Finding Your Inner Beauty

Finding Your Inner Beauty

                          You stumble out of bed, regaining your vision, the outlines of your face become more depicted, the etches of imperfection showing more vibrantly.

*sigh* you wash your hair, get dressed and begin to unzip your makeup bag. You reach for your creamy 
beige or  ivory foundation bottle and begin to swathe it over the discoloration amid the canvas of your weary face. Your complexion begins to show much more evenly now! Next, you endeavor to pull the eye-shadow palette, mascara wand and black kohl eyeliner from your bag. You then begin to exaggerate the depth and darkness of your lash-line after complimenting and bringing out the color of your eyes with a sweep of violet or eggplant.

Minutes into the process, you already begin to feel a thousand times better about yourself! Next you decide to stroke a blush brush dipped in coral powders to accentuate and adorn your undefined cheekbones. Last, you must add perhaps a kiss of raspberry or cocoa to your lips. Hmm... too thin, your lips... much too thin! Exfoliate and then line them... that'll fix it. Ah! Perfect... and after blow-drying and styling your hair, you start to feel ready to face the world! You grab your keys, wallet and a purse dangling from your doorknob, one that compliments the color of your outfit for the day.

Pour yourself some coffee, perhaps a few cups more to wake you up. After a long day, doing whatever you're purpose may consist of in life, you eventually have to look at the mirror again, come face to face with yourself. You become appalled and wonder, "Could I have looked like that all day?". The makeup has begun to fade, the lines of your exhaustion showing themselves more vibrantly, your eyeliner and mascara smeared, you look like a raccoon or as if someone has smeared charcoal all around your bloodshot eyes. 

 You were invited to go out for the evening... you simply cannot go, though... you're far too tired! Or is that the reason? Could the real reason be your fear of facing others, your terror of others beholding you in the state of ruins you yourself perceive yourself to in the midst of?

You'd better stay home! You're afraid, afraid that others will judge you based off of your appearance. You'll have to wait, wait until you've reached that state of perfection, the state which shall allow you to roam the streets freely, without even a taste of insecurity woven into your mind. What will it take for you to achieve that state? None of your clothes fit right. Could that be the only reason? The answer to obtaining that state of physical perfection, maybe after a few weeks on a rigorous diet, just maybe you'll be ready to face your friends for a night out. 

                  What happen when you do reach that perfect weight? Will you be satisfied? Will you still be in search for something else to beat yourself up about? The answer to that is usually and most unfortunately... a yes. 

Your teeth, they're still crooked. Your hair, it's still a disaster... what color, what style or cut will make it as phenomenal as you'd like? Your complexion... even with all the makeup, all the powders... it's still not right, the imperfections still insist upon showing through. "Is there such a thing as perfect, anyway?" You begin to wonder after several failed attempts at reaching this fictional state of perfection. Could all this work have been in vain? Will you ever obtain a point in your life where you'll be able to look at that person in the mirror and say "perfect!"? 
                        
                   It's tragic, really it is! The fact that society has placed such an importance on physical perfection. Airbrushed and photo-shopped pictures of models veiling billboards, airing on commercials... everyone now feels that they have to emulate an image of perfection in order to feel accepted by society! Kids get bullied for things as shallow as the way they look, how "ugly" they are. 

Stop and think about it though... what substance has physical beauty? Why is it so important to everyone to channel an outward beauty? You're born the way you were intended to look. Why is it no longer cherished, the fact that you are the only you, that no one else looks quite like you, nobody else is your kind of beautiful? Everyone these days seem to have those aspirations of becoming like "barbies". Why does everyone want to look nearly identical these days? Now, everyone gets surgeries, plastic surgeries that end up destabilizing the muscles in their faces, all in the name of beauty. Everyone aims to look a certain way, to be a certain size, to have that perfect smile!

            I remember watching a "Twilight Zone" about a world of clones. About a society filled with people who, as they reached adulthood, would go under the knife filled with the sole intent of looking a certain way, identical to the next. They had two options, two choices of the ideal look they wished to obtain. How boring would that be... for everyone to look the same? Or what about the episode where a beautiful young blonde was subjected to countless surgeries in hopes to "fix" her face... to make her "beautiful" like the rest, all of the others dawning grotesque faces?



Never conform just so that you can be accepted in society, so that you can be the rest of the world's definition of "beauty", so that you can "fit in". Besides, who is qualified/ perfect enough to define what beauty and perfection truly is? 

If anybody, God is the only One certified to do so, and He's the One Who made you... so learn to cherish the person you were made to be, to look like! Be proud of that face looking back at you in the mirror! God made you just the way He wanted to! Don't aim to make yourself identical to the rest... don't make a clone of yourself! So, with that said, I shall wrap things up by letting you know that you are beautiful just the way you are... so-called "imperfections" and all! Never give up your individuality to be "beautiful"!!

