Hi Everyone! It’s another episode of The Redhots, and we have something a little different in store for you! First, I must sadly say I’m flying solo this month because Shhh – Marcia’s writing/sleeping/writing/sleeping! She’ll be back next month and we have a FABULOUS blog planned for you all!
So this month, I teamed up with the endearing August McLaughlin for her
Beauty of a Woman Blogfest!
Since I believe we all need a little REDHOTness in our lives, I challenged several of my favorite bloggers to share their thoughts on What makes a woman REDHOT? Here’s what they had to say!
I’ve spent a great deal of time in the fashion world and can’t tell you how many of the so-called hottest women around are tepid, sad or apathetic on the inside. We feel and appear hotter when we pursue our passions. When we do what we love and go after it with gusto, our hotness grows and radiates outward, making us feel and appear more attractive. We can’t diet, stylize, fake or buy our way into that kind of beauty—a great thing, in my opinion. – August McLaughlin
Independence. A woman who can stand on her own two feet AND stand her ground when the situation calls for it makes her Redhot in my mind. Or at least that’s what I tell myself since I tend to have a very outspoken and stubborn personality. 🙂 – Tiffany White
A RedHot woman has confidence in her talent, the courage to take risks, and compassion for others in need. – Jolyse Barnett
Then I asked the guys to way in! Cause wouldn’t every woman want to the ability to read a guy’s take on beauty?!
Redhot sexy is a gleam of clever intelligence in the eyes. It is an aura of self-confidence rippling out from a woman like voluminous silken robes. Physical appearance is but an accessory, accentuating the true Redhot woman’s inner luminescence. – Gene Lempp
There are many traits that make a woman redhot, but none of them have to do with physical beauty. There’s intelligence (smart is sexy!) and self-confidence and a great sense of humor. The ability to laugh at yourself and never take life too seriously. Practicing joie de vivre each and every day, without even thinking about it! Not surprisingly, these are all traits that my fiancee possesses – and she is the hottest woman I know! – Mark Petruska
To me a Redhot Woman is someone who knows her own mind, embraces her humanity/success and failure, practices compassion, and never ever wants to stop learning. I was reading something recently about the double standard women face when it comes to “natural beauty” e.g. look beautiful but make it look effortless, and it got me to thinking that beauty is really in the eye of the holder. A woman that can answer the question of what makes her beautiful in a meaningful way is as Redhot as it gets. Oh and weird, too. Weird people are great. – Joe Cardillo
In terms of looks, I think the fashion magazines have it wrong. It’s not being stick thin that makes anyone hot, but muscle tone (and I’m not thinking body builders here!). I know plenty of women who aren’t stick thin but are very beautiful because of this. The other thing is confidence. Confidence and the willingness to work at things (get your mind out of the gutter at this point) makes all the difference. –Nigel Blackwell
Thanks everyone for weighing in! What do I think?
I think a woman’s sexiest attribute is her ability to laugh! To laugh with one’s gut, to be ok with laughing at oneself, and to always, always laugh with one’s friends!
How would I sum up what makes a woman REDHOT and beautiful?
Women wish to be loved not because they are pretty, or good, or well bred, or graceful, or intelligent, But because they are themselves.
What are your thoughts? What do you think makes a woman REDHOT? Who’s the most beautiful woman you know?
And be sure to click over to August’s blog on Friday where she’ll have all the Beauty of a Woman blog posts linked up and ready to read!!! Thanks August for hosting this fun blog hop!
Jess Witkins' Happiness Project 
Great words of wisdom, smart and confident, yeah, now that is sexy. Fab post, Jess *smile*
Thanks for the sharing the male’s point of view, Gene! Now go tell your REDHOT wife how gorgeous she is! 😀
Although, rockin’ cleavage doesn’t hurt, either. 😉
Mark Petruska, Ladies and Gentleman! Honesty with a smile! LOL
Congrats again to you and Tara! Hope there are many more laughs in the years to come!
I love hearing from the guys as well as the gals.
I think what makes a woman redhot is self-confidence. There is such beauty in a woman is comfortable in her own skin, whatever it may look like, and with her own opinions, whatever they may be.
