Lucy is kicking things off with a new beauty blog! In her first entry, she is focusing on the different interpretations of beauty across the globe. If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions email Lucy! lucy@girlsbydesign.com

Hello beautiful ladies out there! My name is Lucy and I’m a makeup freak *crowd answers: Hello Lucy! * Well, some of you may have read past contributions so you know that if makeup was an addiction I would be in a group telling my problems to others…but anyways, welcome to this new GBD’s blog! *Drum rolls* The Beauty Blog! Yay! Finally! In a ‘female-only’ group I think it took us long enough J

Today, I decided to start with the essence of beauty, which is the concept of beauty itself.

What is beautiful and what is not? Well, the answer to this question depends on many things. Your culture, the place in which you live, and social impositions that surrounds you. For instance, in Cameroon and many other parts of Africa, obesity, has been associated with abundance, erotic desirability, and fertility. Fat is seen as a statement of well-being and has been frequently produced artificially through fattening processes. When a woman is going to get married, she has to go to the fattening room and spend weeks there to be a “good wife.” In this culture it is an abuse to call a woman a slim princess. How about that, girls?

However, in modern Western society “thin is in“… And sometimes, people use artificial means such as liposuction to lessen the appearance of hips, buttocks, and fat in general. In this case, the least curves the better. In this continent, most people hold negative attitudes towards body fat.

Another tribe I found out about is the Padaung, in Southeast Asia. Their women are often referred to as ‘giraffes’ because of the tradition of placing rings around their necks from when they are young girls until they marry. The pressure and weight of the rings (which is as much as 11 pounds) forces the chin upwards while pressing down the collar bones and ribs, which elongates the neck

In other African tribes, lip plates have been used for thousands of years. Yes, lip plates! A lip stretched with a plate! :-O Young girls stretch their lips with round wooden or clay plates and wear them throughout their lives. Their lips eventually get so elastic that the plate can be taken out and put back on easily. The plate must always be in while in the presence of men and can only be taken out when sleeping or around other women.

Now that you know some extreme cases I want you to tell me what is beauty for you? Physical traits? Symmetry? Or is beauty an attitude? Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder?

For me, beauty is related to your culture and what you were taught to believe is beautiful. Also, I think that opposites attract. For instance, because I am Latin I tend to find foreigners more attractive–I mean light skin and eyes. How about you? Tell me! Tell me!

Which topic you would like me to talk about next?

A) How to discover your skin type and to treat it accordingly

B) Skin must haves for winter!

C) Holiday makeup trends!

I want to start a section of every entry on beauty tips and such! J

Stay beautiful!

Xoxo, Lucy