As women, we are put into categories. The hot ones, the not-so-hot ones, the smart ones, the dumb ones, and so on and so forth. Far too often is a woman characterized by one aspect of her personality or appearance.

I'll use myself as an example.

I love to wear makeup. I mean LOVE. I may not be the very best at it, but it gives me so much joy when someone compliments my winged eyeliner or nice skin. I would even wake up at 6:30 in the morning last semester so I could put on makeup for my 8 a.m. class. On top of that, I like to wear stereotypical "girly" outfits as much as possible. Anyone who went to high school with me can attest that it was very rare to see me wearing pants because I was usually sporting a dress or skirt.

I am also a self-identifying feminist.

I know that word has a bad reputation nowadays, and that's mostly due to the stereotypical image both men and women picture when they think of a feminist. It's as if someone who believes in the equality of the sexes is automatically a man-hating, no-shaving, crazy person.

That's simply not true, and it's time we stop perpetuating that stereotype of feminist women.

In 2017, you wouldn't think that this would be much of a problem, but unfortunately, women are still taken at face value and minimized to one small part of who they are.

But in case someone hasn't told you, I will: women are multifaceted, complex individuals. We can be strong, and smart, and feminine, and a million other things, all at the same time. Just because I wear makeup and like to dress up doesn't mean I can't advocate for the rights of my fellow females.

Often, the most extreme voices in a group are the loudest. "Feminists" who advocate for women to receive preferential treatment over men aren't feminists at all; they're promoting misandry, and those views do not represent the vast majority of self-proclaimed feminists.

Feminists come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and genders, and we find empowerment in a million different ways. For me, my makeup and clothes make me feel like I can take on the world. I do it for me, myself, and I, not for anyone else.

Every woman has the right to feel empowered, whether that's through wearing a bikini or a hijab, whether it's putting on a full face of makeup or none at all; it doesn't matter. What matters is destroying the notion that all feminists look the way society wants us to.

True feminism isn't what you look like or how you dress or even what sex you are; it's social, political, and economic equality for all men and women, plain and simple.