People can never resist staring or catching a quick glimpse of themselves in the mirror. And while I do that almost all the time, it makes me wonder…do you just check out your reflection to see what you want to see or do you see what others see?

Granted, most of us just take a cursory glance to check if clothes, hair, makeup, etc is in place but sometimes, you’d take a slightly closer look, just to see what about your appearance has changed or needs to be changed; you’ve put on weight, you need a haircut or new shoes. Heck, I am guilty of this too.

What I am fascinated by is what people perceive they see. Let’s put it in context: anorexics will never see what they truly look like and the same goes for people with more serious psychological problems. But these are more major problems, what I cannot fathom is people who delude themselves for no good reason except to torture the rest of us.

Then there is personal perception of the notion of beauty. While I’m all for natural beauty, I firmly believe that women, regardless of age should take proper care of themselves. Even the men these days doing so! Yes, so you slap on some moisturizer but how about some gloss and a little powder? As the saying goes, a little bit of good goes a long, long way. I know that putting on makeup can be stressful but no one is asking that you do a full face. Even the guys these days have some light makeup…it’s not about walking around with ICI, it’s just sprucing up just a little bit makes up for a lot flaws.

While you may snigger about being a natural beauty, I’ll be direct in saying that a very small number of women can attest to this. Even the supermodels need a little help. And me? I too submit to some makeup needs. I have to, unless I one day foolishly start believing that pandas are in fashion.

Oh and while I’m at it, there is the attire.

I know that we all love our comfy tshirts and lived in shorts or even jeans, but please, for the love of God, and everyone else, do us all a favor and dress properly. I can’t recall the number of times where women show up dressed for work or even for functions in the most ludicrous outfits. I say, there is a time and place for every outfit. That said, please also read the invitation or ask friends and co-workers. And if you really don’t know what to wear, ask a girlfriend, for they are the best resources. Fashion help all time, every time, no matter how big or small the request.

But back to the topic at hand – despite all my rants and raves, beauty is still about personal perception. We see what we choose to see. What I am imploring is that perhaps sometimes, we should pay attention to the people around us and hear what they are saying. Yes, we each have our strengths and notions but sometimes we have to take in some constructive criticism. The initial shock may be a little hard to take but believe me, you will be all the better for it.