Self Love: Beyond The Makeup

In the world of social media, high societal standards of what the ‘perfect’ body is, and never-ending criticism coming from every which way, it can be extremely hard to look in the mirror and genuinely say, “I like what I look like.” I’ve been there. Your mom has been there, maybe your dad, and probably your best friends as well. It is inevitable to wonder if you look beautiful to other people or even judge and criticize yourself. With that being said, I would like to share with you a few things that help to remind oneself that self-love is important. Hopefully, these ideas can help you as they have helped me!

Image Courtesy: Pinterest

1. Name at least two things that you love about yourself a day. One should be internal, like your patience with others, and the other should be external, like your eyes. I typically do this with my two roommates because it's nice to hold each other accountable!

2. Be nice to your body when you see it. When you are looking in the mirror, remind yourself that your body is yours. It is unique, and it is something that no one can take from you. Because of this, you can rock it however you want. Dress it up, dress it down, and be kind to it.

3. Your body does so much for you! Something you should never take for granted is how much your body does for you: It helps you walk, talk, keeps you alive and supports all of your organs. Why on earth would you judge and be cruel to your body when it is your biggest fan and strongest supporter?

Fortunately, there is something in societal beauty standards that is changing for the better. It is known as ‘skinimalism.’ Skinimalism is something you may have heard of -- it is a new trend in makeup that emphasizes minimal makeup to let your natural skin shine through. This is a great step in the right direction as it highlights natural beauty rather than covering up one’s natural beauty with other products. Of course, there is nothing wrong with highlighting your features with makeup, because it is an amazing artform. But, it is amazing that we are slowly getting back to the start, where people are accepted and loved for who they are and what they naturally look like.

Overall, you are beautiful, and you deserve to feel as such. Please do your best not to compare yourself to those you see in movies, online, or on social media. You should not live your life trying to live up to ridiculous standards when you are perfectly gorgeous, just as you are!

Strike Out,

Writer: Macie Hebert

Editors: Lauren Cich & Marissa DeMaio

St. Augustine