Never let people judge you based off of your physical appearance either! Don't let your insecurities create a barrier between you and enjoying life. Nobody ever said that you had to look perfect to enjoy life! So, smile big and hold your head high, be proud of the person God made you, learn to accept yourself and regard yourself as beautiful just the way you are! No more rigorous diets, no more hiding yourself from others all because you're "not pretty enough".

 Those things that you label "imperfections" or "flaws" are some of the sole sources of your uniqueness, your customized touches of beauty! Besides, the people who really do matter, the ones who love you for your inner beauty... those are your truest friends! Outward beauty fades with time, disappears with the wrinkles of age. Inward beauty, however, it's timeless, it never fades! Learn to only associate yourself with those who admire you for the person you are inside, and not merely just for your outer shell... a coating that is doomed to wither with time, a shallow part of you that has the capability to diminish in a slit second! Inner beauty knows no age.

You must always remember as well to cherish the beauty of life, to learn how to love and accept yourself just the way you are! You must never forget to smile and be happy either! Stay clear of any insecurities produced from vanity, they're instant destroyers of joy and aren't worth ridding you of your happy! Always shroud yourself in bliss and don't hide from life, stop allowing yourself to be crippled by all of your insecurities! Have a wonderful day, Darlings! Don't forget to smile! <3

~Erin <3 xoxoxo

Fame's Drawbacks

 

 

Fame's Drawbacks

 

 

 

 

 

Red carpets, camera flashes, take 1, take 2, diamonds galore, fur coats and stilettos, fame, autographs, fans... it's no lie that most people envy that lifestyle, perhaps for all of the glamour that seems woven into it. Everyone wants to be glamorous, after all... in some way or the other, don't they? 

                      Along the way, however, people tend to lose sight of all of the pressures, the 
depressions, the anxieties that also remain intertwined with the whole deal, the package of being famous. Pour some whiskey or champagne, pop some pills, smoke some Marlboro then some more, take the edge off of the  agonizing pressures. 

 

 

Live fast, die young, gleam in the midst of the blinding lime-light, a light that drains a person's ability to discern fiction from reality. Smile big for the public, cry hard in the solace of your home... begin to realize that to most, you're nothing but an object, like a beautiful canvas etched with a brilliant landscape, that's all you are... everyone's muse to use, abuse and lay their eyes upon for nothing more than a temporal satisfaction. 



Enjoy the countless fans and admirers who love you fiercely, fiercely with a love lacking in substance, lacking in any more depth than the beauty of your outward appearance. 

Watch the enterprise of your fame, your physical beauty fade with the deepening lines of old age. 

Next, you wonder what has happened to all the bliss... you then, look around you and see no one. All the people you tossed to the curb, too occupied with the glitz and glamour of being famous, being highly demanded by the public... you were too good for them, the brightness of your fame clouded the view, the view of those people's sincere devotion to you.

 

"Fame is fickle and I know it. It has its compensations, but it also has its drawbacks and I’ve experienced them both." ~ Marilyn Monroe

The endless mounds of alcohol, caviar, suave new sport cars, diamonds, etc., became too much of a distraction. You'd put your once valuable friendships on the back-burners while you should score the shelves at Tiffany's, cruise down the street in your tomato red Ferrari and rub elbows with other fellow celebrities (a.k.a. the epitome of class and beauty amid the entire human population). You'd become too busy for them, fame continuously beckoning, the public continuously clamoring for an encore! 

 

 

Caught in the midst of growing old, however, you have yet to stand back and watch as your spotlight fades, the luminous glare that had once blinded you from the importance of those who truly did matter. 

As the brightness fades, nothing but an empty stage remains, the props all weathered. Finally, you begin to realize just how fickle fame really is... how, lacking in substance it had been from the start.

Everyone told you it was fickle, you just had to find out for yourself, your vision couldn't help but become blurred by the seemingly endless douses of glamour. 

From then on you have yet to fight viciously, aiming to keep that red velvet curtain open and the spotlights etched over your aging complexion.

Your once beautiful eyes stained with scarlet scratches, bloodshot from all the drugs, the "live fast" motive from the days of your youth taking their tole. You were always too young to die and too beautiful to ever grow old, so what happened?

Were you too lost behind the flashes of the camera, the echoing screams of fans... all of which had been destined all along to fade with every passing year to notice?

Did you get trapped behind your vanity, the signs of age continuously caked over with ivory powders, the land of "make believe" a.k.a "Hollywood" keeping you young and beautiful as long as humanly possible? Did you stand by, imprisoned by the painfully false illusion of makeup tricks as the producers tried their hands at preserving you? Like an automobile on it's last wheel, it's owner trying to keep it running as long as possible, that's what the producers were like. However, everyone knows that when the owner's finished with the automobile, years of mending faults here and there... no more chance of preserving the vehicle, he can be quite merciless, thrusting it into some junk yard on the back streets of town. That's just the way Hollywood is, and fame too... when they're finished with you, they'll dispose of you, sometimes viciously too.  

