As a woman who spent much of her adult life in Southern California, where surface level beauty is critical part of everyday life, I know first hand the role of advertising and celebrity has in shaping the notion of what beauty is. The Betty Friedan in me wishes I could stand triumphantly in front of you all and say that I don’t subject myself to fitting the standards the fashion magazine set, but that would be a lie. I, like millions of others am lured by the hope that the beauty industry sells surrounded with vats of products that promise a more beautiful, better me. But things are starting to change.

The Campaign for Real Beauty by Dove years back, spoke volumes on the unrealistic notion of beauty. But if this was all so true and we as a population were so fed up, why does popular culture still celebrate this impossible “dream”? Beauty plays such a critical role in our lives-it is a benchmark of success, of wealth, of status. Sacrificing this all together is not an option for many. But paradigms are slowly shifting to take us all to a more honest place. Transparency is meeting beauty as it has in so many other categories.

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I think that beauty and fashion are at the same crossroads so MANY things are right now. We’re redefining these old conventions. The hilarious, very honest Chris Rock documentary “Good Hair” is a great example of this changing ideal. We are living in a time of transparency and all of a sudden, there’s an openness that didn’t exist a few years back. There’s a pride in honesty. It takes too much energy to hide these beauty secrets. Whether it’s admitting you’re addicted to the “creamy crack” (relaxer) or unapologetically not wearing any make-up, we are becoming more and more proud of being un-done. Does this mean you will see women forsake their favorite products–hardly! but it does give permission to throw on sweats and maybe just a fabulous pair of sunglasses without the makeup. More than anything, we’ll live to tell  the story. Girlfriends, sisters, co-workers, it’s now about unveiling your secrets to the most amazing you. Go ahead. Admit it.

Baby steps.