"True Beauty comes from within. Its not something that you put on in the morning and take off before bed. It radiates from your body when you walk with grace and confidence. It shines in your eyes when you express your individuality. It glows from your heart whenever you wear a smile on your face. Glow baby glow!" ~ Me :)
In a nutshell, that's basically my entire outlook on beauty in general. We've all heard before that its what on the inside that matters. But just because we have heard this saying almost ad nauseam does not make it any less true. Some of the most beautiful people I know don't wear a stitch of makeup or follow all the latest fashion trends. I have known some people that would not be considered pretty in the commercial sense but they just radiate this light from within and you can't help but be drawn to them. Outward appearances will fade with time but your inner beauty will last forever. As much as I LOVE makeup I do not want to be remembered simply as the girl who does cool eyeshadow. I want to be remembered as a woman who loves the Lord, who can be depended on and someone who shows kindness to everyone.
Ok, now for outward beauty. I really enjoy taking care of my appearances. I wash my face religiously and invest my money in quality skin care products. I do something different with my makeup almost everyday because I love to experiment.
However you do not have to own 20 lip glosses or $50 face creams just to make yourself look good. I own a lot of excellent products that just come from good ol' Walmart! Sometimes women get scared of the word makeup. They immediately conjure up images of pancake foundation and Bozo the Clown red cheeks. They shy away from cosmetics because they feel like it would make them into a different person.
Makeup should NEVER be a mask (unless of course the occasion calls for it such as Halloween). After applying makeup you should always look like you but enhanced and polished. And there's no need to spend an hour trying to put your face on. A great 5 minute face really just consists of concealer, blush, mascara and lip balm. The best thing about beauty products is that they wash off. Its not a tattoo so you don't have to be afraid of trying something out of the ordinary.
I think the biggest thing to remember is that outward beauty is merely an opinion. There is no "standard of beauty" because everyone likes something different. I know that seems hard to believe when every magazine seems to show the same type of girl on its cover. You know her...she's got the tanned skin, long flowy hair, skinny but with curves magically in all the right places. Most people (including me) think Kim Kardashian is one of the most beautiful people alive. While I don't care for her much as a person I would love to have her gorgeous complexion and luxurious hair. I was shocked when my brother and some guy friends told me that they thought she was hideous! You see? Its all a matter of opinion.
I love making myself look good and showing other how to do the same. But in the end, God doesn't care about how long your eyelashes are or how flawless you can get your skin to look. He created you. He sees your heart and knows how beautiful you truly are.
God certainly knows better than even I, but I come in as a close second when I say this fine, well-favored, pleasant bonny is the epitome of real beauty.
ReplyDelete"Beauty is but the sensible image of the Infinite. Like truth and justice it lives within us; like virtue and the moral law it is a companion of the soul." George Bancroft