The Beauty Business / Craze / Hunger
- Part 2 -

Sundari Yumnam *

Bala Hijam with Make-up artist Jenny Khurai

The most popular cosmetic surgeries of celebrities include- lip job, nose job, silicon implants (for breasts), liposuction, face-lift, Botox, Restylne etc. Some of the celebrities who had undergone these surgeries include- Demi moore, Angeline Jolie, Pamela Anderson, The Duchess of Alba, Melanie Griffith, fashionista Donatella Versace, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Geri Halliwell, Lady Gaga, Shilpa Shetty, Bipasha Basu, Sushmita Sen, Rakhi Sawant and Esha Deol.

Well the fact that beauty craze is an unending pursuit is easily justified by the booming of the cosmetic industry in the last few decades. There are tons of products and procedures out there that claim they can help us achieve our goals. Beauty saloons, dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons are our biggest companions helping us get the desired unattainable look. Make-up, fashion designers, dieting, slim-fast captures help undo the beauty flaws. Photoshop allows us to achieve our unobtainable standards of beauty at least at a digital level-onscreen and on print.

After playing the legendarily beautiful Helen of Troy, Lily Cole is confronting what first brought her to attention… her looks. She said in an interview: 'Our concept of beauty is so restrictive'.

The problem is, what society considers beautiful has a tendency to change, which means our pursuit of beauty tends to be lifelong and subject to the whims of trendsetters. Makeup is a must. Many women don't feel fully dressed without makeup. Thin is in. Angeline Jolie, with her dark hair and voluptuous lips is now ranked as the pinnacle of beauty. Dusky skin started occupying a place of its own-living proofs are Rekha, Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu and Deepika Padukone. The new fashion trends of the day are the ever-changing colour of hair, smelling good by using odours and scents and plastic surgery slowly gaining acceptance.

A few decades ago, plastic surgery was considered the domain of vain socialites, movie stars and centerfold wannabes. But trends show that cosmetic surgery is becoming increasingly sought after and accepted by the general public. In 2010, people spent $10.1 billion on cosmetic procedures, which represented a 1.2 percent increase over the previous year. Now, our society is becoming OK with using surgery as a way to transform parts of our bodies that we don't like.

Even if beauty trends change over time, there are certain qualities that will probably always stay ideal - no one wants to age, for example, and sizeable breasts are almost always in vogue. Plastic surgery allows people to meet those beauty standards, at prices that are becoming lower all the time and in surgeries that are becoming easier to perform and recover from. While some critics bemoan the extreme method of surgery to improve appearance, Botox, facelifts and liposuction will probably be a growing trend for a while. Wanna go through one of these, you can go to Shija Hospital and Research Centre, Langol and consult with cosmetic surgeon Dr. Palin.

We are so obsessed with our looks. We use sunscreens, fairness creams, anti-aging products, henna, oils, shampoos, conditioners and hair colourant to beautify ourselves. We wear kajals and lipsticks to enhance features on our face. We love threading, waxing, shaving hairs on our body and hair-straightening for a few thousands even though we are reluctant to divide a penny to a passing beggar. We wear jewelleries worth lakhs during social festivities. High-heeled shoes and branded attires are the order of the day. We invest a considerable amount of our time and money on beauty-stuffs. We are fond of swimming, yoga and going to the gyms to get a perfect figure. Maintaining looks occupy a high rank in our priority list. Thats why we are prepared to go through any type of pain to get the desired look. Is it just to get attention and self-esteem? I think there's more to it. If the case is otherwise, parlours and all the above mentioned stuffs will be non-existent and vanish in thin air.

Well the whole concept of beauty has undergone a dramatic transformation over the last few years. Now the concept has gone beyond the realms of mere physical attractiveness.

Beauty with a purpose is the new trend. As Confucius said "Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it", beauty is not just a visual experience, it is a characteristic that provides a perception to the eyes, ears, intellect and our moral sense. It is in this context that Miss Worlds and Miss Universes are signed on a contract to work for the welfare of the people and mandatorily engross in charitable activities after they win the crown.

Beauty is skin deep! It means people might be beautiful to look at but inside might be far from beautiful; the most beautiful person could be, at heart, spiteful, wicked - just plain nasty. Drop dead gorgeous model-actor and cancer survivor Lisa Ray on her essence of real beauty: "How you feel about yourself is what makes you truly beautiful. When I feel I'm contributing to the world in a way that is aligned with my core values of balance, authenticity and light-heartedness, it feels like the greatest beauty 'technology' ever."

Beauty is more about a beautiful mind and a beautiful heart! Angelina Jolie works for the welfare of refugees tirelessly and has also adopted a couple of children. She can be counted among the most beautiful and sexy women with an equally beautiful heart.

The crux of the matter is that it's all in the mind. As Aishwairya Rai puts it-if you think you are beautiful...then you are beautiful! The mental state is very important. Feeling beautiful is about wearing the right attitude apart from possessing poise, dignity, charm, grace, elegance. A positive attitude is all we need to fill the loopholes left by the cosmetic products. It does not even cost a thing. It can do wonders what tons of compact powder and lipstick have left incomplete.

Our maturity and confidence, added by the many years of life's experiences, adds to our persona. Everyone of us is born beautiful, lets try to discover the beauty inside us. Real beauty is about having a beautiful mind and heart and not just a beautiful face. It's about living a beautiful life. If you are truly beautiful, age will just be a number for you. True beauty is timeless, classic and forever.

Concluded