My side of the bathroom sink has shaving cream, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste and a hairbrush. On my wife’s side there is an assortment of creams, lotions, nail polish, nail polish remover, makeup, makeup remover, lipsticks, eye liner pencils of all shapes and sizes, brushes and various powders in little cases. It’s amazing what links we go to in order to be perceived as beautiful. Cosmetics are a multibillion-dollar industry.

Fun Facts About Beauty

  • If the good Lord blessed you with a single eyebrow or unibrow, (synohyrys), don’t despair. Just move to the Asian country of Tajikistan where women and girls allow it to grow thick and full. It is considered highly attractive to the opposite sex.
  • Ancient Roman women know their beauty secrets. Vendors outside the Coliseum sold gladiator sweat that was supposed to improve a woman’s complexion. Not exactly what I would call Chanel #5.
  • Many women turn to plastic surgery for confidence or self-esteem issues. A South Korean plastic surgery center in Seoul has 12 stories and all rooms are busy all day long. Most common surgery? No, not boobs, Korean women want to look more Caucasian. Probably due to our television advertising.
  • Ladies, if you hate wearing bras you can blame the Vikings. Viking women wore a combination of metal discs and clasps designed to lift and shape breasts. Christian’s banned bras when they arrived because they called attention to the female form and that was a no-no. There is no evidence that bras prevent sagging however.
  • You can’t be a model in Israel if you are too thin. Models must have a body mass index of 18.5 or more to be legally hired. India and Italy have also enacted similar laws. Double-Bacon Cheeseburgers for everyone!!
  • “Ohaguro” or “black teeth” was common in Southeast Asia and Japan until the early 1900’s. Iron was dissolved in vinegar and the liquid was painted on the teeth each morning making the teeth pitch black. Black objects were considered beautiful in those cultures at the time. Unintended side effects? The concoction protected teeth from decay and preserved them long before dentistry became popular.
  • No mullets in Iran. No ponytails or spiked hair either. All haircuts must meet government approval. No “decadent Western cuts” are allowed. Approved haircuts are “inspired by Iranians’ complexion, culture and religion and Islamic Law.” Iranian police do “morality checks” to keep western influences from corrupting their culture.
  • Beauty can be painful. Women in the Mentawai tribe in Western Sumatra file their teeth to a fine point and are tattooed with a needle and hammer. And you thought a Brazilian wax hurt.

Some Final Thoughts

It’s amazing what we do for the perception of beauty. Filling your teeth, plastic surgery, painful tattoos, and black teeth? Who thinks this stuff up? I think whomever thought of the idea to sell Gladiator sweat was just trying to make a quick buck from some very gullible buyers.

I think all of us are attractive in our own way. If we really care about people, we look past the outer wrapper, because the real gift is inside. If a little modification makes you feel better about yourself then more power to you. To paraphrase the old Billy Joel song, “I want you just the way you are.”

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