I’d have to say my Compass group – Annie, Deb, and Diane – are the most beautiful, redhot women I know, based on self-confidence. 🙂
Sounds like we have a trend forming here! So how will you be showing off your confidence this spring? Love it!
Such a fun post, Jess. I love what Nigel said about not stick thin not being idea, and am with Joe on the weirdness. 😉 All insightful remarks here… Thanks so much for joining in the BOAW fun!
Thanks for sharing your comments and for hosting the BOAW blog hop, August! I love how, each in their own way, all commenters like a little spark with their beauty – be it stubbornness, weirdness, or muscle mass!
I love how you got both women and men to weigh in on it 🙂
I’m participating in the BOAW blogfest as well. Here’s my link: http://www.marcykennedy.com/what-would-you-trade-to-look-young-forever/
LOL. I think we were visiting each other’s blogs at the same time! Cosmic blog hopping! Thanks for commenting, Marcy!
I have to say, the male point of view rocked the house on this one, Jess. Those guys are the BEST!!!
Thanks for the smile today. 🙂 I’m loving the BOAW posts already. (I did one too.)
Oh, hello. I guess you need the link:
Yah we know some great guys in the blogosphere!
Off to check out your BOAW blog, Jenny!
I just want to say that one can be “stick thin” and red hot — too. 🙂 I notice these days that a lot of folks want to change the dialogue about women by insisting “one needn’t be stick thin to be beautiful.” I agree, entirely. However, this approach borders on suggesting that people who are thin are unattractive. (Indeed, “stick” like.) I’d caution folks not to leap onto the other side of the fence and start bashing thin women. To do so continues to place the focus on the physical by weighing women.
I guess it’s magazine thin we’re fighting and not just any thin women. But I hear yah. As a petite thin girl I have the damnedest time finding pants that don’t drag on the floor and shirts where the shoulder seam doesn’t drape past my elbow! LOL
Right, but my point is that the women who are magazine thin have a right to be magazine thin; it’s their body. To point at a “magazine” thin woman and call her “stick thin” is no different than pointing to a woman and calling her “fat.” It’s no one’s business but the woman’s, and to suggest that it is only perpetuates the idea that men/media/other women have a right to comment upon a woman’s weight, and that a woman’s weight is even a topic for public discussion.
Sorry — this isn’t directed at anyone personally. I just saw the comment “stick thin” from one of the men above, and it got my feminist charging. I appreciate that the comment was likely meant in defense of women who struggle to maintain or reach a certain weight because of the way the media pushes thinness as the ultimate attractive — but to mock thin women is not the answer.
Fight the media’s glorification of thin women by saying that weight is meaningless in beauty, and that women of all sizes are beautiful? Yes. Mock the bodies of thin women so the majority of women feel justified? No. The answer isn’t to point the finger at other women and laugh, but to get the discussion away from weight as a value measure, and to find a way to change the conversation at our level, as well as the media level.
Again, not directed at anyone. I just thought it should be said. Because I am red hot. 🙂
Cheers, Jess!
Right back atcha! Cheers, girl!
I’m with you on this one Mabel. I think you’re right that a lot of decent blokes see it as their responsibility to reset the culture by pointing out thin isn’t attractive, but are misguided about it.
It’s hard for me to say there’s NO place in our culture for discussion of physical appearance because I understand there are positive ways to approach it. But given where our culture is these days my personal philosophy is to appreciate the other things that make people unique and let them figure out the beauty thing without my commentary since it’s only one small piece of who a person is.
You’re right, Mabel. I meant to speak against the principle that many magazines use, which is that thin is the *only* option. I just think they need to become more encompassing of the whole range of women. Lots of other qualities contribute to beauty, and everyone has a different opinion of what those qualities are.
Cheers!
Thanks Nigel for being part of my male panel! Always a pleasure!
Thanks, Mabel. I happen to be quite thin with a small frame and I appreciate people understanding that people come in all sizes, including naturally tall and thin. 🙂
Hi Jess…and the rest of the gang! Sorry my post is absent today, still quite under the weather and doing more sleeping than writing, but I had to stop by for a few smiles.
