Why Looks Matter
Confessions of a former make-up artist.
Judging people by the cover is a notion ripe for scrutiny. The same goes for establishing your worth or identity upon anything external.
Still, sometimes making a statement through the physical appearance is precisely what we need. I am not ashamed to admit that whenever I put more effort into how I look, it makes me feel better. Just like putting a smile on your face tricks your brain into happiness.
Yes, make-up can help you look younger. Yes, it can transform your face. You can fake a nose job. Whether we like it or not, make-up does boost your confidence and change your mood.
It seems to be an interwoven loop: body image and self-esteem respectively affect each other. If you don’t approve of your body, it’s tough to feel good about your whole self. The reverse is also valid: if you don’t appreciate yourself, it’s hard to notice any positive things around as well.
With the change in external appearance, you can easily shift your vibrations. And how you feel you attract. When you feel good, you radiate that energy around you. The low cut in the dress is not responsible for your allure. Your mindset is.
Effort into external appearance makes you more productive.
I had a period in my life when I forced myself to look good for the sake of my job and its’ representative function. I have ceased to enjoy it.
I have also gone through the phase where I got so fed up with external pursuits of unattainable perfection that I did not care for how I looked. That was my rebellion state when I dived into spirituality and rejected almost all material and physical pleasures.
I have discovered that abandoning any effort to feel good through external looks made me numb and care less. I lost simple joys of life. My nonchalant, careless approach became a disguise for having no passion in life.
It’s easy to become comfortable wearing baggy clothes. However, once you are in your comfort zone, that is when you’re the laziest. Especially when you work from home, putting that extra effort into your looks can introduce you to a more productive and organized workflow.
I have noticed that how I looked externally was the reflection of my inner state. When I felt driven to perform, I was also motivated to take care of my looks more. Why not try reversing the impact? Taking few extra minutes in the morning to look your best, even if you’re not leaving the house, changes your path to productivity.
When you look good, you feel good and perform well. A boost of self-confidence on a day when you are feeling less than gorgeous makes an impact. A lifted spirit works magic for accomplishing goals. You have confidence and a drive to succeed, no matter what the day throws at you.
Appearance is a form of self-expression.
I realize that with a minimalistic approach on the rise, make-up aggravates many opponents who mock and criticize the fashion. However, make-up is a great tool to express yourself, especially if you are not too serious about it.
Playing with make-up unleashes my creative side. It helps me to get to know my face better; what colours suit my eyes, what contour brings out my bone structure. No bookish approach, but through trials and errors, I derive the greatest benefit of all: joy.
Science proves that external appearance does boost your creative side. A paper in August 2015 in Social Psychological and Personality Science asked subjects to change into formal or casual clothing before cognitive tests. Wearing formal business attire increased abstract thinking — an important aspect of creativity and long-term strategizing.
When you colour outside the lines, you discover an untapped reservoir of your potential. Stirring away from cultivated norms allow you to explore newfound freedom. You become bolder. Innovative ideas start flowing. Let the fun in and forget about the perfect eyeliner flick.
What is more, experimenting with make-up, going for a more daring look can work magic when it comes to low self-esteem. Playing with colours, textures, crazy photoshoots enabled me to discover my wild side, meaning: I have ditched the excruciating chase for perfectionism.
When you hold on to strict rules for your dear life, you deprive yourself of active engagement in life. And what is the best path to self-growth? Making mistakes. Learning from them. Applying the lessons learnt. It is not only the facade that matters. Self-expression matters. Identity matters. Creativity matters. What is wrong with using those tools to express yourself through appearance?
Appearance is a form of self-care.
Self-care is a vast subject. Apart from setting your boundaries, nailing the assertive no, minding your self-talk, it also entails taking care of your physical expression.
Tending to your looks can enhance your confidence, mental health and soothe your anxiety. Whenever you take care of yourself, you send a signal to the brain that you are important. There is nothing soul-destroying in tending to your image as long as you remain true to your values and do not abandon your comfort for the fake admiration.
Effort in your physical appearance makes you smarter.
About to have a public presentation? Do you need that extra kick of confidence? Taking care of your physical appearance works wonders for your self-esteem.
The study, by Harvard Medical School, has found that wearing make-up can not only give women a confidence boost but can also make them feel smarter.
