Blake Lively Is Not Here For Today’s Unrealistic Beauty Standards

Blake Lively has the kind of hair — and skin and makeup — that shapes trends and inspires legions of fans. And while the L'Oréal spokesperson has earned the beauty accolade of making it all look easy (those beachy waves didn't become her trademark for nothing), she wants to make one thing clear: She did not wake up like this. In fact, getting ready takes a village. "We have really unrealistic beauty standards and beauty norms," Lively tells Refinery29 in an interview. "What you’re seeing on red carpets and in magazines takes a lot of effort and a lot of people. People don't understand that it's all very constructed. What little girls are seeing isn’t what [these celebrities] look like when they wake up in the morning — even though it’s no less beautiful." Her own perception on the matter shifted when she became a parent, she says. (She has two daughters: James is 2-years-old and Ines is four months.) "There's this awareness of what they’re going to be exposed to and what they grow up seeing," says Lively. "For me, it's important for my daughters to know that it's not real life. They’re seeing me dressed up in all this hair and makeup, but they also see me without that. I want them to see both sides, because there is never just one side." This isn't the first time Lively's challenged beauty ideals. Last month, the actress took to Instagram to share the L'Oréal "Your Skin, Your Story" campaign, which aims to celebrate people's differences through the power of makeup. Her caption said it all: "We are different shapes and sizes. We are different colors. We are beautiful inside and out. We are kind. We are brave. We are vulnerable. We are flawed. We are perfect." How's that for a lesson in beauty?