With the final bits of this entry, I shall close by eagerly urging you, my readers (some of which are young and beautiful people, with great aspirations), to be careful what you wish for. You don't need fame, neither do you need to be in the midst of blinding lights, flashing violently to be happy... to have purpose in this world.

You don't need people to demand your autograph or eagerly clamor to have their picture taken with you... all you need is to be proud of who you are. You must also never forget that... the higher they build you up, the greater the drop. So, take a moment out of your day just to be thankful for all of the wonderful blessings you do have in your life. Be happy and grateful to have both God and a family who loves you... in the end, you really don't need anything else. You don't need anything else than people who love you, truly... not just for your outer shell, though beautiful, but for the beauty inside of you.

We are all stars, and yes... we do deserve to shine! I believe however, that God gives us our own unique way  to shine.  You don't need to be behind a camera to shine your brightest! ;)

"Fame will go by and, so long, I've had you, fame. If it goes by, I've always known it was fickle. So at least it's something I experience, but that's not where I live." ~ Marilyn Monroe

xoxoxo <3 ~ Erin

Emulating Veronica

Emulating Veronica

I've seen it grace the red carpets over a million times these past couple of years and have a feeling that this look will remain affixed in a vital section of beauty's most timeless looks for a great many years!

 It's a look that celebrates femininity, it channels a look of timeless lady-like poise and elegance, and is always a very flattering look for any special occasion/fancy dining. 

  It's also very reminiscent of Classic Hollywood Glamour, and immediately brings to mind a plethora of Hollywood's greatest film stars!

From Veronica Lake to Lauren Bacall and all the way to the modern faces of Hollywood; Reese Witherspoon, Sophia Bush, January Jones, etc., etc. 

It also remains a widely celebrated look amid the runways, the glossy waves strewn about the brows of some of Fashion's most famous models! 

Last of all, the look can be copied with this fabulous tutorial by Lauren Conrad from her blog http://thebeautydepartment.com/! <3

Have a fabulous evening! We're halfway through the week! :) 

Queen of The Nile

Queen of The Nile

I was immediately enticed by the noticeable increase in Egyptian inspired fashion trends amid the shelves of some of my favorite stores along the 16th street mall of Denver! As I surveyed the vast shelves of jewelry throughout H&M, I was beyond thrilled! Sparkling beneath the store's vibrant lighting, I was intrigued by the endless collection of gold-polished earrings, emeralds and aqua blues glistening vibrantly in the center! Oh and the necklaces! I was bemused by their eloquent glamour, very reminiscent to the strands of jewels that the Ancient Egyptian Queens used to adorn their necks with! 

I have also noticed a considerable rise in gold etched headpieces, also very nostalgic to some of the headpieces the Egyptian Queens used to crown their satiny black tresses with. 

                           Below I have narrowed down a list of some fabulous, Egyptian-inspired jewelry pieces to contribute a Queen of The Nile-worthy sense of glamour to your wardrobes! Enjoy!

                                      

Click on the links below to view the items!

http://www.2bstores.com/New/View-All/Egyptian-Queen-Statement-Necklace/pc/1/c/0/sc/7/54312.pro

http://www.2bstores.com/New/View-All/Egyptian-Medallion-Long-Necklace/pc/1/c/0/sc/7/54314.pro

http://www.2bstores.com/New/View-All/Ancient-Gold-Necklace/pc/1/c/0/sc/7/54231.pro

http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/jewellery-and-hair-accessories/gold-and-black-egyptian-diamante-shard-ring_285152393?extcam=AFF_AFW_Linking+via+Landing+Pages_Polyvore&awc=1946_1376882630_a0a5a7907bd1ed32ce4bc5f2b89e385f

http://www.superette.co.nz/classics-bracelet-mint.html

http://www.shopthetrendboutique.com/benobykimkap38.html?source=pjn&subid=2845

http://www.shopthetrendboutique.com/benobykimkae9.html?source=pjn&subid=2845

http://www.shopthetrendboutique.com/benobykimtre.html?source=pjn&subid=2845

Also, for the perfect "Queen of The Nile" costume, check out the link below for a fabulous Egyptian makeup tutorial by Pixiewoo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_6Pc8J7cZc

Also, here's a link for some Egypt-inspired headpieces! Take a few moments to browse through these stunning jewel ornamented headpieces sold at the ASOS Marketplace!

https://marketplace.asos.com/women/headpieces?tab=all

Hopefully you found this entry helpful in providing you with the necessary sources for achieving that perfect Egyptian look! 

Have a fabulous evening, dears! xoxo <3