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What Do You Consider Beautiful?

Fri, 11/21/2008 - 12:00pm by DearSugar
1,725 Views - 48 comments

If you tuned into Oprah yesterday, you'd see just how true the statement "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is. Mara Schiavocampo of NBC news traveled around the word to find out how different cultures define beauty. She discovered that big butts and ankles are considered beautiful in Mauritania, a perfect nose is ideal for Iranian women, and straight hair and pale skin is what Japanese women go to great lengths to achieve. Since the American standard of beauty is different from those around the globe, it's more clear to me than ever just how many of us succumb to the pressures of societal norms. Of course, it's all about what makes us feel good from the inside out, but tell me ladies, what do you consider beautiful?

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48 Comments Add a Comment

  • Jude C's picture
    Jude C
    1

    There are so many different types that I find beautiful, so it's hard to say, but I do tend to gravitate towards the dark-haired, dangerous, and sultry type--for example Monica Bellucci, Angelina, Megan Fox, etc. And, obviously, Aishwarya Rai Smiling

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • skigurl's picture
    skigurl
    2

    i know i could go on about the "true definition of beauty" - it's all about having a good heart and being a good person whatever

    but truly, i think confident and well-styled slim girls, nice bosom (gotta have the boobs!) not too big of a butt, not pale, more tanned if anything but not orange of leathery, good skin, healthy glow, long eyelashes and good teeth!

    i think it's important to always look nice. i hate when my friends go out without brushing their hair, for example, and when people wear ill-fitting sweatpants outside

    being well-styled and happy, i think are two of the things that really shine through - i feel hottest when i look thin and am well-accessorized

    my sister and i have a criteria for buying stuff - "does it make you look rich"...if not, then don't buy it...you don't want to look trashy.

    oh, and i feel pretty hot when i'm full dressed in my ski stuff, because, in my eyes, it's when i'm at my best, so again, it comes back to confidence!

    and like jude said, angelina and megan fox do definitely have IT Eye-wink

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • mondaymoos's picture
    mondaymoos
    3

    Jessica Biel kind of embodies what I find beautiful. Strength and femininity all rolled into one.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • Jude C's picture
    Jude C
    4

    Yeah, a sense of strength is important.

    I think, in looking at the women I find beautiful, that I tend to like classically feminine attributes like long hair, large eyes, full lips, etc., but generally mixed with something a little different and tough inside (even b*tchy), as opposed to women who conform to the more conventional nice-girl kind of personality.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • pamelamarie88's picture
    pamelamarie88
    5

    I think Indian (eastern) woman are just about perfect looking. If I could change my looks in any way, it would be to look like them! As for my looks though, any time I see a Japanese person they comment on my snow-white skin. Makes me feel wonderful that someone is actually praising me for having white skin! I'm paranoid about skin cancer so a tan is something I never have

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • RosaDilia's picture
    RosaDilia
    6

    A strong, confident, intelligent and independent woman.

    If it comes to looks, I'm Dominican and Dominican men love their women with well defined hips, great bossom and shapely legs in all a great curvy body.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • lauraxtc's picture
    lauraxtc
    7

    Depends.

    im bi so I do notice woman around me. I can see the beauty in any woman. No matter if she is large or not very good looking.
    it can be her personality that can get me.

    I think dark skin woman are beautiful. With nice hips and a pretty face.
    It can also depend on how a woman carry themselves.
    Too girly, and if they try to looked all dolled up all the time seems pretty intimidating to me. Although, I am not a bad looking chic. I just feel like "damn, I never try that hard" I just try to be me.
    But yeah I think dark skin woman, with nice hips, pretty face, small breasts is just a lovely little thing.

    lol.

    sorry for being so open, but its true.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • bengalspice's picture
    bengalspice
    8

    Straight silky wash-and-go hair. I love my curls when they are behaving, but I hate the maintenance. If I don't tend to it, my curls end up doing weird things and poking me in the eyes and ears. I hate that sensation of constantly having to brush my curls out of my face when it would be so much easier to push my hair behind my ears.

