DID DUCHESS KATE GET BOTOX? WHO CARES?!?

Have you heard? I'm sure the bells were ringing in the Tower of London to announce that Duchess Kate got a little 'baby Botox.' But did she? And if she did, WHO CARES?! I'm not going to go down the rabbit hole of the critical lens placed on the British Royal Family...I don't have the time or the mental fortitude to take on that Goliath. Instead, I want to take a moment to shed some light on the stigmas that lurk within women's health and beauty.

Speaking of light..I think we can all agree on the absolute power of good lighting. It can make or break a picture and quite possibly your confidence. LOL. Lighting be damned, I think we can also agree that Duchess Kate is beautiful in both of these pictures that shady @drmedispa decided to post to get some underserved media attention.

This is yet another example of how women's bodies and what they do with them is somehow up for public discussion and admonishment. I've always found society's double standards regarding women's and men's health perplexing. We dole out admiration for both genders when they strive to better themselves intellectually, but as soon as the conversation is directed toward physical health and appearance, women get fed to the wolves. And often times those wolves are women themselves. If I was the dramatic sort, I would wring my hands in frustration! WELL, I am and I did! LOL

I believe the stigma surrounding women's beauty being artificial in any way, stems from the Virgin Mary herself (bless her heart). Yup, I'm going way back here. Mary was intended to be all that was holy and perfect; the standard for both women's behaviour and beauty, while simultaneously being untouched and unblemished. The hypocrisy is ancient, but even through the Age of Enlightenment and modern feminist activism, this unrealistic and virginal standard for women's health and appearance persists. It has taken the form of many different women since Mary, including Nefertiti, Queen Elizabeth on through Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez and now the Kardashian/Jenner sisters. BUT the theme of innate, yet unattainable beauty has stayed the same.

Modern women are supposed to be intelligent, funny, beautiful, fit, and the list goes on and on. AND the kicker is that these attributes must also be natural. As if any of these sought after qualities aren't honed and worked upon for years. Pffffft, come on now. Let's stop being willing participants in this game of pretend. The reality is women and men have ALWAYS used artificial (man-made) methods and techniques to appear more naturally beautiful, strong, intelligent etc., etc., etc. I want to be a part of reducing and eventually removing this stigma from society. Not to be redundant in the current social dialogue on this topic, but a good first step in achieving this lofty goal is for all of us is to be open, honest, and accepting with ourselves and each other.

Whether Duchess Kate did or did not use Botox treatments to improve her physical appearance or health should not be this news worthy! There should be no shame in how she or anyone decides to work upon and improve themselves. If a little Botox makes you feel more confident and well-rested, what is the harm in that?!?

As the youth say, you do you.