Ever since I had my daughter – at 16 – I hear all the time, ‘oh don’t let yourself go’, or I hear people talk about how someone else has ‘let themselves go’. What’s that supposed to do to our confidence and to our thought process subconsciously? Ah yes, tell us not to go up for that second plate of food, that it’s not ok to leave the house without any makeup on, and to not wear sweat pants out to run errands in. What?!?! I love wearing sweat pants and I REALLY love not wearing makeup.
Why is it ok to tell young girls and women that they shouldn’t let themselves go, that they should always put their best foot…and face forward? It’s not. I say let go, let it all go. Go a few days without washing your hair, the natural oils will rehydrate your scalp anyways. Go a few days without looking in the mirror, you’ll find you really appreciate everything about your face when you finally look again, and go a few days without wearing makeup! Your skin will breathe, you’ll save some time in the morning, and you’ll remember what you look like when you’re not all ‘done’ up and that is a beautiful thing.
With wild abandonment I think you should let yourself go. Not only with hair and makeup but with adventure and creativity. Makeup isn’t everything and neither is working 24-7-365. There isn’t one woman I know who doesn’t look beautiful without her makeup on. Yes it enhances your features, but also your features don’t need any enhancing. I suffer from this sometimes myself where I think I HAVE to have makeup on, and I post those moments (see above) and I make fun of them because it really is silly to think that you…that we….that I …am any less glamorous without my winged eyeliner. I do love that darn winged eyeliner look though.
I also need to take my own advice on this sometimes, but I do truly believe that in life everything is about balance. Having that second plate of food because your cooking is bomb, and then working out and staying active…balance. Getting dolled up for work or for a night out and crimping our hair and primping and spraying and teasing…and then taking a few days to go makeup free and let your skin and hair breathe a bit….balance. It’s all balance and I think you should totally let yourself go to balance out this world of air brushing and size 00 runway models. This is what our daughters and sons see.
Take it from a lady who has to get dolled up most days because she’s in front of a camera, and who’s perpetually eating ‘clean’ and living a healthy lifestyle, not only for health but also because she’s going out on auditions against girls 12 years her junior and to casting agent that kind of thing matters. Take it from me, YOU are allowed to let it all go and you’re beautiful. We need to hear that not only as girls and women and mothers, but as humans, and if this be your Monday Mantra than I’m glad you stopped in for a quick read. ‘Be-You-Tiful”.
xoxoxo