Whatever happened to natural?

We want all girls to make a pact to dare to be different. Reconstruct your own definition of beauty.  Don’t buy into ‘the look’ as physical beauty is a poor standard by which to judge anyone. Real, natural and unique is the kind of beauty that never goes out of fashion.

It’s up to each of us to protect our self-image – don’t believe the hype. Even supermodels say they don’t look like their photographs. And more and more companies are being hauled over the coals for faking or retouching the faces that their products go on. 

Wake up – why makeup?

If you’re like most girls, you probably have a secret in your bathroom or your handbag – your makeup collection.  No doubt you’ve been adding to it over the years with impulse buys, first-date splurges and special offers, all in the name of beauty.

Most women love to buy makeup.  Why?  Do we really believe that makeup makes us more beautiful?  It’s as if we’re all competing in the X-Treme Beauty Games.  The pity is, there is no winner – except, of course, the cosmetic companies.

In fact makeup and beauty have little in common.  Unlike the beauty that makeup creates, real, inner beauty is no illusion – it is reflected in your eyes, your attitude and your way with people. Warmth and enthusiasm never fades.  You can’t get it from a product, no matter what promises are made.  So, rather than make up your face, make up your mind – to radiate real beauty from within.

“When you are confident in who you are, the less makeup you’ll need.”

In any case, you can’t buy self-esteem in a compact.  So, please try to never let anything that you see in magazines or advertisements make you feel less about yourself.  Learn to discriminate between images that are positive and those that are designed to make you feel inadequate.  Don’t compare yourself to others – you are enough!

And next time you’re roaming around at the beauty counter, have another think, what are you really buying – and why?

Rather than make up your face, why don’t you make up your mind to have a different attitude about the whole game. 

Know your own beauty

A couple of things to keep in mind about real beauty. It’s your job to learn to love and accept yourself.  Age will catch up with us all in time. So let’s get with the program early and stop worrying about it. When you decide to detach from the obsession about one’s physical attributes, you instead feel the joy that is your natural birthright.  Then, with practice you begin to exult in your own existence, understanding it is a miracle that you are here at all.  You begin to understand that you are connected to all that you admire in the physical world and that it is merely a manifestation and reflection of all that is beautiful within you.

You can wear a paper bag (or a flower) if you have good shoes, a good haircut and a good attitude. 

Don’t be a clone, make up your own

Don’t follow anyone or anything slavishly.  Set your own trends.  Develop your own style.  What do you like?  What suits you?  Don’t just follow fashion: take the elements that work for you.  Be true to what suits you and uniquely represents who you are in the world.

If you’re not sure, ask people you admire, who have a strongly developed sense of self and a unique style, what they think of your look.  Ask them what suits you.  After all, it’s not brain surgery! It’s just clothing.  Dressing yourself is a form of self-expression, another chance to be creative.  So enjoy the process and remember – you are a work in progress. 

Photographer: Anthea Paul