We all want to know how to be pretty and look beautiful. From skincare routines and products to makeup and nice clothes, we dedicate countless hours to achieving the ultimate goal: feeling pretty and confident in how we look. In the paragraphs ahead, I'll show you how to get there faster and reveal the no. 1 beauty hack you can use. Stick around, as it will surprise you.

How do we define beauty or looking pretty?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – uhm, yes, but it's also in the "eye" of the societal beauty standards. Many women report feeling pressure to conform to societal beauty standards, which can change what they consider attractive. How to be pretty is subjective because we have factors such as cultural norms and trends from different time periods, where different things are considered attractive.

It seems that today, generally speaking, you are considered pretty if you have clear skin, well-defined cheekbones and bigger eyes. Additionally, it's preferable to be skinny but have some curves, and probably be a bit tanned. If only that were it… But here comes Social Media. Beauty standards are heavily influenced by what our favourite influencers look like or promote. Do we even know what being pretty truly means to us? I mean, if all these external factors did not influence us, would we define beauty the same way?

Is this all it takes to be pretty?

You may all say a resounding yes! But then, how come certain people have all these things I described above and still feel ugly or not attractive? If all you need to be pretty is to have the right features, why aren't all the people with the right features feeling attractive? If you don't believe me, check out this study that reveals only 2% of women worldwide describe themselves as beautiful. Certainly, there are a lot more that fit the description I gave above.

What's more, approximately 78% of women reported not feeling completely confident in their own beauty, highlighting ongoing challenges related to body image and self-esteem. When it comes to "how to be pretty", it seems chasing only the physical aspects is not enough.

The truth about how to be pretty

This is not a simple question. And the reason for that is that we all define looking pretty differently. What's more, we are actually asking the wrong question. Instead of saying "how to be pretty," we should say "how can I feel pretty?" Because guess what, it's all a matter of perception!

Firstly, why do you want to be pretty? What does it even mean to you? Imagine that tomorrow you will become the prettiest (whatever that means to you). What does your life look like?

You may think being pretty and feeling pretty is about the way you look. About the amount of kilos you have or your fat percentage. About having specific features and specific body parts, specific traits. You may think it's about putting makeup on or getting pampered.

You are not walking around with a mirror 24/7. But you are walking around with the image you have of yourself 24/7. We've been told lies. More specifically, to be pretty, you need to have a certain waist, or maybe a certain skin colour or eye shape. If this is true, then why are so many of us (even those whose waists are snatched and have the "right "skin colour or eye shape) not feeling beautiful? Yes, we look in the mirror and see that we look like the socially acceptable, desired standard. And for a minute, we look beautiful. You take that mirror away, and we're back to the image we have of ourselves, in our heads. We only feel as pretty as we think we are.

We're all in beauty burnout mode

There is truth and joy in getting a new dress, a haircut, a manicure, makeup, etc., and in feeling really beautiful. This is such a treat, and it works. But what happens when there is no new dress or haircut? What happens when there is no external factor to help you feel pretty?

Society, through social media, will set the standards and tell you that the trend today is big hips and voluptuous chests. Tomorrow, you might have to drop 10 kilos. It's never-ending, and frankly, it's so tiring that it leads to beauty burnout.

If being beautiful and feeling beautiful is about the way you look, then tell me why so many beautiful women feel ugly and undesirable? Yes, even those who fit society's norms. If this is true, then why, after you lost the weight, you got the lips, the pretty clothes, the snatched waist, the toned bum, the big breasts, you still compare yourself with every woman you consider beautiful? Why do you feel threatened that your partner will find someone better than you? And why does it happen that in your mind, the "better "person is someone with bigger boobs, smoother skin, less fat, etc.?

I cannot count the conversations I've assisted or heard, where, together with my female friends, we grasp at how men in committed relationships cheat with someone who is considered "less good-looking ". Only to then proceed to being afraid of all the women who are considered "better looking ".

The No.1 Beauty Hack

By now, I hope I convinced you that feeling pretty and being pretty are more than just your outer appearance. But if I didn't, keep reading, I have a lot more science-backed arguments in store.

So what is the number one beauty hack?

Understanding that beauty comes from the inside as much as from the outside. Taking care of your skin, empowering your mind, and nourishing your soul = how to feel pretty.

Huh? That's it? No magic night cream?

