20 Dec 2016

There is a popular saying that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, but for some women, beauty is more than what is beheld; it stems from simply being confident in your own skin colour.

These are the sentiments held by Chendzimu Malanga, a beauty therapist at Suzan’s Hair Salon and Beauty Parlor at  Nzano Mall in Francistown.

Beauty in all its facets and forms is a controversial and often times sensitive issue to discuss. This is basically so because people have their own interpretations on matters of beauty.

This is evident in the images people often construct in their minds about natural beauty, as for some, natural beauty is an excuse assumed by people who do not have a viable reason as to why they are un-kept, unattractive and in serious need of a manicure or the latest foundation to hide their side burns popularly known as ditshubaba.’

Even though that might be the case, natural beauty is more than skin deep as it goes beyond the superficial and encompasses elements such as stature and mannerism.

Most importantly, a personal and innate perception one holds about beauty is not influenced by any external variants. It is therefore most likely that an individual with a not so beautiful face may be considered to be naturally beautiful because of their body frame.

In some African cultures, it is a well-accepted belief that full figured women are more beautiful than their counterparts and even most appealing to some men who find their ‘roundness’ as a good indication for child bearing capabilities.

In an interview with BOPA, Malanga stated that as a beauty therapist, her understanding of natural beauty is simply not adding on what one already has.

She elaborated that keeping natural hair while adorning make-up, which is usually done by some women, does not constitute a natural look, for by applying such artificial beauty enhancers, one has gone beyond the limitations of natural beauty.

Even though being a beauty therapist places a heavy burden on her to always be presentable and wearing those artificial hair pieces and make-up to market the business, Malanga stated that unlike other women, she is confident in her own skin.

She can even go out without applying any make-up, but for some women, that is a hard task to partake as they rather feel naked due to heavy dependence on make up.

Another natural look enthusiast, Ms Barulaganyi Toteng, whose keen interest in the subject is clearly visible by the way she spoke poetically about her beauty, stated that natural beauty is her.

“I take pride in who I am and how I look because I have been created in the image of the most high and hence I am without flaws,” she said.

Ms Toteng stated that as a young independent woman, she does not look to the world to define the essence of beauty to her, adding that by being created in the image of God is a sure sign that she is a beautiful soul.

Though money is often attributed as a hindrance to people to pursue artificial beauty enhancement, there exists a segment of women who define beauty by their own standards and embrace the epitome of being truly African.

On the contrary, there are those who almost worship artificial beauty and describing this aspect of beauty may trigger one to be curious to answer the question of what is beauty in the first place.

According to the Little Oxford English Dictionary, beauty is described simply as the quality of being very pleasing to the senses; therefore this definition of beauty brings one closer to the discussion of why other people prefer pleasing their senses artificially.

An artificial beauty enthusiastic, a 29-year-old Beauty Jwankie, said she prefers artificial beauty as it enhances what God has already given her.

She said growing up may make one want to look better than she or he is, and this gives one no option than doing it artificially.

Ms Jwankie added that mostly it can be influenced by the people one lives with and the modern society where technology has solutions to every problem.

According to her, good looks makes one comfortable in his or her skin, saying when one feels good about themselves they will be confident.

“Confidence can buy you whatever you want to pursue in your life, if I go to the interview not feeling good about myself, I might lose the job that was supposed to be mine and vice versa,” she added.

Furthermore, she said her hair takes long to grow and she always prefers putting on a hairpiece, noting that even though it will be there temporarily, she will feel good for that time.

She added that she also likes putting on artificial nails and eyelashes depending on the occasion she is attending to.

Ms Jwankie said she does not like being without any of the artificial; the nails, eyelashes, hair pieces and make-up because she feels they make her more confident, leaving her feeling like a princess.

As for 32-year-old Ms Bonang Moyo, she believes so much in make-up and artificial eyelashes, noting being beautiful is the best present a lady could give to herself, adding that it helps one to have self-esteem.

She noted that growing up with other sisters who loved make up and looking good made her to adapt to the style eventually upon reaching her adolescence stage.

Ms Moyo said she believes artificial beauty is mainly influenced by many things, citing an example that she has a cousin who has a terrible scar on her face as a result of a fire accident when she was still a kid.

She said her cousin grew up with low self-esteem as she always complained that she felt ugly, but now as a grown up woman, she relies heavily on make-up, which she feels makes her look better and she has gained her self-confidence. ENDS