As the other half of the RedHots team, I say a RedHot woman shines from inside with a positive glow and confidence in her presence. She can call on her ‘sugar’, ‘spice’ or ‘vinegar’ to fit the moment. There’s a light behind her eyes that says she’s smart but never arrogant. She’s true and real and always ready to lend support to others. Don’t mess with her loved ones, though – she’d rival the toughest warrior to protect them.
So glad the guys weighed in – women sometimes fall into the trap of thinking most men are are interested mainly in 1. outer beauty, 2. how well she can cook, and 3. how physically happy she can make him. But, we have a great group of intelligent and discerning male friends here!
This is also a beautiful sampling of our RedHot, Sexy, Smart and Strong Women friends!
Hope to be back to blogging in a couple of weeks! Miss you all!
And we miss you, Ms. Marcia Redhot! Hurry up and feel better so we can have more of your eloquence around here!
Love your definition of a redhot woman!
Feel better, Marcia!! (((hugs)))
Great post Jess! I’m editing a bit of a related piece for posting tomorrow =)
It’s nice to see that some of the things I find important also resonate with both the men and women who contributed. Sometimes it feels like I’m on another planet when I try to talk to people about this stuff.
That’s why weirdness works! Thanks Joe for being one of my guests!
You bet.
Weird is now one of my favorite descriptions. When I hear someone is cool or funny or interesting I’m mildly curious, but when you say they’re weird, well then you’ve got my attention.
Not on purpose, but my piece today ended up being sort of a companion to BOAW. Anyway, take a look (no hurry) and let me know what you think!
http://trialofthecentury.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/note-to-men-righting-the-culture-ship-unrealistic-notions-of-female-beauty/
Will do, Joe! Love all the comments!
Oh, I am so glad to see that confident is at or near the top of everybody’s list of redhot traits! Feeling confident is so important to enjoying life, and that ladies and gentlemen, bottom line, is what it’s all about. Enjoying life to the hilt!
My BOAW Blogfest post is already up and is related to this theme of self-esteem.
http://misteriopress.com/2013/02/you-are-beautiful-and-strong-sweet-child-of-abuse/
Awesome Kassandra! I love how many participants there are! And like you, I think it’s great that so many are talking about confidence as the REDHOT factor!
Loved it! New fan!
Welcome Kim! Thanks for stopping by!
Oh, this is fantastic, Jess–love reading what everyone has to say! I would definitely say that confidence and passion are at the top of my list of what makes a woman redhot.
Great post!
I know. I love how those traits keep repeating themselves!
I agree with everyone who said confidence. That is definitely what makes anyone sexy. I also think strong women are redhot, not as in have to be able to life a lot, but as in speak their minds. I probably say this because I’ve been told I have a mouth on me. 🙂 I also want to say that I think someone did have a point with the talk about magazine thin. For a large majority of the women in the magazines that thin is not their bodies. It is not natural. They are having to starve their bodies to stay that thin. I think that un-natural, forced thinness in magazines and throughout Hollywood is what we should be fighting. Healthy is beautiful and sexy, whever that falls along the “body type” spectrum.
Great points Emma! And it sounds like and Tiffany think alike what with the big mouths and stubbornness, but don’t worry I’m right there with ya! LOL
[…] Jess Witkins: What Makes a Woman REDHOT? […]
I love your twist on this! And I love how you got so many WANA in there. Great quotes.
More like great FRIENDS!!!
LOL my car’s name is REDHOT, so that’s the first thing I thought of when I saw your post! Anyone who rides in my car is indeed beautiful. But all joking aside, there are some parallels – my car is showy, but not pretentious (confident, but not obnoxious-in-your-face). It’s fast (fit), but not something that will tear up the dragstrip. I love it for what it is, and isn’t that what true beauty is all about? 😀
Jennette I love your spin on this! I could play along and say my car’s name is Dion and she may not have a cruise control setting, which means she’s always going faster than she should, but her acoustics are great! It’s the insides that matter right?!