There is space for the magic night cream in the formula. However, the poor cream cannot, by itself, make you feel beautiful. This is why Goddessance believes beauty has three layers:

The Beauty Foundation: A strong, resilient mind

You are only as pretty as you think you are. This is why you need a strong, resilient and determined mind that decides for itself how it wants to think and be.

The Beauty Base: Integrity with your soul

Creativity, passion and integrity with your soul. Living in a way that makes you happy with who you are. You are pouring passion into whatever you do.

The Beauty Cherry on Top: Adorning your skin and body

Skincare, makeup, jewelry, you name it! Amazing products that help you shine and look your best. This is the funnest part!

What does each beauty layer mean?

The Beauty Foundation: A strong, resilient mind

This is the base. Why? Because it's your mind that will wreak chaos if not strong. She is your strongest ally or your biggest enemy. If your mind decides to tell you that you look like sh*t and are worth nothing, there is no chance in a million years that you will even consider feeling pretty.

I know women who will go out in their pyjamas, no makeup on, belly showing a little, and still think THEY ARE THE BEST. How? Their mind. Yes, yes, you may say they are delulu, but that's just your opinion.

How did they get there? Well, I have no idea. Let me know if you find out. Joking, I do have a clue or two. Some had fortunate family situations in which this was instilled in them by their parents or the environment. Others had to train their minds to become strong. To understand more deeply that body features are nice, but people are pretty because of who they are as a whole. Not just the size of the bum.

The Beauty Base: Integrity with your soul

You have a strong mind, and you are in charge of how you think. This is already amazing. What you need now is to be in alignment with your soul. It's cheesy, and what does this even mean? Well, doing things that are aligned with who you are and who you want to be, can actually make you look pretty hot…

I have an example for this one. Have you ever seen someone who is in their element or simply in the flow? Someone who is doing something they are passionate about. Have you seen how they shine? That glow can only come from you doing something that makes your soul warm and fuzzy.

The Beauty Cherry on Top: Adorning your skin and body

First, let me get this one out of the way. No one is promoting unhealthy living, not cleansing your face, or gaining a lot of weight and saying that's healthy because you achieved layer one and layer two. First of all, if you mastered layer one and layer two, you wouldn't even think this way.

There are different facets to beauty. And this one, The Beauty Cherry on Top, is just as important! Plus, it's the funnest. Taking care of your body and skin means treating your body as something you want to take care of and make strong. You want to love and adorn your skin!

This third layer is so fun. Makeup, jewelry, skincare, clothes, fun sports, nutrition, etc. All the tools in the world to take care of your body and skin. You use skincare because it makes your skin beautiful, and because the ritual of dedicating time to your body makes you feel at home. You are putting on makeup because it's fun and creative, not because you think you look "ugly" without it.

Don't get tricked by beauty standards

If being pretty means being the best at meeting society's standards, then let's just call it that. It's not about feeling pretty. It's about playing a game where you twist and turn your body to meet a set of characteristics that SOMEONE (we don't know who) decided are good. Then, by all means, that makes sense. However, let's please stop calling that beautiful or pretty.

"Beautiful" has such a different, broader meaning. Beautiful is not a club reserved for those who have been genetically blessed or have morphed their body into what's considered acceptable. We must absolutely start separating the word beautiful from socially acceptable and desirable. Because beauty is deep, the latter is surface level.

If feeling and being pretty are all about the outside, how come certain people become "less desirable "the more time you spend with them?

I know a million women (myself included) that say "When I get to that weight, I will feel pretty ""When I get those lips/boobs/bum I will be beautiful. Luckily, many of them get there, yet they still miss something. The game never ends

I'm telling you the current beauty game is rigged. We got it all wrong, and it gets me mad to my core. Beauty is clear skin, beauty is being skinny, beauty is having no tummy – NO, these are all features that one may desire or not, BUT THEY ARE NOT BEAUTY.

Amazing skincare + strong mind + passionate soul

I believe in makeup and skincare. No, no, wait, I am obsessed with makeup, and I am obsessed with skincare. These are tools for adornment and embellishment. They are tools to create, take care of your skin, and have fun with.

I think we can all agree, after this mini sermon, that being pretty is feeling pretty. You are as beautiful as the image you built of yourself in your head. And baby, you don't need anything fancy for that. You know what you need? Strength, motivation, determination, resilience, a soul whose passions you encourage, and a skin and body you love and take care of with great products.