Journal Day 9: Beauty

How would you say your upbringing or background has shaped your idea of beauty? Were you taught to apply makeup or do you hair by your mother or friends? If not, where did you observe what is now your norm as far as beauty practices? And although most of us have been inundated by different cultural beauty "norms" via the media, would you say that television and magazines have had a strong impact on shaping what you think of as beautiful? This week, write about your idea of beauty- how your background has shaped it and what that means for you today. via Sometimes Sweet

It was just me and my mom until the day I moved out. I don't have sisters. And although I had cousins and friends to talk and explore all things beauty with, my mom was my main influence until I was in high school. She's always been a minimalist when it comes to this kind of thing and it seems that it rubbed off.

The only time I've seen my mom wear a considerable amount of make-up was at my wedding.  She used to wear red lipstick all the time when I was a kid. There are hardly any photos from my childhood of her without it on. It was definitely her signature look. Other than that she only wears eye liner and  these days leaves the red lip stick for special occasions only. Growing up, she always told me that the more natural the better. That really stuck with me. I, of course played around with make up in middle school but overall I'm a lot like her in the fact that I hardly ever wear any. I like mascara and lipstick. I don't bother with foundation, bronzer (still have no clue what that even is), eye shadow, blush, etc. I don't use it. I don't see the point unless you are going to a ball at Buckingham Palace or it just so happens to be October 31st. My mom has always been big into taking care of her skin - kind of. She is a big moisturizer and drinks tons of water. But she's also a lover of a good tan. I would bet money that she's never stepped foot inside a tanning salon but she does enjoy laying out in the backyard when the weather permits. I've taken after her on this whole skin care regimen minus the tanning. I have a moisturizing routine that my friends are always shocked by. I drink tons of water daily. And for the past 3 or 4 years I've started using (SPF 100) sunblock religiously. Sure, I love the look of a tan as much as the next girl but a good tan is not worth wrinkles years from now and most certainly not worth the risk of cancer. My mom didn't start dying her hair until she was well into her 50s. The two times I've dyed my hair (8+ years ago) I had a severe allergic reaction. Needless to say, I leave it be. As far as I know she has never gone to get a mani/pedi. It's just not her thing. I like to go once every few months but I'm no where close to a regular. It's a treat not a necessity in my life.

She and I are very different. I'd say mostly different - but I really like her simple, natural approach to beauty. Less is more. I'm glad I grew up that way and not in a house where my mom couldn't go anywhere without putting a pound of make up on. And I LOVE that Dustin thinks the same way. About a month ago I was laying in bed watching a You Tube make-up tutorial on my phone. He asked me why I was watching that specific video and I responded with "I was thinking of trying something new for Nicole and Blair's wedding" in which he said "I think you're beautiful without all that stuff on your face". So yeah, I never ended up trying out the make-up technique I watched because Dustin's words made me feel way prettier than putting on make-up ever could.

I'm not against those who spend extra time on themselves. It's just not for me. My idea of beauty is way more laid back than most girls. I mean, I find a fresh face prettier than a made up one. I feel more beautiful when I wear my glasses rather than when I don't. I'm not constantly trying to look perfect all the time. Sure, my flaws cross my mind here and there but I'm rarely fixated on them. And yeah the models and actresses in magazines and movies are gorgeous but I also realize that most of it isn't even real, so I don't bother comparing myself to them. I'm not really sure if that's a product of my upbringing or just my personality. Maybe it's a mixture of both. Either way I'm at a really good place with it so that's all that matters to me.