6 Beauty Rules You Should Be Breaking

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The world is full of rules. And while there are formal rules — the laws and regulations that govern many of the things we can and can't do — there are lots of informal rules that are often just as hard to break. Some of these rules make sense. Some of them are just stupid convention. And some of them are made to be broken. I think rules that dictate how you should look should probably be thrown into the latter category.

After all, while there are some instances where looking "the part" matters (and you should probably care), in most cases, following beauty "rules" too closely will just leave you chumped, broke, and no more beautiful than when you started. In fact, I'd say that most beauty rules are worth breaking simply because they assume that "beautiful" is a specific look at all. However, a few rules really get my goat. Here are six beauty rules you should be breaking.

1. Rule: Lose Weight

If fashion magazine covers — not to mention the celebrities we hold up as "beautiful" — are any indication, the best way to be more beautiful is just to be thinner. Simple as that. The key to amazing beauty is a smaller butt. Now that you know, you can set the rest of your lunch aside and move on to the business of being prettier. And...hungrier. And grouchier. Now that's a hot look. If you want to be fitter and healthier, you'll definitely feel — and look — better. But don't get sucked into the idea that beauty only comes in a certain size. It doesn't.

2. Rule: Follow the Season's Trends

Fashion is a fickle thing. One minute you look totally cutting edge; the next thing you know, you look totally bizarre. Fashion is an industry and coming up with brand-new looks each and every year is a way to sell clothes. This isn't to say that all your clothes need to be drab and utilitarian. What it does mean is that you should pick and choose any new additions to your closet very carefully. So, instead of choosing what's "in" this season, find a new element or two from the season that you both really like, and that suits you well. Clothes that make you feel good and look great on your body type have a much longer shelf life. Making that the criteria for choosing new clothes will help you avoid regrettable purchases — or getting stuck with a pair of terribly unflattering "mom jeans" or uncomfortable platform sneakers. You'll also be liberated from having to keep up with current trends.

3. Rule: Look Younger

According to popular wisdom, looking younger is equivalent to looking more beautiful. Of course, this implies that each and every year you're getting uglier and uglier (particularly if you've passed the age of 40). When you consider that most people now live into their 80s and beyond, we're all looking at a very long road of aesthetic decline. I guess you could spend a fortune on hair dye and wrinkle creams (most of which don't do a thing) while trying to achieve the impossible. Or, you could take good care of yourself and look your age. Your choice.

4. Rule: Don't Wear _____ With/Before/After _____

There are lots of beauty rules that follow this formula. Don't wear white after Labor Day. Don't pair a bright lipstick with bold eye makeup. Don't put mascara on your bottom lashes. Don't wear this color or that color if you have this or that hair color. But let's be serious: What will happen if you do? Will the world erupt into chaos and mass rioting? Or will most people simply fail to notice your "faux pas" and go on with their day? I think you get my drift. Although you may have to bite the bullet when it comes to dressing for work, for the most part, you should dress and make yourself up in a way that pleases you.

5. Rule: Buy _____

Have you ever noticed that a lot of beauty rules involve buying something? Whether it's a skin cream or makeup or a new haircut, be wary of rules that cost you. After all, beauty isn't just a characteristic — it's also an industry. We all need a few products to keep ourselves clean and well-groomed, but a lot more than that tends to deliver ever diminishing returns. Know where to draw the line.

6. Rule: Assume That You Aren't (Beautiful)

The problem with most beauty rules is that they assume that you, as you are right now, aren't beautiful. The problem is that we often assume that the word "beautiful" refers to physical attractiveness. In actual fact, it's defined as "possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc." Chances are that not everyone will like your style or find you attractive. But when you look at beauty more broadly, it's easy to break all kinds of stupid beauty rules. You don't have to have the right hair or clothes or shape to be beautiful. You just have to have qualities that other bring pleasure to other people. Now there's a rule worth living by.

What beauty rules do you ignore?

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