Fashion magazines love telling women that our bodies aren’t fit to be seen in public, unless we buy and use the beauty products they’re hawking. And in the summer months, when rising temperatures lead us to shed more clothing, their scrutiny intensifies, picking women’s bodies apart from head to toe. Well, forget them! I’ve penned the only list of beauty tips you need to enjoy the summer.

SIX SUMMER BEAUTY TIPS by Rebecca Hains

1. How to get a bikini body: Put a bikini on your body.Your body is great!
2. How to get your skin ready for summer: Use sunblock. Your skin is great!
3. How to make your lashes pool-proof: Avoid mascara. Your lashes are great!
4. How to find your happy hair color: Be happy with your hair color. It’s great!
5. How to get summer-ready legs: Is it summer? Look down at your legs. They’re ready for use!
6. How to choose a summer wardrobe: Pick out some clothing you like. You’re ready for summer!

“Splash!” by Zakwitnij!pl Ejdzej & Iric. (CC BY-SA 2.0)

As seen on Facebook, Women You Should Know, Mom Meet Mom, and The Christian Science Monitor.

Dear readers: I was hoping to post a slideshow of women with many different looks enjoying summer—but wow, there are not many choices available on Creative Commons. The lack of diversity makes me really sad! If you have any photos I can share, please contact me via my facebook page (private message is fine). Thank you!

UPDATE:

Look at all these amazing women who responded to my request above. They are speaking back against magazines’ Photoshop standards of beauty: #ReadyForSummer and loving it!

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Thanks again for sharing your photos. Readers, feel free to send your additions if you’re inspired to do so!

For further reading, check out this great post: “I wore a bikini and nothing happened.”

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Rebecca Hains is a media studies professor at Salem State University. Her book, The Princess Problem: Guiding Our Girls Through the Princess-Obsessed Years, is now available for pre-order from Amazon.

Rebecca is on Facebook and Twitter. If you enjoyed this post, you may follow Rebecca’s blog by hitting the “follow blog” button at rebeccahains.wordpress.com.