Young lady, define your own beauty. International models like Tess Holliday and Chantelle Brown-Young control how people see their flaws by highlighting their beauty wrapped in confidence.
Chantelle travels the world as a model with a skin condition, Vitiligo. Makeup is an option but she models without covering the areas of her skin where spots appear. Chantelle brings a new meaning to loving the skin that you are in. She embraces and showcases her beauty just the way she is. She has defined beauty in her own way. Tess is a plus size model who travels the world as well and made history as the first model of her size to sign a major modeling contract. She was a size 22 when history was made. Tess is beautiful and has not allowed any other standards of beauty to define her. These ladies have something in common. They do what they love, love who they are, and define their own standards of beauty. Their journey has not been filled with perfection but they are wonderful examples of defining beauty.
Little Girls and Their Ponytails is a book about self-love. I wrote it to teach girls to love who they are just the way they are. Not to persuade readers to dislike makeup or beauty enhancing products, but to learn and embrace their beauty before adding or taking anything away. Self-love is a prerequisite to defining your own beauty. Love yourself.
Many of us started out as cute little babies then probably grew to be the cutest little kids ever. Then jumped into the awkward stage! Most people experience an awkward stage. It can be laughed about later in life but can be rough while in that phase. Why is that? Perhaps, it is because differences are compared and not celebrated. What if differences were celebrated? This is a good time to define your own beauty, block the negativity, and build your own standards of beauty. Unfortunately, we are still in an era where young ladies are bombarded with looks that are often unachievable without makeup, photo manipulation, or surgery. Defining beauty standards for you and by you is liberating. This concept gives freedom to just be you and comfortable without comparing images of others.
As young ladies, people often negatively define you by your flaws before you have a chance to embrace them. Nothing is wrong with what makes you different. As you grow into womanhood, you will evolve. How you evolve is up to you. Start embracing those differences in preparation of evolving and embracing your flaws. Your uniqueness. Rename it. Allow what was once considered awkward to be redefined as what makes you beautiful. Like Tess and Chantelle, you can take control of how others see your flaws. Be confident. Define your own beauty.
Special thanks to Erika Veal Photography, Tomayia Colvin Photography, & management for Tess Holliday for the beautiful photos. This article was originally published in the Senior Study Hall Magazine.
Katherine White is a publisher, published author, non-profit organizer, and mentor on a life mission to encourage others by letting her light shine. She is the creator of the Ponytails Pageant and the Beautiful and Wonderful Me Workshop; both designed to empower girls to love who they are. She believes that teaching little girls about self-love will enhance their self-esteem for their teen years and develop greater confidence into womanhood.
Contact her at www.kwhitewrites.com or www.sunnysmilespublishing.com.