    However, I find really long hair gross. So I guess my ideal is a straight haired bob cut ... hahahaha.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • gemsera's picture
    gemsera
    9

    I like paler skin, like Kate Hudson and reese witherspoon... But thats just me Smiling

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • kiwitwist's picture
    kiwitwist
    10

    My ideal would be like: Kate Beckinsale, Carmen Electra (minus her trashiness) & Kelly Monaco. Dark hair, healthy body and confident.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • BabeliciousSugar's picture
    BabeliciousSugar
    11

    Confidence make any women look beautiful. But narrowing down the features I would say beautiful arched eyebrows, perfect size nose which has no bump, full but not overly full lips, nice length jaw line, slightly brown complexion (naturally or achieved by tan, doesn't matter), clean teeth and silky hair. A woman who stands tall but not stiff, breasts you can see w/o turning to your side, flat but not tight stomach, round butt, toned back and thighs, no chicken legs.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • bluestar's picture
    bluestar
    12

    I think a lot of different women are beautiful and none of them have the same physical attributes. I think someone who is comfortable in their own body, who takes great care of herself is beautiful!

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • ckeller825's picture
    ckeller825
    14

    I think long legs are beautiful.

    Also, face is very important. I can't really put my finger on what kind of face I find beautiful, though.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • CYL's picture
    CYL
    15

    I think the most beautiful women are caring, generous, funny, loving, and confident. They don't have to be a zero, or have a super hot body. But like men, I find women who have a great personality and just average looks to be far more attractive than a hot dumb b*tch Sticking out tongue lol.

    PHYSICALLY strictly speaking I love what I can't have...long thick wavy hair, large eyes with thick and long lashes..willowy body or athletic body, but not looking like Madonna where you don't look feminen anymore..need to still have curves(more like Jessica Biel or Jessica Alba in into the Blue...Jennifer Aniston's body is also nice)

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • CaterpillarGirl's picture
    CaterpillarGirl
    16

    I am drawn to the Nordic types, the blonde hair, pale skin, pale eyes, like watching White Oleander was satisfying in the beginning.

    I also like red hair.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • TwistandShout's picture
    TwistandShout
    18

    I dunno. Now that I've "graduated" to a bigger school, I see all kinds of girls every day, and I'm hard-pressed to see one I find completely unattractive. Some girls are definitely interesting-looking, and at first I'm just intrigued, but the more I see them the prettier they get. I think I can see different kinds of beauty based entirely on appearance in everyone.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • indielove's picture
    indielove
    19

    There no one ideal that makes a perfectly gorgeous woman. We're all beautiful in different ways(I'm not saying that as a cliche, I really mean that). Personally, I find women of 'ethnic' background to be attractive. Dark hair, skin color light or dark...doesn't matter. I just think it's so interesting(aesthetically) when there's a mixture of ethnicities and you can recognize it in that person.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • glam sugar's picture
    glam sugar
    21

    Confidence, intelligence and just being real are beautiful. Someone who is physically beautiful isn't that way in my eyes if they have no brains or are fake.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • austerity's picture
    austerity
    22

    This sounds like a fun Oprah show, I'll be sure to catch it on YouTube.

    For me, features are the first thing I look at; a sculpted face is what attracts me first. I find the Iranian type of women (and men too, actually Eye-wink ), as well as Latina's, to be extremely good-looking.

    I don't have a particular preference for colors of skin, hair or body types; as long as the facial features are beautiful, I appreciate most ethnic looks. Large or at least shapely eyes, a shapely nose and symmetric, full lips and beautiful skin, is what that means to me. Strangely, I do not have the fascination for very fair skin and light eyes that is so prevalent in my South Asian culture; I put features first. I also don't share my culture's obsession with Aishwarya Rai's beauty because of these preferences; I find her nose rather unattractive and crooked (though she is beautiful otherwise), which is more important to me than skin and eye color. There are far more beautiful women in those regions who are overlooked because of their dusky skin, which I think is a pity.

    Examples of stunning women according to me; Penelope Cruz, Monica Bellucci, Marisa Miller, Gisele Bundchen, Natalie Portman, Iman, Liya Kebede, Natalie Imbruglia, Beyoncé, Queen Rania of Jordan...I am sure there are so many more that I just can't come up with right now.

    Having said all that, there has to be a certain kind of liveliness or personality that adds a finishing touch to a simply beautiful face, else the beauty and charm is lost.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • stumbler02's picture
    stumbler02
    23

    The women I consider most beautiful tend to be those who have characteristics I wish I had. I have small breasts and not much of an ass...I find women with shapely breasts/ass to be beautiful. I think I have a big nose...so I am extra critical of other women's noses and a woman isn't beautiful to me if her nose isn't just right. So, since beauty to me is very connected to my own appearance, I'd say it's too subjective to pin down to anything concrete.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • ShePirate2008's picture
    ShePirate2008
    27

    well to me beautiful is rlly anything created by God......but otehr than that....confidence is beautiful.....children are beautiful, faith is beautiful.....maybe not EVERYONE is beautiful on the outide but for real EVERY1 has beauty somewhere...

