As a society, we need to stop overthinking scenarios that feed into our self-doubt. Instead of dreading the things that we aren't, let's focus on all of the beautiful qualities and powerful attributes we have, the parts of ourselves which make us all special and unique, instead of perfectly editing negatives on Instagram.
Beauty is an inside job, and to truly love yourself we need to accept who we are.
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez inspires a lot of women to fight for equality. While I still love makeup and will use it as a way to enhance who I am, I think we all need to remember that the best form of feminism is to love ourselves and all that we are, flaws and all.
