The Beauty of Empowerment

“I don’t want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing.” –Alicia Keys for Lenny by Lena Dunham

Throughout my comparably short but otherwise intricate journey of adolescence, I have learnt five things that have helped me get through my bad days and taught me to appreciate the one thing that we as a human race all have in common; our inexplicable need for fulfillment.

1.       The right music heightens emotions.

2.       If you’ve got a beautiful group of friends who are filled with positivity and love, you will pick up on their vibrancy.

3.       Always be grateful for what you have. Always.

4.       Good grades aren’t everything. Life comes before school.

5.       Society and the media like to label things. They’ll have you believe you’re not good enough; not pretty enough, not smart enough, not thin enough, not muscular enough, too skinny, too curvy. The truth is you’ll never meet their standards; you’ll never be perfect. None of us will. But isn’t that such a relief? To know that you are you and I am me and we’re all perfectly imperfect and tied together in such a simple yet unique way?

Now, I’m not trying to preach that we have to be bubbly and positive and cheerful all the time. That seems like it would be really emotionally exhausting. I am simply sharing with you the things I wish I knew before I started high school, before this big and scary world showed me what it really meant to be a teenager and before I knew what society expected of me.

I know that I have previously discussed #5, but I’d like to talk about something that was recently broadcast in the media and caught my eye. When pop sensation Alicia Keys attended the BET Awards wearing no makeup, with her hair wrapped in a scarf while wearing a loose fitting playsuit, the social media world went crazy. Tabloids labelled the move as ‘daring’, yet praised Keys for ‘breaking the cycle’ of social standards.

Personally, I am 100% on board with the statement Keys made about going fresh-faced in the pop culture industry. I also want to acknowledge the impact this movement has had on the end of girl-on-girl hate, which is ever so prominent in the media today. What Keys has done will hopefully spark a notion for body positivity and acceptance amongst everyone.

Despite all this there is something that needs to be reiterated: NO GIRL OR BOY SHOULD EVER FEEL LIKE THEY ARE LESS OF A PERSON BECAUSE THEY WEAR MAKEUP. Don’t ever feel like you are a fake, like you are covering yourself up or like you have conformed to society’s standards. You do you. Rock that fresh face or slay that glam look. You’re beautiful either way.

Do I wear makeup? Yes.

Do I wear it because I’m insecure? No. 

Do I wear it for the attention of guys? No.

Do I wear it because I feel confident, because I enjoy the process and because I want to empower myself and the women around me? YES.

Sincerely Grace