Can we just talk about how fucking transient the concept of beauty is?
I grew up in Hong Kong where I was considered beautiful because of my mixed ethnicity. “Mixed babies are the most beautiful” – I was always told.
Until I moved to England and the word mixed was translated to mongrel. “You aren’t one of us and you certainly aren’t one of them” – I was told.
The rare few that would acknowledge my beauty would do it in a way that fetishised my entire existence. “I’ve always wanted to tick an Asian off my bucket list”. But it’s not even about where you are born but the timing of your birth!
My eyebrows were considered the worst growing up. “Don’t you know what a pair of tweezers are?!” A school friend mocked me, pointing and jeering at my monobrow.
I used to pull at them and try to pluck them out by hand until one day I grew so frustrated I took a pair of scissors and snipped at them.
10 years later and who knew bushy eyebrows would be in. “They give so much character to your face.” A guy would tell me whilst I am in university.
YOU CAN’T EVER WIN.
Beauty is not one look or one type of feature, beauty is shown in your actions and behaviour and at the end of the day, I would choose to forgo all supposed “beauty” because I don’t need or want to be beautiful.
Powerful – yes.
Brave – yes.
Kind – yes.
Caring – yes.
Resilient – yes.
But beautiful – meh ??