People Magazine Holds Contest to Feature Non-Celebrities in Most Beautiful Issue

Pictured: Sample images for People’s Real Beauty campaign. (image via People)

I think all of us are familiar with People Magazine’s Most Beautiful issue.   Every year the magazine features their select list of the most beautiful people. Most of these people have been styled, retouched and carefully posed for professional photographs.  It’s hard to for the everyday woman to compete with those images from People Magazine.   Even most of the celebrities themselves can’t compete with the images from the photo shoots without the help of their stylists, make-up artists, hair stylists and the loan of designer duds.   This year People is doing something different (which I applaud) with their issue, which is to feature women who are not celebrities.  Today the magazine has announced “PEOPLE’s Search for Real Beauty at Every Age” – a search for real women ages 20-59 to appear in the 23rd annual “World’s Most Beautiful” special double issue (on newsstands 4/27).

 The “Real Beauty at Every Age” campaign is actually a contest.  To enter visit PEOPLE.com to nominate yourself, a friend or a family member. Here’s the 411, click over  “PEOPLE’s Search for Real Beauty at Every Age” and upload a photo of you or your nominee by March 18th plus some copy describing what beauty means to you or the person you enter.  Fans will then vote for their favorites from April 2-8th with one winner chosen to represent each age.  What will you get if you enter and win? Well, that’s the big “get.”  Four grand prize finalists will receive an all-expenses paid trip to New York City for a glamorous photo shoot.   I wanted to post on this, because I think campaigns like this are important to publicize what real beauty is.  I really liked the Real Beauty campaign Dove did a few years ago promoting women of all ages, races and shapes using Dove Beauty products. Showing off women who look good and are being real is a great idea. For myself, I’m tired of celeb pictures showing off reality TV stars as the most beautiful or thinnest. Props to People for going beyond the celebrity look. I’ll be interested to see who wins.  Will it be you?