by Annie Webber

Being the lucky sort of girl that I am, and having been blessed with such a cool internship and boss lady, I was sent off to represent SDTC at a Unilever event – those are the guys who do Dove, Vaseline, Qtip – the whole shebang. Chauffeur – a plus. Dove Beauty Bar (something along the lines of an open bar with stacks upon stacks of the Beauty Bar itself) – definite bonus, and very witty I might add. But the icing on the cake was a jar placed at the coat check in which guests dropped torn up beauty insecurities they’d written down on little bits of paper – leaving their insecurities at the door! Ho, ho, how coy! With my nattering self-consciousness newly silenced, I began a new life of self-love. We asked seven (very beautiful) girls about their beauty insecurities, role models, and the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. Give ’em a read, agree and disagree, but know this! The most beautiful version of you is the you that you love. Find her and celebrate her today!

1. Emma Pickard, 21, University of Ottawa Student
If you could change one aspect of your physical appearance, what would it be?
Sigh, thighs.
What are your beauty insecurities?
Not being able to rock certain looks that I’ve seen around because of said thighs and/or having too much bust.
Why do you think you have them?
Because designers make clothes for teeny tiny boy-figured girls and you see teeny tiny boy-figured girls looking adorable on the internet every single day.
Who are your [beauty] role models?
My mother and Nana, they taught me you don’t need a lot of products to make yourself look good and that loving yourself and the things you own will make you beautiful!

2. Maddie Webber, 16, Aldershot High School Student
If you could change one aspect of your physical appearance, what would it be?
I would not have hyperkaratosis pilaris. Or have nicer shaped eyes. Or less fat on my body.
What are your beauty insecurities?
Skin, weight
Why do you think you have them?
Skin: I’m one of very few people who has hyperkaratosis pilaris (which is little tiny pink “pickies” as our mother so affectionately named them.)
Who are your [beauty] role models?
My beautiful seestors. Camille Jovanovic, Louisa Zawadzki, Kate Hudson.
Has the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty impacted your view of yourself or conventional beauty?
It’s made me more comfortable in my own skin- no pun intended.

3. Kristina Minella, 24, U of T Campus Co-ordinator and recent Teacher’s College grad
If you could change one aspect of your physical appearance, what would it be?
My nose.
What are your beauty insecurities?
It depends on the day. Sometimes its that my nose is too big, or that my hair is not right. Other days I feel fat or that what I am wearing doesn’t fit right.
Why do you think you have them?
Lots of reasons. But one thing is for sure, I always feel fat when I start reading magazines.
Who are your [beauty] role models?
My mom for sure!

4. Claire Webber, 19, Dalhousie University Student
If you could change one aspect of your physical appearance, what would it be?
Probably better skin. It used to be really bad and its definitely gotten better, but I’d still like to have beautiful skin. Like “Twilight” skin where it glows. But not freaky glow. Just beauty glow.
What are your beauty insecurities?
Defs skin and probably how my body is shaped. I’m VERY pear shaped and have muscular thighs that just end up looking big when I wear jeans. My chest is about half the size of my younger sister’s which doesn’t help much either.
Why do you think you have them?
Because of the way capitalist marketing campaigns advertise beauty. There is only ever one perspective on beauty and its something very unattainable and designed to make girls consume unnecessary amounts of products. We live in a culture of excess and are expected to look a certain way. We are encouraged to look anorexic and just like the models we see in magazines from a very young age. It’s almost embedded into girl’s and women’s minds so that they cannot seperate those capitalist notions from actual womanhood.
Who are your [beauty] role models?
My mother when she was my age. And I guess now. Hahahaha.

5. Kyla Doering, 20, Ryerson University Student
If you could change one aspect of your physical appearance, what would it be?
I wish I could change my feet! They are so gosh darn big.
What are your beauty insecurities?
My beauty insecurities are that I grew up a tomboy…and every day I wonder how I was submerged into the world of “girly girl”…every day I struggle with wanting to look presentable, yet dressing how I want. I think some days I find the perfect medium…others, not so much.
Why do you think you have them?
I have these insecurities because I grew up with a brother and dad, and I also played a lot of sports.
Who are your [beauty] role models?
My role models are women who are sporty! I love Misty May and Keri Walsh, but I also love the divas….like Gaga.
Has the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty impacted your view of yourself or conventional beauty?
The Dove Campaign has certainly impacted my overall view of beauty, it was refreshing to see a campaign that was directed towards all types of people…and was completely raw and real.

6. Jayne Siwik, 20, Trinity Western University Student
If you could change one aspect of your physical appearance, what would it be?
I would love to have a beautifully toned stomach.
What are your beauty insecurities?
I am insecure about my skin, and my midsection area.
Why do you think you have them?
All my insecurities are due to my need to compare myself to others, in school, in looks etc. Something I am getting over it the older I get, but it’s still there.
Who are your [beauty] role models?
My roommates, they are all so beautiful in the most natural way. They spend minimal time getting ready, and always look great. I want their West Coast easy going attitude to rub off on me. As far as celebrities, I would say Kirsten Dunst, Zooey Deschanel, and Nicole Kidman. I pretty much love pale perfect complexions. Ha.
Has the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty impacted your view of yourself or conventional beauty?
I think it’s great how they show real women. It’s hard when that is only one influence – there are so many more campaigns showing perfect girls that they have a bigger influence on me.

7. Cara Lehocki, 20, University of New Brunswick Student
If you could change one aspect of your physical appearance, what would it be?
Well first I would ask for perfect self esteem-how much better would it be to love ourselves the way we are? But to be honest I have never liked my thighs.
What are your beauty insecurities?
Not being as thin as all my friends.
Why do you think you have them?
Comparing myself first to my friends and then to media.
Who are your [beauty] role models?
My mom, because she could care less about what other people think of her, her wrinkles and weight..she has a healthy balance between enjoying things like makeup and fashion while not letting it control her.
Has the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty impacted your view of yourself or conventional beauty?
I love the videos. I think they are inspirational. It encourages me to understand that beauty is not one thing or one look. That every girl is beautiful because she is a girl, and her uniqueness IS what makes her beautiful. Also I am reminded of how “fixed” beauty is in the media, how much altering, airbrushing, and stylists it goes into making a photo, sometimes they take one girl’s nose and another girl’s lips to create a photo…every girl needs to be aware that the images we see aren’t real! I think the Dove campaign communicates that message.

Dove Survey

http://www.dove.ca/en/#/cfrb/mission_statement.aspx