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Thanks to reader, Rosa, for sharing this counterpoint to Dove’s ‘Real Beauty Sketches’ campaign. This post raises an important critique of the campaign, and while I still value what Dove accomplished, it draws attention to some critical areas for improvement and thought, especially in how we talk to women (people!) about beauty and how we’re defining it. When I think about beauty, I’m approaching it from a holistic, self-esteem perspective. I want my girls to feel confident and beautiful about who they are, inside and out, however that manifests itself. It’s about being content in your place in the world, about valuing that place, and how you fit into it. And while superficial beauty still plays an overly crucial role in how we feel about our self-worth, I think that the message that strangers, or other people, perceive us as more “beautiful” plays a part in enhancing self-respect beyond skin-level. Clearly, there is so much work to be done on that front, but I continue to admire the effort from Dove to broaden our concept of beauty and self-image, even if its imperfect with room-for-improvement (an apt metaphor for all of us in regard to this topic).