By Randalynne Dorsey/entertainment editor

   Anyone strolling through a cosmetics store can uncover hundreds of products designed to make us look better.
   Serums lessen the bags under our eyes; lotions firm our cellulite; bronzer with light-reflecting particles diminish flaws.
   I use concealer to cover my freckles, plumper to make my lips seem fuller and mascara to makes my lashes appear longer.
   These items just create illusions.
   But some women (and men) take it much further than just creating an illusion; they become the illusion.
   The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports 9.2 million patients have received cosmetic surgery, and 87 percent of the patients were female.
   Through face-lift, eyelid surgery or breast augmentation, women can become the goddess of every man’s dream.
   I have a small bump on the top of my nose that I’m self-conscious about; it could be removed in a couple of hours with rhinoplasty. A scar on my forehead could be covered through dermabrasion. Any flaws can be taken care of with a scalpel and some anesthesia.
   Shows such as Extreme Makeover, The Swan and I Want A Famous Face have made plastic surgery seem glamorous. The shows are saying: “With plastic surgery, you can become perfect, too.”
   Perfection is unattainable. You can come close, but no one will ever be perfect.
   In an episode of I Want A Famous Face, one contestant wanted to look like Carmen Electra because her “guy friend” wouldn’t commit. I wonder if she became perfect enough for him.
   Before plastic surgery, women considered classically beautiful—Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn—never went under the knife to enhance their beauty. In fact, Hepburn, who was extremely skinny and small for even our American standards today, once said, “I never thought I would land in the pictures with a face like mine.”
   Maybe the women of today should take a cue from the women of the past. Looking gorgeous didn’t fulfill their lives; instead, their lives were meaningful because of their life’s work.
   Hepburn campaigned for various children’s charities and later became a UNICEF ambassador before her death in 1993. After becoming the princess of Monaco, Kelly devoted her free time to cultural affairs and charity work.
   Instead of devoting our time to making ourselves look better, we should devote our time to making ourselves and others feel better. After all, nothing is more beautiful than seeing a smile from someone you’ve helped.