I remember the old days where people followed a strict standard of beauty and anyone who did not fit the mould was outcast. 

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Speaking from personal experience, I was bullied when I was younger because I had an afro and not silky straight hair like the other girls. I was so ashamed that I started wearing a hat to school to hide my hair. As I grew older, I was then bullied for being curvy. It’s great now to see and hear people all around me talk about such experiences. I am not alone. You are not alone. We are not alone. 

Flash forward to 2019 and the world is waking up to loving yourself BECAUSE of your imperfections, not DESPITE them. A lot of credit goes to celebrities and famous figures who have stepped up and owned themselves. Here are some of our faves:

Many celebrities have opened up about their struggles and imperfections. Some have done so in small ways like posting makeup-free photos or unedited photos of themselves. 

Huda Beauty with Artist Sara Shakeel

With an entire beauty campaign centred on celebrating imperfection, beauty’s reigning queen reminds us that it is only when we love ourselves that we can truly feel beautiful. Artist Sara Shakeel brought the ‘Self-Love’ campaign to life with sparkle and dazzle. We love.

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A Self Love Campaign in Collaboration with @hudabeauty i was a part of a few months ago With my @glitterstretchmarks concept, but before saying anything about this project I have something to say about the artwork I posted last night..Apparently a lot of people had a say about me & my art yesterday , and not just my art, the picture of a girl I used yesterday as my canvas, I was trying my best to respond to each and every comment having something negative to say about the model I used , the more comments I read, the more I realised how insensitive and insecure we all are deep down ourselves, Especially the ones who had to say something negative! How can you be so cruel with your words and publicaly comment on someone’s body perfectly sculpted or not! whom you have never met, never seen in person or even follow as a model.There is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with men & women having perfect bodies! Maybe this women whom you see as a perfect shaped woman, can’t speak? Or hear, or maybe she was once a plus size woman and it was her own choice to lose weight and look this way!Maybe this was her achievement! Can we for not once judge people, artists Infact any human being for how they look , before meeting or knowing them personally!I have used many women of different shapes and sizes as my art pieces, I myself am a plus size artist! Working on different projects for the ones with unique and gifted bodies! This video that you see was a collaboration with @hudabeauty and these amazing body positive artists from different parts of the world! I personally met and talked to them and how unique and insanely successful were they in their own ways! Creating glitter stretchmarks on the most beautiful women in this world not just beautiful but an amazing BOSS woman & a Mother! I’ve realised we all have our own stories to tell ! Be more accepting be more respectful towards the one who are showing and are out there telling their stories! You just never know what you learn from them that might change your life! And maybe someday YOU have a story tell !

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Nabela

The poster girl for the self-love movement, Nabela recently introduced a brand called ‘Zeba’ where standard sizes are a no-go. There’s nothing like a ‘S’, ‘XS’, ‘M’ or ‘L’. Instead sizes are labelled ‘passionate’, ‘brave’ and ‘inspiring’, reminding women that those are the qualities that define them. Size does NOT matter. 

Demi Lovato

All hail Demi. Loving her show of cellulite and owning herself. Cellulite is normal, people. Just wear a bikini and slay life.

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This is my biggest fear. A photo of me in a bikini unedited. And guess what, it’s CELLULIT!!!! I’m just literally sooooo tired of being ashamed of my body, editing it (yes the other bikini pics were edited – and I hate that I did that but it’s the truth) so that others think I’m THEIR idea of what beautiful is, but it’s just not me. This is what I got. I want this new chapter in my life to be about being authentic to who I am rather than trying to meet someone else’s standards. So here’s me, unashamed, unafraid and proud to own a body that has fought through so much and will continue to amaze me when I hopefully give birth one day. It’s such a great feeling to be back in tv/film while not stressing myself with a strenuous workout schedule before 14 hour days, or depriving myself from a real birthday cake rather than opting for watermelon & whip cream with candles because I was terrified of REAL cake and was miserable on some crazy diet shit. Anyway, here’s me, RAW, REAL! And I love me. And you should love you too! Now back to the studio.. I’m working on an anthem.. also. Just so everyone’s clear.. I’m not stoked on my appearance BUT I am appreciative of it and sometimes that’s the best I can do. I hope to inspire someone to appreciate their body today too. #nationalcelulliteday #celluLIT

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Gabi Gregg

Wear what you want to and strut your stuff knowing you’re beautiful. We love Gabi’s message.

Ameni Esseibi

The Middle East’s first curvy model and Cosmo cover girl, has been a role model for so many girls in the region. We love her message. Go Ameni!

Karen Wazen

By highlighting her stretch marks and empowering other women to show their flaws, Karen has started a hugely important conversation in the region.

Other female musicians have empowered women to be comfortable in their own skin. Songs like Pretty Hurts by Beyoncé, Truth Hurts by Lizzo, Who Says by Selena Gomez, promote self-love.

Celebrities have even revealed their mental health issues and personal tragedies.

Justin Bieber

Getting famous at a young age isn’t a bed of roses. Justin has had his struggles and we love him for sharing his story with the world.

Claire Holt

The Vampire Diaries star was extremely open about her miscarriage. We, as women, always tend to blame ourselves when things don’t go perfectly. Claire reminds us that it’s not us, it’s sometimes just life. And we’ve got to feel the pain and love ourselves through it.

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I took this photo 10 days ago, as I waited for surgery after my sweet little baby lost its heartbeat. I sent it to my fiancé in the waiting room to show him that I was ok. I wasn’t. I’ve never felt more broken in my life. I debated sharing this so soon and I’m still frightened about making such a private struggle public, but I’m doing it anyway because it's important. After my D & C, I spent hours on the internet searching for women who had been through it. I was desperate to find someone, anyone, who could relate to what I was feeling. Someone to tell me that the depression and hopelessness were normal. That it wasn’t my fault. That I wasn’t broken forever. I found a community of women who shared my exact experience. Who were open and vulnerable about miscarriage, something that isn’t often or openly discussed. It breaks my heart to think that losing a baby feels like something we have to keep to ourselves. Why is it any different than the death of a loved one? How is it any less meaningful? Here is what I have learned as I begin to crawl out of the dark hole: support is everything. I could not have survived this without the unconditional love of my partner. Despite his pain, he was my rock and my safety net. I will never know how to thank him. I also found that opening up to people is crucial. As soon as I told my story, almost everyone I spoke to told me theirs – their own, their wife’s, their sister’s. So many people go through it and understand the breadth of pain, yet so few people talk about it. Finally, I want to share a blog post that resonated with every part of me. You can find the link in my bio, @leandramcohen of @manrepeller articulates the emotional rollercoaster with an eloquence that I could never possess. To anyone out there who has been through a miscarriage, I understand you. I share every bit of your pain and you are not alone. Please be kind to yourself and I hope that you will be comfortable sharing your story too.

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Such stories inspire us and help us realise that everyone struggles with some sort of imperfection. Being rich and ‘beautiful’ does not automatically lead to a happy life. I’m really happy that today’s society is moving towards acceptance through diversification. Having a unique sense of style is now ‘cool’ and something that others want to copy. This gives me hope for future generations. 

Self-love is not always easy and the journey can be really tough. But the results (inner peace and increased confidence) are worth it. Not to sound cliché but self-love really does start from within. If you depend on others to define ‘beauty’, you will never be satisfied. Beauty comes in all forms, shapes and sizes. Just remember that you are more attractive when you know and love yourself.Â