Wonderful thoughts here, Jess! I am much more comfortable in my skin in my 40s than I was in my 20s. I suppose it is that self-confidence many mentioned. I know that I was objectively prettier at 25 than 45; the photographs remind me how smooth my face was then, how flat my tummy was compared to now, how trendy fashion looked cute rather than a pathetic middle-aged attempt at being young. But I have a far better sense of myself now. I FEEL more beautiful inside.
(Not to say that I’ll turn down the flat tummy if God sees fit to answer my numerous prayers in that regard. Miracles do happen, right?)
I can’t speak for God, Julie, but I’d call you one REDHOT mama!
[…] Jess Witkins: What Makes a Woman REDHOT? […]
[…] A friend of mine asked a few people (including me) to answer the question “What makes a woman REDHOT?” over at her blog as a part of BOAW. I was a bit surprised to find that the majority of answers were more about women being smart, passionate and engaged in their lives and less about beauty. I guess someone’s doing something right on the blogosphere, in opposition to the beauty industry’s constant “you’ll be beautiful if you just do X” mantra. I liked Jess’ closing the best though (click here to read the full post): […]
Love these quotes! This is a great reminder that laughter is the heart and soul of life.
That’s a beautiful saying!
I’m loving all these posts today, but I think Julies comment hit a real nail on the head. I think the most beautiful women are those who are comfortable in their own skin.
And having met your Sharon, I’d say you got one at home. Give her a hug from us today!
I could watch Scldeihnr’s List and still be happy after reading this.
Love this collection of views from both men and women. Lots of insight on the traits that make a woman truly beautiful. It was also interesting to hear what some men think of the waif-thin body type that is pushed on women and girls.
I love having the male perspective around here too. Thanks for sharing YOUR thoughts with us Reese!
[…] Jess Witkins: What Makes a Woman REDHOT? […]
[…] Witkins: What Makes a Woman REDHOT? Find out what the Jess’s experts, women and men, think makes a woman sizzling […]
I love the quotes about what makes a woman RedHot! I’d say it’s a mixture of self-love and confidence. Someone who speaks their mind and makes no apologies for it. Someone who can be alone and enjoy their own company.
Give me a season of Walking Dead or Downton Abbey and I’m very happy alone!
Lol. I just had a Sherlock marathon. It was delightful. 🙂
What a fantastic idea, having both men and women give their opinion on Red Hot women. My husband’s always telling me a confident woman is a beautiful woman. This just reinforces that statement =)
He sounds like a smart man!
This was a fun read but insightful too! Whoever said “weird” gets a thumbs up from me. My husband must be attracted to “weird” as well. 🙂
Yep, best comment! Weirdness totally wins!
Hey Jess. I was pointed (returning actually) to your blog today by my virtual pal Julie Glover after she accepted the Blog of the Year 2012 award. I enjoyed reading this post and I think you’re the one who said that a woman is beautiful (in my eyes) if she can laugh at herself and with others and is confident in who she is.
I loved reading all the comments. Way cool.
So nice to see you again, Patricia! I figure, if you grew up in my family, you HAVE to be able to laugh!
I think what makes a woman REDHOT is her pursuing her passions and have the guts to stay true to what her unique purpose is on this earth. It’s not always an easy thing to do but when women do that, it’s a beauty like none other. Thanks for the great Q & A format. Love all the different perspectives. They’re all right on!
Thanks for visiting Ingrid! I loved your post about your mother! And I totally agree that pursuing your passions is a REDHOT tribute! We should all do that and do it with gusto!
Yes! We must!! 🙂
Wonderful post, Jess! I agree with you about laughter. To laugh and to see the world with humor are the most beautiful attributes. And good on the guys for weighing in (no pun intended). It’s so refreshing to read all these healthy takes on beauty!
I agree. I’m loving the BOAW blog fest and hearing everyone’s opinions about how they can be strong, beautiful women. It’s inspiring!
[…] equivalent gift card is…. *drum roll* Jess Witkins! If you missed her uplifting post on what makes a woman “REDHOT,” be sure to check it out. Congratulations, […]