I came across this hilarious (yet painfully true) article about the stereotype of female beauty routines. The author speaks very bluntly about subjects related to her actual beauty routine, the time and the costs of it, the way society views women, and what it expects from them.

She breaks down her beauty steps into a myriad of deeply discussed examples, and states that “smart women aren’t supposed to care, but I do”. Amy dives into the idea that even accepted “imperfections” have to be within a specific frame to be recognized by the general public. She also explores her journey of trying to “fit in” in a foreign country, having to hide so many aspects of her life and pretend to be someone she isn’t.

“Feminism Lite (my preferred brand of feminism as an adolescent) required keeping your damn mouth shut about the desire to be something as superficial as pretty, so I did. Being pretty had to be something you just were, not something that you tried to achieve, and if I wasn’t it, I had to be quiet about wanting it and what I did to get it.” (Amy S. Choi)

I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to jump to the next line, and the next paragraph, so here I share this article with you for some laughs and (potentially painful) self-recognition. Enjoy!

There’s Nothing Effortless About Being A Woman,

And I’m done pretending otherwise.

Amy S. Choi