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“Don’t allow the sad sight of human injustice to sadden your soul; someday you will see the unfailing justice of God triumph over it”.

-St Padre Pio

random make up tip because I was experimenting last night: make your nose look smaller by making your eyes look bigger and your eyebrows looking full. Volumising mascara, falsies only at the ends of your eyes, concealer in the inner corners of your eyes + powder for a very natural look. Draaag it out towards the bridge of your nose and under the beginning of your waterline. bake under eyes, elongated wing and nothing on the waterline. Don’t go for the Nike justdoit eyebrows, but make them fit your face correctly and are as full as your face structure will allow.

this placement of the inner corner thing not with white shimmery eyeshadow but with your concealer and powder.

#Tips

another big list?

Start from the top down.

Start with your hair. I wore wigs for years, switched to clip-ins and extensions for convenience, and now my hair is healthy enough to wear on its own. Figure out what you want to do with your hair in terms of style and colour and begin nourishing it so that it looks good and you’re happy with the way you choose to wear it. Wigs are a great option and I know so many women of different races and ages who choose to wear them because it’s convenient and they’re able to do whatever they want without worrying about how their natural hair will react to drastic changes.

Find a skincare routine that suits your needs and run with it. I’ve experimented a lot and finally settled on a routine and it works for me, my face, shoulders, décolletage, and neck look good, and I’m comfortable in my own skin. Finding a routine that works for you and doesn’t break the bank is SO important for the entire process and your skin is your largest organ and a good reflection of your health. The one thing I will say is sunscreen and a good lip balm are a part of every good skincare routine.

Drink more water and either eat or drink your greens. I thought juicing was a joke for the longest time and I didn’t enjoy it at all but I started drinking hella water, juicing, and focusing on small ways to improve my health and I feel better. I drink iron supplements, make sure I’m getting my greens in by drinking juices (still experimenting with this one), make sure to have at least 2.5 litres of water every day, take my supplements, and feel great. Not everyone needs supplements and a bunch of extras but they can be great for the women that do have deficiencies and I love my selection.

Get to the gym. I do pilates 6 days weekly, go to barre on Sundays, walk 10,000 steps daily, keep up with my cardio, and do some light lifting to stay in shape and I actually look much better than I ever have. Making sure to move your body is an essential part of success and surgery can’t and won’t fix everything; you need to put the work in to see real results and going to the gym can be the most satisfying experience. I’ve been getting more into swimming and trying to swim early mornings and embracing water aerobics and fun classes, I’ve been having the time of my life keeping my body toned, and my stamina has majorly improved.

Find a hair removal routine that works for you and stick with it. I favoured epilation for the longest time but my sister in law convinced me to try the woman she goes to for laser so I’m going to switch to that. Having smooth skin, no hair, and a good canvas for whatever you’re choosing to do with your body is so important and keeping your body moisturised and free of ingrown hairs and bumps is so satisfying. I personally use exfoliate and use oil whilst my skin is still wet from the shower and then use lotion to make sure my skin is deeply moisturised and I love the sheen it gives my skin.

Do not start down the surgery path unless you know how to say no to yourself. It’s extremely important that you don’t start fucking around with fillers, botox, implants, and the entire world of surgery unless you know when to stop and when to tell yourself no. One of the saddest things in the world is seeing women who’ve gone too far and have started looking for cheap surgery in order to keep going or somehow get their old look back. Don’t start with surgery if you can’t afford quality surgeons, don’t get procedures you don’t need just to fit in, don’t go too far, and listen to doctors when the tell you that they don’t think that you need something.

Maybe this is just me but maybe it’s not. I think that everyone looks good with a little bit of colour but the key is only going for what’s natural for the skin tone you already have. I only tan a little bit, I never go too dark, I try not to let myself get patchy, and I don’t go for any unnatural forms of self tan. I call the colour I go for ‘summertime glow’ and I love it because it’s natural and not at all orange, perfectly bronze, and it suits me whilst still looking like my natural skin colour. The goal is beachy vacation, not whole different race. I also think that self tanning is great for covering up scars and it gives you a little bit of warmth when the weather turns dreary.

