Every day I see hundreds of clones pulsating in a mass around me. Despite the fact that I know they are, in reality, different creatures, their shells seem identical. The plaster stays perfectly stationed upon their stiffened faces, and their smiles seep shallowly into any eyes.

Most people would assume I'm describing a peculiar beast of sorts, the kind that only exists in bizarre movies and books. However, in reality, I'm describing the average insecure teenage girl.

Nowadays, most teenage girls construct facial disguises on a daily basis. They trace their eyes with black shadows, smother their skin with buckets of chemicals and dip their lips into artificial syrups.

And what is the purpose of this masterful concealment? It is only to distract the world from the qualities they deem flaws.

In a utopian world, girls would not feel the need to paint their faces every day before showing the world who they are. However, such a world doesn't exist. People are quick to cast stones at anyone who seems even a bit off, or different. So girls try to avoid this attention by looking fake. I know because I am one of these girls, or at least I used to be.

It's almost inescapable, the constant pressure to look a certain way, and act the way you're expected to. However, in current high schools, it has gotten to the point that peers often judge others solely by their appearances.

Although I agree that hygiene is important, makeup procedures are starting to become ridiculous. It almost seems like girls attempt to mimic the exact styles they see on television stations such as MTV or MuchMore. Hence, outrageous appearances often ensue.

I see girls with eyeliner going all the way above their eyebrows, almost connecting and taking the form of an alien tattoo. Even worse, with current advancements some woman are growing up and actually using laser surgery to create constant makeup. I suppose it's their way of permanently masking their natural state.

Many people say it's pressure from boys that causes girls to drown themselves in makeup; nonetheless, I believe even more so it's other girls.

Teenage girls trust their closest friends more than anything. So hearing that you're not wearing enough "chemicals" on your face comes as a blow from someone whose opinion you greatly value.

It's simple to say we should all stop being so hard on our friends and ourselves. However, that can be the most difficult idea to accept for a teenage girl who has insecurities ingrained into everything she does.

Perhaps one day, the North American mindset of beauty will change. Until then, girls will continue to struggle with blending into a crowd of people that shouldn't be blended together. We're all so different, and I can only hope those differences will be accentuated in the future, and not hidden.

However, I write this not to discourage the use of makeup by teenage girls, for even I wear makeup. Many girls wear makeup just to strengthen features they already deem beautiful.

My point is that whether we like it or not, we're always going to be judged by outward appearances, but it's the inside's reflection that matters.

Showing the world a completely distorted and fictional person only causes girls to become more insecure and lose sight of the fire inside them. We are all still young and just discovering the intricacies of beauty and distinction.

So let us try to experience life by being who we are, even if that means embracing our oddest qualities, most physically and mentally. In a world like this, what is the point of being "normal" anyways?