If there’s one thing that’s always been me, it’s the knack I’ve got for being – in a nutshell – a basic b*tch who’s totally obsessed with life, Taylor Swift’s cheesy lyrics, and classic Lindsay Lohan films.

Being a basic b*tch is all about a few things: my favourite show is Gossip Girl, I’m all about the pink, I’m still not over One Direction, I’ve got a playlist for every mood, and my ultimate dream is to have a heel snap while getting out of a taxi in London, on my way to my job as editor-in-chief at Vogue; because being a basic b*tch might mean I’m into the superficial, but – spoiler alert – it doesn’t mean I’m thick.

Honestly, I’ve never bought into the idea that we were sold from a young age that to be valuable we’ve got to measure ourselves in numbers, ignore our bodies, and if some of our short-term goals are dyeing our hair blonde, getting acrylic nails, or matching our makeup to our outfit, it somehow makes us less.

As if everything were some daft equation where more vanity equals less intelligence.

If I were to list things I don’t get, right under molecular physics would be where this need to feel morally superior comes from.

Since when do we have to be numerically perfect to have any social worth? It’s high time we ditched that oceanic complex where we think our standout trait should be our depth and be more like Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana: accepting that there’s the best of both worlds in us.

Yes! I’m the one counting down the days to get my nails done again, who loves dyeing her hair to mark a new chapter, and always asks if things come in pink, with glitter, or any pastel shade. But I’m also the one who learned to do her makeup to hide the dark circles from late nights, the one who forced herself to go to therapy to heal her inner child, and the one who no longer bites her tongue to make mates or be the office favourite.

Let’s stop buying into the idea that we’ve got to be just one thing. That if we care about the aesthetic of our Instagram feed, the colour of our eyeliner, and plan when to wash our hair to fit our schedules, our ambitions aren’t valid, important, or real.

Since I was little, I’ve heard time and again that fangirls, Swifties, or pink girls are like Barbie: brainless. As if Barbie didn’t have over 100 professions, existential crises (cheers for that, Greta Gerwig), and deep thoughts (for more reference, check out Barbie Proust) while living a busy life.

It’s about time we realised that doing what we love – even if it’s belting out RBD songs while curling our hair, doing our makeup, and smashing a bottle of tequila with the girls – doesn’t make us any less; because blonde dye might fade, the straighteners might burn, but diminish our intellectual worth? Not a chance.

Let’s do it for ourselves, for our mental health; there’s nothing worse than feeling at odds with our reflection and having to hide what makes us unique.

Let’s understand we don’t have to choose between being Marie Curie or Kim Kardashian when we can be like Elle Woods, loving pink, doing the bend and snap every now and then, and introducing ourselves with our name and star sign.

Life isn’t about extremes, like black or white. It can be filled with shades, tones of pink, and combos of green and lilac: being our best selves and accepting that banality is part of what makes us who we are.

Lawyer Barbie, Publicist Barbie, Burnout Barbie, Genovia Princess Barbie, Psychologist Barbie, Doctor Barbie, Pride and Prejudice Barbie, Taylor’s Version Barbie, Academic Validation Barbie, Daddy Issues Barbie, Bizarrap Session Barbie, Basic Barbie, Stereotypical Barbie, Enthusiastic Barbie, Cycle Closure Barbie. Or just Barbie. (Everything else comes separately).

Let’s forgive ourselves for all those times we felt inferior – or let others make us feel that way – just for dedicating ourselves to what we love. Let’s forget the negative connotation of being basic and stop believing we need to work twice, or thrice, as hard to be valid, loved, important, or seen.

Let’s ditch the urge to fit into others’ standards, and make that commercial we saw loads when we were little: “Be what you want to be, be a Barbie girl,” our daily mantra.