This is What Women See When Asked to Describe Their Beauty

How would you describe your beauty?

That very question alone makes me feel incredibly uneasy. I wouldn't exactly describe it at all, I would much rather point out all my flaws and all the things I'd like to change. I almost take solace in my flaws at this point in my life. I'm so used to acknowledging them they have become a sort of comfort to me. I know I'm not alone in this. 

It’s no surprise that women view themselves in a remarkably negative light. Just how negatively comes across in Dove’s new ad campaign featuring the work of forensic artist Gil Zamora. Zamora was trained by the FBI and has completed more than 3,000 criminal sketches. He teamed up with the beauty company to draw the faces of seven strangers two times. The first drawing was done only according to descriptions the women gave of themselves. The second drawing was based on a description provided by a stranger. The differences are shocking.

Obviously, it's important to note that Dove is still trying to sell us something. This campaign could also use more diversity among the women it chose to depict, but it is a startling and sad look at how negatively we all view ourselves. AdWeek gets it right when they say that Dove is, "actually empowering individual women to appreciate their inherent beauty, and in turn, allowing us all to wonder if we've been judging ourselves too harshly."

Have you found out ways to stop judging yourself too harshly, care to share them? It'd be great to get a positive dialogue about ways to combat negative perceptions of ourselves. Let me know what you think over @missafayres.