Is it someone with flawless skin? Someone who has the 'perfect summer body'? Are they tall? Short, even? How would you define someone as beautiful? 

Beauty seems to be one the most controversial issues in our society today. Many now argue against the use of Photoshop for fashion magazines, as we shouldn't hide the 'imperfections' that a person may have. However, others are adamant that we continue using photo editors, such as Photoshop, as they have been used for years. But photo editors give a false representation of what beauty is. The world sees so many people conforming to what society wants - if society wants us to meet their 'beauty standards', then how are we expected to express our own and unique individualities?

Grab the closest fashion magazine and flick through it. Are you greeted by tall, skinny models, plastered in make-up? For decades the media has been showing the world how we should perceive beauty, we have it in our minds that ridiculously slender women with perfect skin and athletic men with the most amazing build are the most handsome beings. You wouldn't find a man in a fashion magazine without muscles, would you? The fashion world is only just introducing 'plus-sized' models, but 'normal-sized' models are still the go-to for several companies. When Marilyn Monroe was alive, she was considered as the most beautiful woman by the media. She wasn't skinny, but curvy instead. So, why has this changed? Why have the views of body image changed so that the natural beauty of a larger person overlooked for a person who is slimmer? Who decided that a slim person with clear skin and perfect features are more attractive than anyone else?

Beauty isn't just about the way one looks on the outside, but what their personality and actions are like. A person can easily overlook another because they might not be 'attractive', but that overlooked person might have the most wonderful personality and might even be the most kind-hearted being to walk this earth. You should never judge a book by its cover.

My opinion is this: body size and the way one looks does not matter. I understand that, sometimes, people may want to make themselves more attractive for their significant other, or to boost their self-esteem - but why can't we love our bodies for the way they are? Your 'imperfections' are your perfections. No matter what anyone says or does you will always be beautiful to you and to many others. Don't listen to what the media says about beauty. Never change yourself to meet 'beauty standards', change yourself for you. The one thing that I've always been told is that I "should never worry about what anybody else thinks". For a long time, I doubted this and my self-esteem was at its worst - it's only starting to get better. But why should someone dictate to me what us beautiful, and what's not?

Find a mirror and look at yourself; you are staring at the most beautiful being on the planet.