If may comment on this as a man, I will acknowledge that males do tend to be more visually stimulated than females, so yes, a pretty face and/or body can grab our attention quite easily – at least initially. However – and I wish more men would think like this, or at least be seen to think this way – I do not think that beauty should be the definition of a woman’s worth and that getting to know a woman deeply, whether as a friend or something more, should be far more important that admiring what she looks like. Much like what you said about inner beauty. After all, youthful looks are just that – only in youth. Occasionally I will see older couples still holding hands or otherwise be affectionate with each other. To me, that speaks of a long life spent cherishing one another in the good times and the bad. Should I ever be married, that is the kind of relationship I would want to be in. I’m reminded of a proverb which may be known even outside Judeo-Christian circles, that ‘charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.’

With regards to make-up, I have never used any or seen it applied so I don’t really know what goes into the process. I suppose some subtle make-up may be helpful or useful at times. What I do know is that over-the-top make-up is a big turn-off for me – I often see this in glamour photography, whether for advertising or art, or perhaps when young ladies go out for a ‘night on the town’. It feels like a mask women wear, perhaps even to hide themselves from others, whether they are consciously aware of this or not. I want to make it clear that I’m not attacking women – or anyone – for wearing make-up, only that I feel putting on too much of it is not really that helpful to the wearer or those who see them. I was sad when my last land-lady said that she felt she could not go out without ‘putting on her face’.

With respect to cultural biases, if this is something that’s prevalent among Asians I think it’s all the more so in Indian culture. While I was in Canada (I got home a couple of days ago) there was something on TV about a young Indian woman who had spent just about every day since she was 14 or so putting on make-up, creams, and what-not on her face and skin in order to bring about a paler complexion. They even had a photo of her at age 14 so the audience could clearly see how much paler she was now than back then. And the dermatologist ‘expert’ was remarking that the chemicals in those creams, etc, were not necessarily good for one’s health and that the length of time she’s been applying these could have been harmful to her. So in the pursuit of beauty, this woman may have damaged herself in the long run, which was a cautionary tale for the viewers.

Do you remember Vanessa Amorosi? I didn’t listen to much of her music, but I do remember hearing of her in the 2000s and how she refused to put on make-up (at least not obviously) because she wanted to portray herself to people as she was rather than promote the endless cycle of false beauty. At least that’s how I remember it, I could be wrong. Regardless, I think such a stance is commendable, even if it’s very much against the majority of how celebrities operate.

I wonder, is this topic related to what you mentioned previously as weighing on you? I hope you can be encouraged by those around you who see you as you are. Good on you as well for keeping safe under the Australian sun. Even in Canada, the weather was such that I still got dark on my forearms and a bit on my face despite wearing my hat (I can tell because I got slight tan lines around where my sunglasses were – d’oh!). But I was better off than some in my family – my oldest cousin (in his 50s) looked quite dark and speckled. I suppose one might not think the Canadian sun to be that harsh but a couple of decades of sun exposure can’t be that great. I suppose, being less traditional, my family would be on the darker end of the spectrum for Chinese. It’s not exactly easy to stay sun-safe in a tropical climate like Mauritius, after all!

LikeLiked by 1 person

I think it is pretty simple actually. Say thank you to the great cinematic works from Hollywood of the 80s and 90s, where most good guys are white and most bad guys are black or yellow. Couple that with unintentional racist comments (like what your mom yelled at you). Of course we strive to be white, or at least have whiter skin. Who wants to look like the Bangla workers? Of course we want to look like Madonna and Ewan McGregor. 🙄

LikeLiked by 1 person

Sun bed and spray tans are popular with Caucasions in London. In the summer, being pale in the capital is seen as cash poor/time poor that one can’t go on/cannot afford a holiday in the sun. Carrying an umbrella in the summer in certain parts of London will attract unwanted stares from the Caucasian women. Yes, I carried my umbrella with my head held high😉.

I have not worn makeup for years. Perhaps, I will do so at some point. Some of the Turkish brands of clothes and cosmetics are priced at the high end market but the quality are not all that. The prices are London prices. The swimwear looked like bondage gear🙄.

I wear SPF 50 sunscreen on my face, on a regular basis due to the intense sun. I should wear it daily esp in the spring and summer. There are not much choices here. One can get foreign imports in one chemist but they are very expansive. There is only one brand available here that has won beauty awards for its high quality and high performance ingredients (some are organic). It is a British brand.

LikeLiked by 1 person