Beauty in the eye of the beholder

It's no wonder that we have unrealistic beauty standards. Look at this:

Congrats to the photo editing team at Victoria's Secret for successfully airbrushing out all signs of emaciation.

And don't even get me started on most mascara ads.

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On that note, I thought I would post images of beauty and the features I admire:

This first photo is not safe for work -- it's of model Crystal Renn. I could fill this blog with images of her, as I find her absolutely stunning. And my beauty icon (I DIE for those eyebrows). She was formerly a high fashion model but depended on eating disorders to keep her there. She walked away from it to get healthy and is now a very successful plus-size model.

OK, just a few more pics of her.....

In a stark contrast to Crystal's soft, feminine look, here are some beautiful photos of athleticism and strength.

Hilary Swank in an awesome ad/mag shoot

This chick is a javelin thrower from Paraguay... who knew! I wonder if modern medicine has perfected leg transplants yet.

Gymnasts and ballerinas astound me with their musculature and power. The balance and technique require lots of amazing, tiny muscles that my body can't comprehend.

And Gabrielle Reece is just.... I would honestly kill for this body

Others I'd like to mention (aka aspects of my friends I totally envy!):

- Erin's blue eyes, great teeth and rockin' body

- Kate's thick hair, long lashes and hourglass shape

- Micaela's runners legs and long 'n' leanness

- Bridgett's gorgeous hair and pretty hands

- Andrea's radiant skin, lovely curls and bedroomy eyes

- Ana's adorable smile, graceful neck and great legs

- Angie's perfect skin and cheekbones

I could go on and on and on and on about my beautiful friends..... and if you want me to, just ask :-)