The “lipstick effect” is a known psychological phenomenon in which wearing make-up can give individuals a confidence boost by making them feel more physically attractive, increasing feelings of self-esteem, attitude, and personality.
Do not tell me that when you have a crappy day, a little make-up on, a little effort into your neat attire fails to give you that boost of endorphins. Now, you can use it to your creativity as fuel to your further pursuits of the day.
There is also the other side of the coin. Too much of a good thing…
While physical attraction is a part of the equation to our well-being, there is more to it than that.
The issue with fake glam arises once you get too attached to the image you present to the world. External looks enjoy a prime spot in our opinionated culture. Many people correlate self-worth with physical appearance, flawless complexion and items we gather around.
Physical attractiveness has become too much associated with affluence and privilege, as well as shallow and superficial pursuits. Standards of beauty don’t have to change. Our thinking about it should. Why does beauty need to be exclusive? We all should take care of our bodies, what we consume, how we treat our planet, what clothes we pick daily. It is not the quantity of clothes that matter, but quality. Sustainable fabrics. Minimalistic make-up. Organic products.
Too many times have I witnessed external pursuits become a mask for hiding one’s insecurities. The louder you get, the more you need to disguise.
External validation is a fleeting illusion that can be easily promised. However, it is impossible to build happiness upon it. I wish to remove the veil of delusion that external attractiveness can cancel out repressed emotions, feeling of unworthiness. Only by changing your mindset, you can alter your trajectory.
Make-up is never the source of your confidence, it is a bonus. Self-esteem comes within.
The most expensive make-up products will never make up for the emptiness we cultivate inside us. Changing your appearance, whether through make-up or plastic surgeries, will not suffice for fixing the shattered self-esteem.
Any attachment to material possessions or external pursuits presents us with suffering. We clearly state that an entity outside us has a power much greater. We literally hand our happiness to something fleeting and easily destructive. Hiding our internal flaws with concealers, extravagant clothes, superb mansions only deepen the pit of misery we have unconsciously found ourselves in.
How you feel about yourself will always shine through your surface. It is possible to use your appearance to lift your mood. However, permanent self-worth can only be established within. The external look becomes a booster but never a foundation for your kick-ass self-esteem. When you feel hollow and unworthy inside (without your make-up on or labels), this emptiness is going to come through. It doesn’t matter if you fool them, but you will never be in a position to fool yourself.
There is nothing more appealing than being you.
Heavy make-up is fun to create, just like a natural dewy look. You can conceal, bake, contour for a photoshoot. You can do it for a special event.
But you can also do yourself a favour and be natural.
Think about people who follow their burning passions. There is nothing more attractive than standing out of the crowd by going after your desires. Authenticity, opening up about your vulnerabilities are actual keys to relatability and attractiveness. Not flawless perfection.
What trends do you see around? False eyelashes, hair extensions, spray tan? And if they really suit you, go with it, but only if it brings you pleasure and fun, not because you want to fit in or make somebody like you. And if it bugs you, irritates your skin or is time-consuming, quit. Go natural, play with colour. Be yourself. Dare to stand out in the crowd of superficiality and fake glam.
When you sing in tune with your heart, you attract the right tribe. It is the Law. I promise you. When you look in the mirror and appreciate the reflection, no matter what standards you see around, you genuinely love yourself. And self-love is the most powerful tool for healing, manifesting your desires and bettering your quality of life in general.
Your external looks have no bearing on your inner self-worth.
Your value constitutes the kind of service you offer to the world.
Yet, sometimes a simple practice to give yourself attention influences your life in a miraculous way. When you look good, you feel good, and it is a cliché for a reason. Liking yourself and the image you represent to the world is the most significant look you can establish.
After all, when you feel worthy inside, you do not have to wear a cover-up.
Beauty is not a superficial notion. It is your inner perspective that defines your image and how you present yourself to the world. Make-up is not the source of your confidence. It is a bonus. You cannot derive your inner feeling of worth from the outside.
Make-up does not give you the look, it gives you the feeling. You don’t have to always look good to feel good. But when you need that extra push, fixing your external appearance can make a difference to your day.
Approach it wisely, with moderation and never forget to have fun along the way.
Thank you for reading!
I write to empower and inspire with self-love. Your biggest strength lies in your authenticity, so embrace the whole package. Wear your unique attitude proudly.
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