Let us look at what types of cosmetic surgeries available now in the ‘modern’ day. There is abdominoplasty, blepharoplasty, mammoplasty, buttock augmentation, chemical peel and rhinoplasty, just to name a few among the many other surgeries available. Abdominoplasty is the reshaping of the abdomen area. Blepharoplasty is the reconstruction of eyelids. Mammoplasty is three different surgeries but all targeting the same area - that is, the breasts. There are breast augmentations, breast reductions and breast lifts. Buttock augmentation is simply the process to enhance the buttocks structure by using fats or silicone. As for chemical peel, it is a process done on the face to minimise the appearance of acne and wrinkles. Rhinoplasty however, is the reshaping of the nose, which is what Michael Jackson is famous for.

Let us see what the reasons are for all these cosmetic surgeries. For some, it is inevitable due to a nasty accident. However, for others, they do it purely for beauty itself. Some women are so determined to look beautiful they are willing to spend thousands on surgeries, and putting their life at risk all in the name of beauty. I think that cosmetic surgeries are suitable for people who encounter accidents to recorrect their body parts, but if it is purely in the name of beauty, my personal opinion is that it is better stay away from it. You can never predict what would happen should you go under the knife.

According to the U.S. FDA that regulates the cosmetics productions, cosmetics are to be used for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance without affecting the body’s structure or functions. Now, you can see cosmetics being commercialised everywhere in the world. Due to the production of cosmetics, we have beauty experts and consultants teaching us how to apply the cosmetics to achieve our much-desired looks. These so-called experts earn a lot of money just by helping people to apply the cosmetics or simply teaching them the steps.

For the Hollywood rich and famous, it is common for them to have their personal beauty consultant that will help to enhance their appearance for any events they attend. While for some of us, the not so rich and famous, we can simply purchase the products and experiment at home. Surprisingly, young girls in their early teens have wanted to wear cosmetics as well, as they want to look beautiful. Such is the power of cosmetics and beauty. In recent years, a new colony of metrosexual men also appear to be using cosmetics to look handsome. I am beginning to think that the world of beauty and cosmetics are going way beyond the bounds of ‘normal’!

Why are we so trapped in the fashion scene? To be more precise, women are trapped in the fashion scene. Being a woman, you constantly want to look good and pretty and this is where the pressures come in. Everyday, there are fashion shows at the big cities such as Paris and New York. You can expect the A-list Hollywood stars booking several designers to design dresses for them to wear at the red carpet events. Soon, you will find yourself fantasizing about wearing the same dress as the superstars and before you know it, you are making your way to the most high end boutiques in your area and swiping your card just to get the exact same dress, only to find out that you will have live on bread for the next two months in order to be able to compensate what you have spent earlier.

Some of us ladies, the ‘unfashionable’ types, don’t care about the fashion scene as we are all struggling to work to earn a meagre living to support our family. However, we can never run away from the fact that the fashion scene is a new culture that we must embrace, regardless of whether we like it or not, as we are not given the power and position to determine what is good and what is bad for us. As for now, we all just have to cope with the so-called high-end fashion designers and their so-fake beautiful models. In times to come, fashion will have a whole new meaning none of us can ever understand.

How do you recognise a fashion victim? It is easy to spot one. A fashion victim will constantly purchase every new piece of clothing – from dresses to accessories and cosmetics fresh from the shop. They are not able to refrain themselves from buying anything when they see something new is coming out. Then after they have purchased all the things, they would wear all of it proudly, as if to announce to the whole world that they have all the latest stuff, from the latest evening gown, to the latest pair of shoes and the latest eye shadow. Of course, in their own eyes, they are perfect. For us, they are simply fashion freaks that have become fashion victims.

Are you a fashion victim? I hope not, as most of the fashion victims rely solely on their credit cards to purchase all their gear. Unless they are extremely rich, there is no way they can buy the stuff in cash as designer clothing lines and accessories may cost more than what we earn in a month. Please beware not to fall into being a fashion victim. Once you have fallen into it, it is very hard for you climb out and start all over again. Fashion should be moderate and not excessive.

According to Wikipedia, beauty is ‘a characteristic of a person, place, object or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning or satisfaction’. This is true; however, now that we are no longer in medieval times, the phrase should be changed to beauty is ‘the state when a flawless woman who is willing to bare her skin for the pleasure of men’. It is not a surprise to see many half naked female models grace the covers of the top rating fashion magazines. The modern world has taken beauty to a new level and a level that every women want to achieve but only a handful of them are successful while the others remain to be deceived into thinking that they are not beautiful.

How do we measure beauty? When everything is so advanced now, we have a system called ‘the beauty contest’, the easy way to determine who shall be given the title of ‘Miss Universe’. Who would be the judges? It is none other than a panel of the self-proclaimed professionals who have been working in ‘beauty land’ forever. Of course, there will be requirements before the girls are short listed in the Top 10 or Top 5. Still, when has beauty become a contest? Do we need beauty contests to determine our beauty?

I would say this is all meaningless and there are consequences when young girls are lured into joining these contests. Of course, that would be another story.