The vocal competition show “The Voice” introduced their newest celebrity judge this season, the Grammy award-winning singer and song writer, Alicia Keys. Ms. Keys took national television with a fresh face; without a single trace of bronzer, eyeshadow or blush. Her appearance made headlines as people criticized her natural look.

As a girl who cried in dressing rooms because my legs suffocated in a size double zero jeans, I can assure you one day you will love your most threatening insecurities.

The pressure to squeeze into shapes and sizes our bodies were never crafted to fit into not only consumes, but damages women. For years on end, society and the media fed us images of beauty in the form of airbrushed thigh gaps and blemish-free skin. Women in front of the camera look flawless. With all of the makeup and Photoshop, it’s hard not to be.

Their defined cheekbones and pouting lips embody perfection. We look at them, then look in the mirror and inevitably question why our DNA failed us.

Since our youth, playing with Barbie’s carved by Aphrodite, the appearance of a desirable figure has polluted our idea of beauty. Everywhere we look, we meet the seemingly realistic view of womanly configurations. The desire to strip away our authentic attributes to finally resemble the magazine covers and television screens only grows stronger as we mature. As our bodies undergo change and reconstruction throughout high school, comparing our masterpieces to the artificial-factory-produced face of pretty is ill-fated. We starve for love and nourishment. When will we feed our souls with self-acceptance?

So thank you, Alicia Keys, for being the breath of fresh air our lungs needed. Our tear-ridden eyes, exhausted from analyzing the looks of our surroundings, have searched for a sight like this. If she can face millions without a single coat of mascara, she has proved Hollywood indeed has humans.

Yes, Ms. Keys’ foundation-free face is already celebrity news of the past, but body shame will continue invading our futures. At what cost will we finally convey to today’s youth that self-love is priceless? We do not need shimmering eyelids and contoured cheeks to feel beautiful. The day we break free from the chains that bind us to insecurity is the day we sink comfortably into our own skin.