Beaming Beauty

Beauty standards tend to be so surface level and highly unrealistic to achieve. As soon as the innocence from a child’s mind fades, and they are surrounded by opinions of what physical attributes are defined as commonly beautiful, insecurity starts to creep in. Was there ever a time that you looked in the mirror and critiqued yourself over something physical? Was it over some stubborn acne, a scar or birth mark, your hair not cooperating with the hairstyle you are trying to achieve, the number on the scale, etc? Why is it that we are so hard on ourselves over miniscule physical attributes? If everyone looked the same then there would be no vibrancy in the world. No one is perfect, so why stress out about an imperfection?

What would you tell your younger self if you had the opportunity to speak to them with what you know now and what you have experienced? Picture below is a younger version of myself in a time where I was not corrupted yet by society’s harsh thoughts on beauty standards. It was a time when I was immersed in dressing up as a princess or a ballerina and hosting tea parties, not a time where I was rushing to put makeup on and do my hair before I left the house, so that nobody would judge me without it.

My mom taught me from a young age to be comfortable in my own skin and to prioritize self-love and self-care. She is a role model in so many ways. She modeled professionally in her 20’s and has continued to carry herself with such poise, class, and beauty – both external and internal – that it has left such a lasting impact on my life.

I was picked on in school for the dark hair on my arms, for the shape of my eyebrows, for being one of the tallest girls in class, for having braces, and the list goes on and on. Notice how they are all physical attributes! As much of a loving and empowering support system I had, words still hurt, and it took me a long time to be fully comfortable and happy in my own skin. I have broken away from caring about outside opinions, and am at a point in life where I am beaming from ear to ear because of the admiration I have for my internal beauty, that in turn reflects onto my outer beauty.

There is a mom and daughter duo that have gone viral on TikTok whose username is @scarlettandtiania and she instills self-love practices and values into her 3-year-old daughter. Tiania teaches Scarlett the importance of loving yourself and cherishing what makes you unique and special. They repeat daily words of affirmation to one another and it is so empowering and inspirational because there is truth behind everything they are stating.

True beauty stems from our souls and how we choose to carry ourselves. It lies within us. We do not need external affirmations and opinions to define if we are beautiful or not. If you enjoy putting makeup on like I do, choose to do it for your own satisfaction and enjoyment, and not for anyone but yourself. I have grown to be fully confident in my own skin without makeup that I can leave the house without it and still feel just as pretty.

“She was beautiful for the way she thought. She was beautiful for the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful for her ability to make other people smile, even when she was sad. No, she wasn’t beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful deep down to her soul.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

We are our own worst critics, and it is a constant battle to train our minds to see the beauty within ourselves at times. I know I am guilty of scrolling through social media and seeing a photo of a model and wishing I was as pretty as they are. Then I have to snap myself out of that train of thought and be proud of who I am, how I carry myself, and what I embody. When you feel great and are taking care of yourself, then that is when others can pick up on you looking your best because you are radiating pure happiness.

Remember that words are very impactful, and you should strive to make someone’s day through complimenting, instead of critiquing, or even bullying someone for their appearance. We are created to be unique and no one can take that away from us, so choose to shine brightly. Looks will fade, but your inner spirit, heart, and joy will always be remembered.

Remember to stay humble and kind, always!

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xo –Jess