Before the world can experience the best from us, we need to be able to see the best in ourselves. Natural beauty is one of those things that many women believe to be a fleeting idea. Some people may have it, but many do not. Yet these same people will look at a child and see that their natural beauty is overflowing. Give them a cute outfit and hairstyle and they are God’s perfection. Why is it then as we hit our teens (and nowadays preteens) we are made to feel like we are lacking in the beauty department? That without some kind of severe alteration we can’t possibly be fit to leave the house. Where did the natural beauty go? Did it actually go anywhere? No, it is still there, hidden underneath all of that makeup, tattoos, hair dye and false lashes.
There are many types of people, those who don’t do any consistent hygiene, their smell travels in front of them and stays long after they leave, their teeth have white plaque buildup along the gums and their hair is always greasy. Then there are the people who are clean but do nothing special about their clothes or hair and wear nothing on their face. They can be perceived as plain or someone who doesn’t try very hard. Next there are the people who do dress up a little, style their hair and maybe wear some minimal makeup or perfume. Finally, there are the people who do everything. Full makeup coverage, dyed hair, fake nails, lashes, spray tans and expensive trendy clothes.
If you’re not sure whether you fall into the last category, let me ask you this. If you were to go out without any makeup on, would people easily recognize you? When you see a friend or coworker without their usual get up, they can be nearly unrecognizable. This is when we realize the term “Putting on my face” is meant literally. Our society has gone so far down the road of beauty being this “external application routine” instead of a daily maintenance. We are meant to do the best with what we have. Now some things can be modified and enhanced, like crooked teeth, skin tag removals or eye cream for the dark circles and wrinkles. Anything beyond that is not necessarily an enhancement. Greying hair can be beautiful and laugh lines show a life of joy.
The real beauty is in showcasing the best in us naturally; exercising so our body is at its healthiest weight and strength, styling our undyed hair in creative ways, limiting our makeup to the smallest amount after a great skin care routine, getting our tan from the sun outside, and choosing a great outfit that makes us feel comfortable and beautiful. Using what we were born with and being proud of the imperfections is how we create a powerful self-confident beauty that has a glow all to itself.
Finding that happy medium between not being lazy and not being excessive may take some time. If you need a financial nudge to make a change then imagine all of the money you will save when you stop decorating yourself into this fake person. The amount of salons in a town is constantly growing. They become extremely profitable off of our inability to enjoy our own natural beauty. No matter where you fall on the self-care/beauty line, ask yourself what do you need to do to take it to the next level. This could be sticking to a consistent hygiene routine, learning a new quick hairstyle, picking out a few new clothing pieces that can go with anything and yet add some nice style. Or if you are on the other side of the extreme, start to revert back to your natural state, paint your actual nails instead of installing fake ones, utilize mascara to lift your natural eyelashes, try a light powder foundation instead of a full coverage cream.
We are all going to have something that we don’t love about our looks. If there is something we can do to improve it within reason, then sure, make the small adjustment. If there is not, then put your focus onto the areas you’re proud of and that are easy to naturally enhance with a little effort. Instead of obsessing about that one thing, we learn to love who we are by showing gratitude for what we have. For any irritation you might have about your body, I promise there are a lot of people out there who would do anything to trade their situation for yours.
When we see the people who have daily struggles with a lost limb, having a tumor growth, born with a deformity or anything else you can think of, many times they have adopted the attitude of perseverance and gratitude for the good parts in their life. In that perspective it really seems silly to get a tattoo, Botox, or spend an hour putting our face on for the day. Taking pride in what we look like means to do our best every day to take care of our body, inside and out. Without our health we have nothing. So take all that extra money and time from your beauty budget and put it into truly caring for your body through eating right and exercising. Our natural beauty is just waiting to be uncovered. Once you truly see and appreciate it, you will never want to cover it up again.