Why I'm Disappointed in This Month's Cosmo

I am a strong supporter of Cosmopolitan Magazine. I read it secretly when my parents banned it from our house and I subscribed once I moved out on my own. I love the make-up tips, the hair styles, and the woman-power articles.

However, I was extremely disappointed in this month's issue.

It featured an entire section on plastic surgery, and how this is the solution for being self-conscious.

Plastic surgery, unless for a life-saving or non-cosmetic reason, is never the solution for being self-conscious.

If you are unhappy with your body, the first step is to realize that nobody else sees what you see. They don't see just your "large" nose or your flat hair. They notice all of your features combined. You are beautiful in your way and you don't need to change your features in order to fit into your standard of beauty.

Try enhancing the features you are comfortable with. Wear an eyeshadow that accentuates and makes your eye color pop. Or try a different shade of lipstick. Buy yourself a dress that shows off your waist or your long legs. You don't need to resort to plastic surgery.

At my most self-loathing points, I've played with the idea of plastic surgery. But it's not for me. My main reason is that I am so excited to be a mother. I can't wait for the day I get to hold something that I created and see the beauty of my own newborn. That child will also have half of my genes. I want to be able to look in the mirror and see the features my child was handed down, not something a surgeon created.

Birchbox

Recently, I've started subscribing to Birchbox. Each month, you pay $10 and they send you a box of beauty products specifically tailored to you. It asks your skin tone and favorite types of products and comes up with a few samples and products for you to try. At first, I was a little worried that it was a scam, but I did my research and gave in. It is definitely not a scam. Obviously, the goal is really to get you to buy the full-sized products, but that's not why I've subscribed.

I am a make-up fanatic. I love trying new things and Birchbox allows me to do it each month on a budget. $10 is really not much when you're being sent amazing, high-priced items. My favorite product so far is a Stilla lipgloss that perfectly accents my skin tone!

I would definitely recommend trying it out if you're as make-up obsessed as me!

What Makes You Beautiful

In today's society, women are expected to be 5'8 and 115 pounds. They are expected to have painted faces and airbrushed blemishes. They wear the latest trends by the most fashionable designers, and show a large area of skin. But while that may be something to look at, it's not real beauty.

Real beauty stems from what is inside your mind. It comes from your experiences and your knowledge of the world. It comes from the way you carry yourself. It comes from your motivation and dreams and goals for your life.

Our bodies are inherently beautiful, no matter what society says.

We're beautiful because our bodies were beautifully crafted to, one day, bear children. We are special because we have the ability to become a mother. In my humble opinion, motherhood is the most beautiful thing. We need to take care of our bodies so that we can be prepared in case we decide we want to have children.

That's reason enough to love our bodies, just the way they were made. We don't need surgery to fix the blemishes. We don't need to show it off like a piece of meat in order for it to be beautiful.

If you want to become more beautiful, instead work on your mind. Learn as much as you can and show the world grace and kindness. Real men fall in love with our minds. I promise that when a man falls in love with your mind, he won't care what your body looks like.