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WHY WE SHOULD BE EMBRACING OUR NATURAL BEAUTY - WHATEVER THAT IS.

25 February 2018 6 comments

Embracing Natural Beauty - Barely There Beauty blog

As a blogger, I feel like I've watched the.. homogenisation, of the industry, and the beauty/style ideals that the majority of us feel the need to live up to if we are to 'make it' or be accepted?

As I grow older, both in myself and with the industry, the more I believe that we should each be embracing our natural beauty - whatever that is, and that the 'measure of flaws' has become a bit too high for my liking. I sort of feel like the standards our lives, as bloggers, are supposed to achieve are becoming ever more quixotic - like we're all supposed to wake up as models, with styled hair, and get on with our day filled with fresh peonies and press events ;)



Embracing Natural Beauty - Barely There Beauty blog

Outfit details:

Grey cashmere scarf, Sunnies, Ralph Lauren cable knit sweater (similar),
Strappy cami, Quilted gilet (similar)


That's not to say there hasn't been positive progress. Whilst one aspect of the trends have gone all a-frenzy about contouring, strobing and all the kinds of artistry you might associate with Instagram makeup etc, there's definitely been strong support for the more natural approach, and enhancing your natural beauty - take Glossier for example.

My bug bear is though, that I sort of feel like even the 'enhance your natural beauty' party is still focusing on the things that are already socially-considered beautiful? Wear minimal base if you have great skin for example. Just use a brow gel if your brows are already naturally full. Embrace the natural texture of your hair if you're a woman of colour - which is already gorgeous.

There seems to be a lot of.. camaraderie, or social drive to change perceptions about bigger issues within the fashion and beauty world - plus size bodies, disability or using a more diverse range of models for example, and I think that's truly fantastic, but I also think more could be done to change perceptions about the smaller things too. Like hormonal spots or frizzy hair. Why is it that freckles have been 'accepted' and praised, whilst visible or large pores are shunned and covered up and not spoken about?

I do feel that within beauty and fashion in particular, 'what is beautiful', has been pidgeon-holed into the same, one ideal that we're all bombarded with daily by the media, actresses, models etc. I look at photos at myself and feel like my under-eye circles are too dark, and that I need to cover them up. But I don't fully see why I should feel that way? They're a sign that I suffer with allergies, and sleep terribly, both of which are very real, everyday grievances, and I don't feel like I should be made to feel to look more awake because that's what society's version of beauty requires of me. Likewise with blemishes. I suffer with hormonal blemishes, and I'll be honest in saying that, as a blogger, I try not to take many photos of my face around that time of the month, because I feel I ought to cover them up -  but frankly, I shouldn't.

I'm not saying that I want to be any less 'beautiful', or that I'm not trying to look nice, I just don't care as much anymore - these things are so small in the grand scheme of life. I've never been confident in my appearance but I feel that the blogging/beauty/fashion world has made me hyperaware of my insecurities, by inevitably comparing myself to others. But we are so much more than our appearance - we are our morals, perceptions, priorities, values, talents, our relationships, our ability to create life! It's OK if it's a genuine choice, but we shouldn't be made to feel the need to upkeep these ideals of beauty, and as if not doing so is 'letting ourselves go' in some way.

I'm going to try and embrace/show my 'flaws' a little more. Genuinely frizzy, crap, unstyled hair, hormonal spots, hyperpigmentation, dry skin on my hands, my oddly shaped moon face, the odd roll of fat, and if you want to join me in this, I'd be more than happy to welcome you :)


xx