Last year I joined a fabulous group of women for a global writing challenge—Gail from Is This Mutton (UK) Deb from Deb’sWorld (Australia), Jill from Grown Up Glamour, Mary Katherine from MK’s Adventures in Style (USA), Penny from Frugal Fashion Shopper (UK), Australian blogger Sue Loncaric from Women Living Well After 50, Leslie Clingan from Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After and Marsha from Marsha In The Middle. On the third Thursday of every month we’ll respond to the prompt “Tell Us About XXX” which could cover any subject matter. It could be a blog post with opinions or memories; a poem, photos, anything at all. Last month, the challenge was Musical Influences and was prompted by me. This month, Marsha chose the brilliant prompt of… BEAUTY.
I remember the early days when I first met my husband. I was just 16, and he was 19. One thing he said back then has always stuck with me: “Everyone is beautiful in their own way.” Such a deep and wise sentiment, especially coming from someone so young. As the years have gone by, I’ve found myself agreeing with him more and more. Beauty isn’t just about our outward appearance—it’s about what lies within us that makes us truly beautiful.
As I grow older, I become increasingly saddened by the fact that so many young women feel pressured to conform to a single standard of beauty. Have you noticed how many use the same makeup styles, and how cosmetic procedures often result in a sameness that can look quite artificial? It’s disheartening. I genuinely admire women who are comfortable in their own skin, who can go makeup-free one day and sport a full face the next without batting an eyelid.
I must admit, though, that I’m rarely without makeup myself. Once I start my morning routine, I tend to get a bit carried away, lol. I know I’m often heavy-handed with my eye shadow, but that’s probably because I wear glasses and want my eyes to stand out more than my spectacles! Some days, I feel beautiful, and other days, not so much. But isn’t that the human experience?
Yesterday, for instance, I was working on my next YouTube video—a fun, fantasy-themed look at mermaids (yes, I love to dress up and dive into all things magical!). I did my makeup, put on a sparkly dress and a white/grey wig, and filmed myself in front of a green screen. When I finished, I decided to take some photos. Well, in some of those photos, I certainly did not look beautiful! The glitter I had used to cover my face highlighted every wrinkle beneath my eyes. Initially, I felt a pang of sadness. I looked older than my age, and it was confronting. Here’s the video if you fancy watching it!
But then I gave myself a good talking-to. This is my face. My only face. My only body. I have to live with it, and the only way to be happy is to love and accept it—wrinkles and all. Beauty isn’t about flawless skin or a perfect figure. It’s about the confidence and kindness that shine from within us. It’s about being genuine, embracing who we are, and letting our true selves radiate.
We need to remind ourselves that beauty is diverse. It comes in all shapes, sizes, and colours. The world would be a very dull place if we all looked the same. So, let’s celebrate our uniqueness. Let’s be happy with who we are, both with and without makeup. And most importantly, let’s teach the next generation that they are beautiful just as they are.
In the end, true beauty is not about chasing perfection but about embracing our imperfections and loving ourselves unconditionally. After all, that’s what makes us human—and that’s what makes us beautiful.
Debbie has asked some special women in her life for their thoughts on beauty, which may be cheating in some ways but…their words are all heartbreakingly beautiful and make for inspiring reading! Deb’sWorld
Mary Katherine reflects on the importance our society places on “beauty” for women, and how she wrestles in her own life to balance having gravitas and glitter at the same time. MK’s Adventures in Style
Sue from Women Living Well After 50 explores beauty in all forms and discusses how we can thrive by putting the focus on our inner beauty as well as the beauty that surrounds us. Thriving through inner beauty (womenlivingwellafter50.com.au
Gail at Is This Mutton looks at the concept of beauty over the ages and how women still suffer to conform to society’s expectations. www.isthismutton.com
Jill looks at beauty in its many forms. Grown Up Glamour
Penny looked at beauty from all angles (because there are so many aspects of this idea of beauty) and decided to write mainly about the history of eyebrows! Frugal Fashion Shopper
While Marsha proposed the theme of beauty, she’s not talking beauty in the fashion world. Instead, she’s writing about the beauty we can see all around us. https://marshainthemiddle.com/
For this month’s Tell Us About prompt ‘beauty,’ Leslie shares some of the things that make her world a more beautiful place. https://onceuponatimehappilyeverafter.com
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