I was really touched when I saw the “Selfie†project and it made me think about how I view myself. It also made me think about my daughters and how they look at themselves and even though I have some imperfections that I may not be 100% comfortable with… I had to ask myself what type of behavior I modeled in front of my girls. Do I talk about my insecurities openly in front of them without noticing and if so, is that affecting the way they look at themselves? I tell my daughters that they are BEAUTIFUL just the way they are! Whether they are relaxed or natural, bright eyed and bushy tailed or just not feeling it today, with makeup and/or without! I actually don’t wear makeup a lot, and I said I was going to try and change that so that I have a daily routine even if it’s just eye shadow, eyeliner & lip gloss. It’s not a habit so I never remember to do it. I always take pride in doing my make up or getting it done for an event or photo shoot. On a regular day I’m just plain ole’ Jen!
My daughters on the other hand are teenagers going through what’s trendy and they love to wear lipstick and makeup on a daily basis. I always ask my daughter why she feels the need to wear lipstick, mascara and eye shadow to school. I guess if I can dig deep enough, I went through the same fad when I was a teenager. I don’t think my daughters need makeup to enhance their beauty, I believe they are naturally beautiful and there’s no need to cover anything up. Now, I wish I felt the same way about myself. Lol! I have very sensitive combination skin. I get blemishes for the smallest things and I’m usually ready to use concealer and cover it up. I RARELY take “selfies†and most of my Instagram consists of BRANDS I love, FOOD, FRIENDS and FUN experiences I’ve had! The “selfies†that I have taken have been edited using one of the Instagram filters or recently I dragged one particular photo into Photoshop to use the clone stamp and remove my blemishes and did a soft focus giving me the appearance of having flawless skin. I know… I know…
I have come to the realization that, no one is going to love me if I can’t love myself! I also know that no one is going to love me better that I love myself. So, with that being said let’s NOT dilute who we are and what makes us BEAUTIFUL! I know that when we look at the media we get a warped sense of what beauty is supposed to look like. FLAWLESS!!!!!!! BUT, even the most photogenic and naturally beautiful celebrities and models have their photos Photoshopped and touched up before the commercials hit the networks and the magazines hit the store shelves for us to look at and judge ourselves against. I fell in love with a photo that I saw on Twitter the other day (it was a piece of paper taped to a mirror) and it read… “WARNING: Reflections in this mirror may be distorted by socially constructed ideas of beauty.†AND… You know what? I got it!
You want to know what my daughters had to say about themselves and their “selfies”. My oldest said… I don’t like my forehead, nose and teeth! My youngest daughter said… I don’t like my face period! My heart sank and I couldn’t understand why? So now, I’m all over operation beautiful again! I really need to support my daughters and help them accept what makes them unique. It’s more than just looks! I’m going to have to start from within. So, please take a look at this “Selfie†documentary and join the movement. Feel free to check out Dove’s Real Beauty Mission. Tell me what #BeautyIs to you…
