GUEST POST – read on for details of the guest poster.

Do you ever get frustrated scrolling through social media and wondering why a trend looks good
on everyone but you? Mine was the low-rise trend at the moment! It can leave you feeling left out and really down about yourself. But it doesn’t just stop at trends; beauty standards these
days, especially for women, are becoming more unattainable by the day, with the return of
2000s extra skinny beauty standards. However, it’s impossible for most people to achieve these
standards as every woman is different, and therefore so is their beauty.

Beauty Isn’t One Size Fits All

It’s important to remember that beauty is deeply personal, and that’s a good thing. Life would be boring if everyone were the same. But the problem with this is, if you can’t use Instagram or TikTok to copy an influencer, how do you find what works with your individual beauty? Well, I’m here to help you stop chasing trends and to embrace your own version of beauty.

Section 1: The Myth of the “One-Size-Fits-All” Standard

Every ten years or so, there’s a whole new beauty standard, from the extremely skinny 2000s to the curvy influx in the 2010s. How on earth are you able to keep up? The recent rise in social media has heightened and pushed these trends, with celebs such as Kylie Jenner influencing a whole generation of women to plump their lips, and the recent trend of Pilates championing a slim and toned body type. It’s no wonder that lots of women suffer from low self-esteem when only one body type or facial feature is seen as perfect and the ‘ideal’. It’s ridiculous that only one type of woman is seen as ideal and the standards are so narrow, when there’s such a huge range of beauty in the world, of all shapes, sizes, races, and nationalities.

Section 2: Self-Discovery — Understanding Your Unique Features

It’s important to understand yourself and your own features when trying to find what works for you.

I, myself, have curly hair, short legs, and blemish-prone skin. This means I will never have beautifully straight hair, like I see on Instagram. Instead, I’ve embraced my curls, after years of killing my hair with heat, and started using the curly girl method with a diffuser and the Camille Rose curl cream. I’ve also stopped obsessing over wearing mini skirts and then getting disappointed when I don’t have long legs, like a Victoria’s Secret model, and found my love for mini shorts and midi skirts. And lastly, I’ve stopped striving for perfection with my skin and obsessing with covering it up, and I just stick on my favourite lip gloss.

Now some tips for you:

  1. Observe, don’t criticize – make sure that you are not picking apart what is wrong with yourself but observing your features and how they may be a bit different from the ‘norm’.
  1. Take notes on anything you wear that makes you feel confident – This could be a favourite item of clothing, a favourite hairstyle, or a favourite makeup product such as a lipstick.
  1. Don’t think about fitting into a mold – Think about what you like, flatters you, and makes you feel confident in your own skin. Experiment if you have to!

Section 3: Inner Confidence Makes Outer Beauty

Confidence can enhance more than any other product or item of clothing ever could. Most of the time when you meet someone, you don’t remember them for what they were wearing or their looks; you remember their personality. This shows that beauty is also skin deep and is not always physical. However, you can’t expect this change in a day; learning to love yourself is a journey that starts small and grows over time.

Some habits that can help to boost your inner confidence include:

  • Practising self-care
  • Gratitude for your body
  • Eating well, not for physical appearance, but physical wellness

Section 4: Practical Tips to Personalize Your Beauty Routine

Remember that lipstick you bought because it was trendy and never wore? It’s time to give it away and replace it with something you will actually wear. Rather than basing your beauty routine on trends, it’s important to create a beauty routine that is personalised to you, your features, and what you want to shine through. Here are a few tips for creating the perfect routine for yourself:

  • Create a capsule makeup and skincare routine – It’s important that you base this on your skin type and lifestyle. For example, if you’re busy and have oily skin, you may choose to have a shorter routine with more matte products such as powder blush. Nonetheless, you should embrace your quirks.
  • Choose colours that suit your undertone – This may involve a bit of trial and error. Choose colours that flatter your skin, such as a warm or cool-toned bronzer or richer and more purple-toned blushes for darker skin complexions.
  • Picking silhouettes that make you feel good – Establishing a wardrobe of silhouettes that you feel confident in and you think suits you is one way to make you feel beautiful. Remember—no clothes are only made for a certain body type, so don’t feel restricted, and if this silhouette is trendy, that’s okay!

A Few Last Words

Just remember that there is no universal definition of beauty, and there never will be. There is power in being different and embracing these things about yourself. All that matters is you feeling confident and comfortable. So what are you waiting for? Find what makes you feel beautiful now!

Thank you to Esme, for submitting this great guest post. I wish her well on content creating journey.

I’m Esme and I love everything beauty, lifestyle and makeup! I studied in Manchester (rainy days + endless coffee = the perfect writing vibe), and now I’m on a mission to create content that empowers people to romanticise their lives and step into their main character energy.

Esme

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