Beauty is strength. Beauty is growth. Beauty is peaceful. Beauty is love. Beauty is confidence. Beauty is genuine. Beauty is standing up for what you believe in. Beauty comes from within, it all comes from the heart.

Today, society still tells us what is beautiful. We see the tall, skinny supermodels with “beautiful” hair and makeup. We are trained from early in life that we are expected to live up to certain standards because if not society will not “accept” us. We, as women especially, are taught that if you are not society’s definition of beautiful then no one will want you.

Who is society to determine so thinly what beautiful is?

We are more than hair, skin, and makeup. Beauty comes in so many shapes, skin tones, and sizes. Short, tall, thick, plus-sized, skinny, blonde, or black hair are all beautiful. Stretch marks and thick thighs are amazing., Take pride in yourself inside and out from head to toe.

Being graceful and having confidence is a major key. The way one carries themselves speaks volumes. You can rock a bold bald haircut but you have to own it. Be confident in the skin you’re in. Be graceful in the way you treat others. When you take pride in your confidence you begin to glow from within and it shows. Beauty is owning who you are as an individual and accepting your flaws inside and out, a perception from the inside out displayed by your appearance, style, and grace. Learning self-love is what makes YOUR beauty unique. Never let anyone’s perspective of you DEFINE you!

Here is a start on how to make yourself look beautiful. It’s important to add and customize this list to what fits YOU:

1.) I love to smell good. I have a variety of different perfumes & body sprays to choose from when I get ready each and every day. Sometimes I want to smell sexy and sultry. Sometimes I like to smell sweet. The perfect scent will bring forward the perfect confidence that you may need.

2.) Makeup (This is just me personally. I am a makeup artist so…) Although I don’t need makeup I love it it’s like an art to me. Not only is it therapeutic for me to do and put on, but it makes me feel fierce because I can bring any look to life. I like to GLOW!

3.) Shopping with friends also makes me feel beautiful. My friends and I like to go shopping together and try on a bunch of clothes. It’s like a little fashion show between you and your closest friends. What is another way can you think of to boost your mood or confidence than to be around your closest friends getting dressed up and having them tell you how bomb you look and vise versa?

4.) Get your beauty rest! We tend to forget about ourselves a lot especially if you still have to work a full-time job & you’re chasing your dream as well. Make sure you take time out for yourself. Go to the spa & have “me” time, get a massage, soak in a bubble bath, read a book, pamper yourself, do whatever it takes to relieve some stress so you can get a good night’s sleep.

5.) Take care of your skin! Doing my skincare routine no matter how tedious it is or may become makes me feel beautiful especially seeing how clear and glowy my skin is after. It’s a satisfaction kind of feeling actually. Skincare is essential especially for me because I wear makeup often. I have a daytime and nighttime routine, and I just switched some of my products around because the weather is changing and it’s getting cold so that means dry skin (more on that later). Golden rule: make sure you keep your skin clean and hydrated at all times!