To start I would like to address that different things empower different women. We are all incredibly different and unique, and we all have different ways of outwardly expressing our inner beauty. With that said, I think girls who have perfected the winged-eye look and contouring are true visionary artists. Expressing yourself through make-up is beautiful. However, throughout high school I felt severe pressure to always look made-up. This anxiousness about my appearance followed me into college, leaving me feeling insecure and even incapable on days when I simply did not have the time to look glamorous. Through the practice of a healthy skincare routine, mental conditioning and changing my perception of beauty, I hacked the code to feeling confident in your own skin.
Skincare
If I’ve learned anything from my multiple attempts to clear my skin, it is that what works for one person, won’t necessarily work for another. It is extremely easy to fall into traps in which celebrities and beautiful models swear by a product. The best advice I can give is to do your research. Figure out what you would like to improve upon while remaining gentle with yourself and knowing that you are beautiful despite any perceived imperfections. If you’re like me, you struggle with acne prone and oily skin. I have tried many different combinations of products to keep my skin under control, and the following are some items I highly recommend for a healthy and glowing complexion: witch hazel, Castile soap, rose water, aloe, apple cider vinegar (diluted) and, of course, a healthy diet. Feeling beautiful on the outside directly correlates with your diet. What you put in your body affects how you feel about yourself as well as your physical health. For healthy skin, be sure to drink plenty of water and eat foods that nourish your body.
Shine from Within
When I first started wearing less make-up, I realized that a big part of my plight was feeling like people respected me less when I was less made-up. Through much self-evaluation, I found that most of this was based off of my own insecurities. Don’t get me wrong, putting your best foot forward in the world is important. But why do we feel like the most important way of doing this is through our outward appearance? Through harnessing my own personality traits, I came to realize that putting so much emphasis on looking attractive is irrelevant when compared to the importance of showing people who I truly am. To feel more radiant and truly confident, I recommend writing a list of your favorite things about yourself, but with the rule that none of the attributes can pertain to your looks. Read the list when you wake up each morning to remind yourself of the real reasons why you are truly beautiful and powerful.
Celebrate Differences
We belong to a culture in which trends dictate what we perceive as beautiful. It is important to acknowledge this, as it is easy to forget that there are a million different ways to be beautiful. I have found that when you learn to judge other people less, you also learn to judge yourself less. Through celebrating the unique beauty in friends, family, loved ones and random women, I have become more capable of seeing my own beauty. If you want to accept yourself you should practice accepting others, this goes for physical attributes and personality traits alike. If we can learn to see past the lens of what we are told is beautiful, we will be able to build our own ideas and harness our unique and individual beauty in its most natural and essential form.