Rachel's Ramblings

Natural vs. Cosmetic / Artificial Beauty

Which is better, natural or cosmetic beauty? My opinion, natural. Although it depends on what your definition of beauty is. Don't get me wrong, cosmetics aren't completely horrible, I for one love make up but I don't use it often and when I do, I don't use a lot.

Beauty - the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.

– Merriam-Webster

However, beauty comes in many forms, and some artificial beauties are stunning whilst others are tolerable. But natural will always be amazing. I'm not just talking about makeup, hair extensions, tans etc. I'm also talking about all beauty in the world. If you look around you, you will be able to see either natural or artificial beauty or perhaps both.

Natural - being in accordance with or determined by nature.

– Merriam-Webster

Let us take a moment to talk about what is natural beauty. Natural beauty are all things that were not made or caused by humankind (artificial). This includes the beauty that all humans are born with. Yes, I am also saying that natural disasters are beautiful, because they are. Their destruction isn't but it isnt about the destruction and pain it causes to us, because lets be honest every one of us has played a part in causing the destruction and pain of the natural beauty that is around us. Natural beauty has been found to be more attractive than artificial. This doesn't mean that if you do use cosmetic you arent as attractive as someone that doesn't.

The media has indoctrinated this idea of what ideal beauty is. In all honesty it is just a utopian ideal. Beauty is from within as well as what is on the outside. The media can only portray the exterior idea of beauty, let me let you in on a secret, those models, they were digitally edited as well as had cosmetics applied. So, it is physically impossible to achieve the medias idea of beauty.

Now what is cosmetic / artificial beauty?

Artificial - humanly contrived often on a natural model: man-made.

– Merriam-Webster

Artificial refers to human-made products. Artificial beauty can be buildings, technology, structures and anything else that was human made. Artificial product can be beautiful however they generally disrupt natural beauty. As well as artificial beauty is only based off the looks of the subject, unlike natural beauty that has inner beauty as well as external beauty. Therefore, artificial beauty could never amount to the beauty that is natural.

Cosmetic - of, relating to, or making for beauty especially of the complexion: Beautifying.

– Merriam-Webster

Cosmetics – a form of artificial beauty – refers to beautifying products. Cosmetics can be used to enhance a persons natural features, if the bare minimum is used. However, too much use of cosmetics doesnt just lead to skin and health issues but also can make a person look fake and unnatural which can be unattractive.

In overall, all beauty is beautiful however there are degrees of beauty and natural beauty will arguably be the highest degree of beauty that there is.