Figure out what works for your nails and stick with it. Literally every woman I work with has a French tip, I see how a little tip has suited my sisters, and I found that a little acrylic overlay and gel polish work wonders for me. I’ve done the same nail combo ever since I moved to Texas and I love the way it looks, it gets me the MOST compliments from men, and it’s simple enough to match every outfit. I talk about French tips constantly and how they’ve never done me wrong so I’ll leave off here but having a go to nail combo for your mani-pedi will take so much stress out of your daily routine and help your o look polished even when you’re down.

Experiment with perfumes, soaps, and scents but DO NOT overdo it. Experimenting with scents, figuring out what suits you, trying out custom blends, and finding ways to enjoy perfume will bring joy to your life. I love love love perfume and experimenting with different scents and I think that the perfumes and scent blends I choose to wear have levelled up my look exponentially. You don’t have to spend a million dollars on designer perfumes when you can work with soaps, scrubs, and affordable choices, there are so many indie perfume makers who have great blends, and it’s fun to start with samples and work from there so that you can figure out what you like without breaking the bank or having to do lots of blind buys.

Makeup and accessories are going to go into one category because I talk about both far too often but I’m going to tell you this: less is more when you don’t know what you’re doing. If you don’t know how to apply makeup then maybe starting off with a full face, heavy contour and conceal, and a complicated eye isn’t the way to go. Start slow, watch tutorials, take the time to learn what you’re doing, and don’t spend millions on high quality makeup before you know what you’re doing and know what you like. It’s the same with choosing your accessories; don’t buy a million different bracelets and necklaces before you know what you’re doing or you know what your personal style is and don’t chase after aesthetics and ideals that don’t fit you and waste money on trends that you actually hate.

All things I’ve said before.

“When a flower doesnt bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.”

— Alexander Den Heijer

I’d love to embrace a more feminine style. Could you recommend some brands to help me build my wardrobe?

Acler.

Alémais.

Alexis.

Alice + Olivia.

Baum und Pferdgarten.

BAQA.

Bec + Bridge.

Chloé.

Claudie Pierlot.

Dion Lee.

Dodo Bar.

Emilio Pucci.

Erdem.

Etro.

Faithfull the Brand.

Farm Rio.

For Love & Lemons.

Ganni.

Giambattista Valli.

Gigii's.

Goja.

Hemant and Nandita.

ILA the Brand.

IRO.

Isabel Marant.

Johanna Ortiz.

Jonathan Simkhai.

Kate Spade.

Khaite.

La DoubleJ.

Lily Pulitzer.

LoveShackFancy.

Lug von Siga.

MaxMara.

Maje.

Missoni.

Miu Miu.

Nackiyé.

New Arrivals.

Oops Cool.

Other Stories.

Paco Rabanne.

PatBO.

Pinko.

Poupette St. Barth.

Rebecca Vallance.

Reiss.

Rixo.

Rococo Sand.

Rouje.

Sandro.

Self-Portrait.

Sézane.

Shona Joy.

Siedrés.

Solace London.

Staud.

Temperley London.

The Kooples.

Tory Burch.

Totême.

Ulla Johnson.

Zuhair Murad.

Zimmermann.

Sent over by my mentor

If it is meant for you, you won't need to force it. If it is not meant for you, forcing it won't work.

This has been top of my mind for quite a bit but you need to tailor every metric. Individualize the data, elevate the game. What worked for her will very likely not work for you, nobody can offer you their blueprint to success because their story is not yours. You can take inspiration from the effective methods the girls have worked with before but tailor it to fit your own circumstances. Assess your cultural background, you can use geographical mobility and strategic relocation, and start building and leveraging connections, or develop and foster new hobbies and interests you genuinely enjoy, you can apply mindset shifts and strategies if needed, learn the languages that open doors for you, and start deciding how and where you invest your money to upgrade your lifestyle while making strides with your career/education to paint a general picture. But seeking insights into someone's specific choices and experiences can come across as misguided and replicating someone else's path won't give you their results because your personal narrative is one that only you can author. The only way forward is through action customized to you. There’s no shortcut, but the fastest way forward is understanding who you are and your current situation, while calculating every move based on your strengths, opportunities, resources, and realistic goals.