WHAT'S BEAUTY?

Beauty and fashion is a strong interest of mine, I wouldn't exactly say I'm well versed in either of them, but I do like to try from time to time, to feel a little more 'me' and a little less mum. I'm not out there rushing to grab the latest mascara in Boots, heck I don't even know when I last managed to get to a beauty store, never mind check out the latest releases. It’s definitely freeing to never hold yourself to any beauty standard, but this can be misleading. Of course, ignoring some of the hugely marketed efforts to make me purchase select products or read certain magazines is worthwhile. After all, dressing up and enjoying the process of beauty for yourself is nothing less than an exercise in self-respect, and it gives you certain results day after day. However, applying yourself with the best new products and makeup might be very worthwhile, but they might not make you feel complete. Is there another side to beauty which is more encompassing and permanent than the day to day efforts we place to maintain our appearance?

Experience
We all experience things from day to day. From our office jobs to our commute to our indulgent leisure time in the evenings. It might be the life that revolves around a child, or a challenge you must overcome. Some of these experiences can be draining, while some can be engaging and life-giving. Some are both, and any mother will agree with this. However, intense and adventurous experience can be the best place to consider this latter benefit. If you find that your life is relatively limited to your local area, it might pay to finally attend to the bucket list destinations you already have penned out to explore. This increases your internal sense of worth to a massive degree, because being well-travelled shines in your personality. Remember how this article is about beauty? Well, there’s nothing more beautiful than someone well-travelled. This widened perspective not only helps you see outside the border of your own life, but affords you that knowing glow of someone with experience. It gives you wisdom, and this radiates through your aura. So never be afraid of experiencing something new, and putting in effort to do that. An adventure can truly reset your personality to someone who cares about the world without fear. Ask the top beautician in the world if personality informs an aesthetically great person well, and they will absolutely agree. Your personality is how you wear clothes, how you hold yourself, how you walk and how well you handle your attitude. It’s no accident that musicians often have a great sense of style. Experience allows for expressiveness because you actually have something worth expressing, and this makes you richer and more beautiful both internally and externally.
Love
Love is something that keeps you on your toes. It makes you provide the best of yourself day after day. We all know that feeling of donning our best outfits and makeup in the attempt to seem appealing to someone we absolutely adore. Though after eight years together, I can't say it's something me and John do regularly, there is still that excitement of getting dressed up whether it's in new pyjamas for an evening on the sofa, or in your new dress ready for date night. Now, I'm not saying being in love makes you beautiful. It’s not as if you look average before a date and amazing after the first kiss is shared. It’s more that keeping up an active dating life, trying to work on yourself and not be jaded after something ends, and generally keeping a high opinion of the romantic potential of all genders can give you life. It gives you that beautiful and cheeky smile you might give on a date, or allows you to blush when questioned about one. If anything else, it can make you dress and adorn yourself with items that make you feel your best self. It’s easy to criticise ourselves. We all know our insecurities and how strong our body image is without a second thought. When you are in the act of a relationship, dating, or even simply being available for an experience to happen, you are making an intrinsic belief actionable, and that belief is that you are worth it through and through. After all, beauty is modest. But it’s also knowing your self-respect and how well you can look. With those two things combined, you are humble but also love yourself. That’s a great thing to achieve.
Care
Care is also a large component of inner wealth. We all know the early glow of a radiant mother, no matter how tired she has become from staying up nights. Caring and kindness inform your beauty to a whole other level. As people, we are very able to discern a fake smile that comes our way. A smile is complex, and we are so good at reading expressions that we can immediately understand when someone is not being genuine around us. Even if you have good intentions, it can be easy to give off this impression. After all, it’s not uncommon to be around people who fill you with distaste, or to find yourself in a friendship group you’d rather be filled with more wholesome people. Care in finding better friendships and loving them, or the care a mother has for her child, or the car a daughter has in looking after her elderly mother will enrich that woman’s spirit. It affords you a chance to ignore the fakery and silliness of people with shallow intentions. It deepens your emotions, and makes you truly see what matters. We all know that this can inform beauty. This is because beauty is subjective. Let’s say that an elderly woman greets and smiles at you warmly for helping her carry her shopping bags. Now let’s say that the perfect supermodel with a symmetrical face thanks you in an uncaring manner for holding the elevator. Which person would you consider more beautiful? The former of course. While the supermodel could be the kinder person in this situation, the ability to work on and convey genuine gratitude is something that will always inform your inner richness, and that should translate to your expressions and also personality most of the time.


With this unique and alternative perspective on beauty, it might be you truly feel complete in how you look and act. It’s worth trying at the least.

*This is a collaborative post

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