Read the latest from our Beauty and Lifestyle editor, Annie Millar:

Recently I was asked to write a phrase that describes beauty, in 25 words or less. It was a competition being held by one of the major skin care companies and they were offering quite an attractive prize. At the time it seemed like a simple thing to do, but the more I thought about it the more I realised it wasn't.

When I asked myself the question, 'What is beauty?' I pictured gorgeous women,  I imagined seeing roses and gardens, and I saw wonderful fabrics and colours. The list of beautiful things went on. Then I thought about what it feels like to witness something beautiful and I realised it's not an intellectual exercise, it's not something we learn; in fact, it's an experience, a recognition that comes from somewhere deep inside.

Beauty isn't contrived, although a beautiful thing can be created, and beauty isn't based on a formula, although science has shown that those people who are generally considered beautiful have similar facial proportions. Nor is a person's beauty dependent on products. Everybody has their very own innate beauty, just as a flower and a tree does. And, what's just as special, is that their beauty is seen only if you open your heart and let yourself witness it.     

Anyway ... back to the quote. The days went by, and before I knew it, a reminder of the deadline was on my screen: 'Send your quote today or miss out on the opportunity to win a $500 piece of Jan Logan jewellery.'  After the initial enthusiasm I had forgotten all about the competition, but I quickly jumped into action. The thought of a lovely piece of new jewellery spurred me on.

Within an hour or so, I finally arrived at what I thought was a reasonable quote and sent it off. And here it is:

"Beauty is truth and it's experienced by the heart. It exists within and outside us all; its potential is everywhere.  Beauty is love." 

A few weeks passed by, and then to my great surprise, I received another email: 'Congratulations! You have won the competition.' I was thrilled, as you can imagine. But having spent the time exploring the whole idea of beauty, I'm so glad I was reminded of how easy it is to lose sight of the beauty that's all around us, the beauty of everyday things. 

Annie

PS We'd love to hear what beauty is to you. Please contribute your own quotes and ideas by adding your comments below.

Thanks to everyone who sent in their comments after my last blog!