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • heartbreakerx62x's picture
    heartbreakerx62x
    28

    beauty truly comes from within, and I think that women need to realize that it does not matter what you look like, because beauty is about a connection with someone and it truly does not have anything to do with looks

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • ilanac13's picture
    ilanac13
    29

    it's going to sound trite but i think that confidence is beautiful. aside from that, looking to a more traditional answer, i would have to say long shiny hair and great muscle tone is beautiful as well.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • GScott86's picture
    GScott86
    30

    My Love. No feature can define beauty quite as accurately as Love.

    6 weeks 5 days ago Report Comment
  • hithatsmybike's picture
    hithatsmybike
    31

    freckles, black hair, and thin long noses (Anne Hathaway, Evangeline Lilly)

    All things I don't have! I share stumbler02's sentiments on this one!

    6 weeks 4 days ago Report Comment
  • VanillaJ's picture
    VanillaJ
    32

    Classic beauty. At the same time, I also love women who are strong and confident. My beauty icons are Elizabeth Taylor, Monica Bellucci, Catherine Zeta-Jones, etc. I also love Doris Day and Kim Novak, but I can't relate to them since they are blonds.

    6 weeks 4 days ago Report Comment
  • BRANDYNICOLE730's picture
    BRANDYNICOLE730
    34

    I believe in natural beauty. By that I don't mean no make-up, I mean taking what God gave you and working with it. Unfortunately, I've been seeing a lot of girls my age (early 20s), and they already have fake boobs, lip injections, and other common procedures, and I find it rather repulsive. They look like they played with their Bratz dolls a little too long, and frankly, it's hard to tell the difference between them and hookers. Embrace your natural beauty!

    6 weeks 4 days ago Report Comment
  • hemlyn's picture
    hemlyn
    35

    Hmm. Large expressive eyes, clear skin (color doesn't make a difference) and a proportionate body (nothing bigger or smaller than it should be.)
    Yup, that about sums it up. Smiling

    6 weeks 4 days ago Report Comment
  • quitecontrary's picture
    quitecontrary
    36

    Natural beauty and a SMILE. I am always blown away by those women who don't need a smudge of makeup to look amazing! I hate when it's obvious that someone colours their hair, or when women wear sloppy or too-tight clothes. Also, the way a woman walks and her posture make a huge different in how she looks overall. In my opinion, anything FAKE is not beautiful. My ideal beauties? Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz.

    6 weeks 4 days ago Report Comment
  • GlowingMoon's picture
    GlowingMoon
    37

    I'm with Quitecontrary. I have a similar outlook.

    Also, I'm impressed with people who are pretty on the outside AND on the inside. For me, I think inner beauty is more important because when I get to know someone, I see them for who they are on the inside. Their appearance really doesn't matter. This is just me.

    6 weeks 4 days ago Report Comment
  • jazzytummy's picture
    jazzytummy
    39

    quitecontrary, if you don't like fake, why is Nicole Kidman on your list. Botoxed to the nth degree, nose job, lip injections or implants, I could go on and on....she used to be pretty, nothing natural about that chick now.

    Blech...

    The others on your list though, I do agree that they are lovely.

    6 weeks 4 days ago Report Comment
  • italianblonde's picture
    italianblonde
    40

    Anyone with confidence who can carry themselves well. I also look up to intelligent and sexy women. It's great if they're blonde because people still have that dumb blonde thing going on, so it's nice to be represented well. But anyone who is happy and comfortable with themselves is beautiful.

    6 weeks 4 days ago Report Comment
  • littleblonde's picture
    littleblonde
    42

    What I like the most is a pretty face with a clear complexion. When she looks good with little makeup on. Long, toned legs are nice because it's such a hard thing to achieve. Small nose. Thin with very flat stomach. Heidi Klum is ideal.

    6 weeks 4 days ago Report Comment
  • rachelbojangles's picture
    rachelbojangles
    43

    It were just talking about looks I think these are key factors:

    great smile, hair, skin, and being in shape. I think pale women are gorgeous and all hair colors are great. Rachel McAdams, Kate Bosworth, and Shakira comes to mind when I think of beautiful.

    6 weeks 3 days ago Report Comment
  • PiNkY PiNk's picture
    PiNkY PiNk
    44

    physically, i find long, dark hair, big, dark/light eyes, full lips, and medium toned skin really beautiful.

    and i have a big butt and big boobs naturally so i find that beautiful too... but not exaggerated, if fake.

    6 weeks 3 days ago Report Comment