These Millennial Role Models Will Change Your Perspective of Beauty

In the wake of infamous comments made about her dreadlocks, 18-year-old entertainer Zendaya silenced the haters by schooling them on racist beauty standards. "There is already harsh criticism of African American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of her hair," she stated on Instagram, garnering widespread applause for her wisdom and educational response.

After years of unfortunate speculation about her gender identity, 23-year-old Andreja Pejic is now walking runways as an openly transgender woman. A top model in the international fashion and beauty industries, Pejic provides much-needed representation in a historically prejudiced field, encouraging supporters to "be true to you."

Zoë Kravitz, 26, is a musician, an actress, and the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet . . . but she's also a great role model for anyone who has ever had an eating disorder. After struggling with an eating disorder as a teen, Kravitz starred in The Road Within, a movie about an anorexic woman — and she's used her promotions for the film to discuss mental and physical health. She is also a vocal proponent of diversity in Hollywood, saying: "I think as black women in Hollywood, or brown or whatever you want to call me, we've been hyper aware of the imbalance . . . I hope more and more women feel represented and make themselves represented."

"I feel like I can really give people a different view on things," 14-year-old Willow Smith has said, and it's not hard to believe. From her unique music to her experimental beauty choices, the singer is making waves — and encouraging her massive Instagram following to do the same.

Fashion designer, model, and blogger Rachael Finley, 28, is better known as Steak; just ask her huge social media following! While battling lymphatic cancer a few years ago, Steak used her blog as a platform to share her journey and give advice to followers. One of her biggest bits of advice, to be yourself, is obvious in her beauty choices: Steak is rarely seen without neon-hued locks or fun makeup! "Less is more, but do it right," she told Nylon of this beauty philosophy.

As the face of Clean and Clear's "See the Real Me" campaign, one of Time's 25 Most Influential Teens, and a published author, 14-year-old Jazz Jennings is arguably the most prominent transgender teenager in the world. She uses her fame as a platform to promote self-acceptance, saying: "I think teens are realizing that beauty comes from within [vs.] stuffing their face with makeup. You have to judge someone for who they are on the inside, and I definitely think we are becoming more diverse as a society."

After she set the world reeling by dyeing her underarm hair pink, 22-year-old Miley Cyrus had some awesome comments about the move's significance. "The pink pits are saying, 'Don't tell me what to do,'" the performer said in an extremely personal interview. "It's back to what I'm preaching in a way, you know, telling these kids. I'm not just saying you be yourself and I'm going to go be Miley Cyrus. I'm saying I'm going to be my self, too." This kind of self-confidence is something Cyrus hopes to spread to everyone, but especially LGBT youth, through her Happy Hippie foundation.

When 16-year-old Hunger Games star Amandla Stenberg posted a viral video about cultural appropriation called "Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows" on her blog, she got the world's attention. By sparking a conversation about race and culturally significant hair and makeup styles, Stenberg solidified herself as a millennial beauty badass.

You might know 21-year-old Tallulah Willis by her Instagram handle, buuski, or recognize her from walking the red carpet with parents Demi Moore and Bruce Willis. The fashion icon demonstrates an incredible openness about recovering from an eating disorder. "It's not like now I completely love myself and I have no problems," she's said of her recovery. "That isn't how it works. But there are the starting points of that, and that's really exciting. I'm growing every day and breaking old patterns." Willis encourages her fans to express themselves in ways that make them feel beautiful . . . and led by example when she shaved off her hair!

"If you stop looking at yourself on the Internet, is it really happening?" said 27-year-old musician FKA Twigs after receiving loads of racist harassment on her social media accounts when she began dating Robert Pattinson. Instead of letting ignorant people bring her down, Twigs deleted her accounts and kept rocking the unique hair and makeup styles that first made her our beauty crush. "How I look is not how I am," she told Rolling Stone of her beauty choices. "If you're going to get to know me on the body that God gave me, then you're going to get a shock at some point."