Everyone deserves to feel comfortable and happy in their own skin, but embracing a natural, no-makeup look can be a lot easier said than done. It seems like the “no-makeup makeup” look is all everyone in the beauty industry is talking about, however in order to feel good in minimal makeup you first have to feel good without any at all.
Feeling confident enough to go natural will not only save you some time in the mornings but it is also a great way to improve your overall mental health. With social media and the internet, it is incredibly easy to spend every day comparing yourself to others, and this is terrible for our mental health.
Here are some tips and tricks that can help you get started feeling good about the way you look.
Consciously Practice Acceptance
Loving yourself is not going to happen overnight, and it will likely take some conscious effort on your part, but the results will be absolutely worth it. Instead of focusing on the things you don’t like, it can be really helpful to make a point of acknowledging the parts of yourself that you do like. Start by making a list of everything you love about yourself, physical and emotional. Once you have compiled your list hang it somewhere that is easily accessible, and each day read through the things that you love as a reminder.
By constantly reminding yourself of all of your good qualities, you can instill a sense of gratitude and acceptance for who you are. Once you have learned to be grateful for your good qualities, it will be much easier to learn to accept and love the qualities you don’t like.
A helpful mindset for embracing your “flaws” is to stop seeing them as flaws. Everything about you is what makes you a unique individual, the good and the perceived “bad”. We can be extremely hard on ourselves, but what you see as a flaw is something someone else loves about you, or has never given a second thought.
One very important step to embracing your natural beauty is to ignore the media’s beauty standards. Try to stay away from social media and TV, especially if you find yourself constantly comparing yourself to people on your screen. When you do find yourself comparing how you look to others, remind yourself that this is an unachievable standard because it is not real life.
Fixing What You Can Control
You want to embrace what you can, but sometimes there are certain things that are more difficult to look beyond, so taking small steps to improve what you can make a huge difference in how you see yourself overall. If you don’t feel comfortable with your weight, start small with a few diet changes or some exercise. Even if you don’t see immediate results, the effort and focus on yourself will have a positive impact on embracing the way you look.
One of the most difficult parts of embracing your natural beauty, and forgoing the makeup routine, is the status of your skin. For some of us, no matter how well we eat or how many products we try, a lot of it comes down to genetics, especially acne. Even if you have gotten your acne under control, those pesky scars can make skipping the foundation difficult. Acne scar treatment can be a great way to clear up your skin without spending a bunch of money on products that might not even work.
Surround Yourself With People Who Make You Feel Good
You want positive people in your life who are going to make you feel happy to be around, but you also want your friends and family to make you feel good about yourself. If you find that someone you are spending your time with is negatively impacting how you view yourself, you may want to consider what that relationship is doing for you.
When the people in your life feel good about themselves, this will rub off on you as well. You can also make it a point to uplift those around you, creating a positive environment for you and your friends. When we compliment others, it brings positivity into our lives that will reflect on how we see ourselves.
Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey.
