The magazine screamed out from the rack while I waited in the checkout line at Longs.

"REVEALED! STARS WITHOUT MAKEUP," it said. Splashed on the cover were photos of bare-faced female celebrities, along with — for contrast — glamour shots of them in full makeup.

For the record, I've never been one to support the paparazzi or the celebrity-obsessed "news" that seem to dominate the public's attention. As a journalist, I'd like to think the media have much better things to do than catch shots of celebrities sans lip gloss and mascara.

But as a woman, well, I'm not going to lie. I found some guilty comfort in seeing a less-than-glamorous Cameron Diaz and a homely Jessica Simpson. I was a tad relieved to see a not-so-fabulous Madonna and a ... Keira Knightley? Is that you?

This is not about female jealousy. It's about reality.

It's easy to get caught up in the perfect images of celebrities that are flashed everywhere: the flawless skin, the shiny hair, the toned and tanned bodies. Stars wear size 2 gowns on the red carpet just months after giving birth. Celebrities in their 50s look perky and wrinkle-free.

That can put big pressure on us females, which is sad because these seeming examples of perfection are rarely just the product of good genes. As the magazine cover pointed out: "Even celebs need help to look great."

Yah-huh. They're called stylists, makeup artists and personal trainers. Some have plastic surgeons. And don't forget the magic of airbrushing and soft-focus lenses.

I'm all for trying to look your best. And I'm sure these celebs feel pressure, too.

But I'm also a cheerleader for having a healthy, realistic perspective about beauty and believe it's what's within that matters most.

My mom, bless her, raised me to not believe the hype.

"Even Miss America poos," she'd say, which was her way of explaining to a 7-year-old that we're all human. I have to say, the woman always knew how to make a point.

But years of being bombarded by images of perfect bodies and unblemished faces — not to mention ads hawking pore-minimizers and cellulite cream — can take its toll.

As a teenager, I was disappointed I didn't look like the models featured on the pages of Seventeen magazine, even though I wasn't overweight.

Even as an adult, I sometimes let these insecurities gnaw on my body image.

But I'm learning to accept the things I can't change and take stock of the positive: good health and family and friends who love me as I am.

I'll never look like these stars and models. Fine. Even they don't look like themselves sometimes, so why stress over it? In the end, we're all just human.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.