And the winner is...

You gotta love Yahoo! Always a source of interesting news. Today there was a video on the home page (click here to see it) that promised to reveal the face of the most naturally beautiful woman in a contest held in London.

Here she is, Florence Colgate:

She's 18, and yes--she is really beautiful. The rules for the contest stated that the models could not be wearing any makeup, nor could they have had any plastic surgery. The reporter then went on to describe the ancient Greek idea that symmetry in the face is highly desirable. The more symmetrical the face, the more beautiful it appears.

Before I talk about symmetry, let me get a few things off my chest about the video:
*Is she wearing makeup in the interview and in all the other photo shots we see of her, besides the ones for the contest?
*If so, aren't we getting some conflicting ideas about beauty? Or maybe the makeup was just to define her face more for the TV cameras?
*Do you think the blonde hair had any effect on the judges' evaluation of her face?

Having asked those questions, let me be clear--the girl is stinkin' adorable. She seems humble and is cute in every way, no argument from me.

But I do wonder about the nature of this contest. Who determines natural beauty, how, and why? I, for one, agree that there is beauty in symmetry...but there is also beauty in the quirky crookedness so many of us flawed humans possess. The right side of my nose goes up higher than the left side when I smile. And I hate it. But why should I? Am I genetically programmed to appreciate symmetry for some evolutionary reason? Or was symmetry in art associated with heavenly perfection, thereby linking symmetrical faces with perfect beauty?

Now for the real question--why was this contest even held in the first place? It's like we can never be satisfied with the current stock images of beauty. We are always on the lookout for "true" beauty. That's telling. We are obviously meant to appreciate beauty. The problem is, we all possess it. And when only one or two types of beauty are broadcast, we fail to see our own.

I'd like to have a contest. I'd like to ask people to submit pictures that capture a moment when they feel the most appreciation for themselves. The contest would be to find the most contented person. I would love to see the entries: photos with and without makeup, maybe with and without clothes (yikes!), with and without hair, at rest, in action, with loved ones, enjoying solitude, working, eating, purchasing, being bold, being comfortable, etc.

Anyway, food for thought. Let me know what you think of the video, the notion of symmetry being beautiful, the contest, etc.