How To Be More Confident
Disclosure: THIS SHOP HAS BEEN COMPENSATED BY COLLECTIVE BIAS, INC. AND ITS ADVERTISER. ALL OPINIONS ARE MINE ALONE.
#INDIDIFFERENCE #COLLECTIVEBIAS #WHATMAKESYOUINDI #KPFRAGRANCES #KATYCAT
Growing up in a creative household, my mother has always been big on self-expression. Whether it was through writing, taking piano lessons, voice lessons (I cannot sing lol) whatever it was my mom encouraged it. In fact, my mother introduced me to style, it was because of her that I picked up a sewing machine and absolutely fell in love with fashion and beauty.
Fashion has always been one way that I could express myself. In middle school I went through a really rough period, from being bullied, having very low self-esteem, and developing the mindset that I had to look or hang with a certain group of people in order to fit in. No matter how hard I tried to stand up for myself or try to fit in, I only stood out more. As I have gotten older, I found that I was wasting time trying to seek approval from others. I was only doing a disservice to myself. In fact, I think that the more you try to fit in and deny who you truly are, it becomes a lot harder to embrace and even identify with your own individuality.
What has helped me over time was distancing myself from people who I felt that I had to be like. I experienced a great deal of loneliness in college. At the time, it was tough but looking back I am so grateful for that time alone. Because I got to know myself and really listen to myself. When it comes to embracing who you are, sometimes you have to figure yourself out all over again.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE? HOW DO YOU WANT TO FEEL? HOW DO YOU WANT TO LOOK? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH?
These were some of the hard questions I had to ask myself. As I’ve gotten older, I still find myself coming back to these questions.
Embracing who you are isn’t something that happens overnight, it takes trial and error. It takes for you to realize your value and fully accepting who you are. Even once you reach a certain level of owning it, sometimes you may be faced with doubt and insecurity.
For me, fashion and beauty have always been the place that allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and express myself freely. Growing up I would spend hours at a time flipping through fashion magazines, shopping at thrift stores, and occasionally sneaking into my mother’s makeup. With fashion and beauty, you’re able to tell a story or express yourself visually by what you wear, the colors you choose to wear, and even how you style your hair.
As someone who has always played with personal style and switching up my hairstyles, I was always made fun of for this. But I realized that I didn’t need approval or validation from anyone because I like what I do, how I dress, how I wear my hair etc.
Through these experiences, I’ve learned the importance of not seeking validation when it comes to making a decision for yourself.
How To Embrace Who You Are
Let’s start with stepping out of your comfort zone. Stepping out of your comfort zone looks different for everyone. Some will say go all in, I say start small.
There is beauty in stepping out because you learn what you’re capable of and you learn more about who you are as a human. Stepping out of your comfort zone means trying new things. New things could be a new career, eating at a new restaurant, switching up your personal style. It could even be something as simple as switching up your signature scent.
How To Find Your Signature Scent
Often when it comes to personal style, we skip right over fragrances. I think it’s so important. We have all been on the elevator with the girl who smells amazing. Once she steps off her fragrance lingers! Sometimes we remember a person by their amazing fragrance coupled with their style.
I normally reach for smells that are fruity and sweet. But lately, as I’ve gotten older I’ve been looking for something that’s a bit more authentic and empowering. Thankfully, I’ve found Katy Perry’s INDI Fragrance & Body Mist which is the combination and fragrance that I have been searching for
Katy Perry’s INDI Body Mist, is what I take with me when I’m around town. It’s a lighter version of the fragrance, but it still last all day. When applying make sure that you hold the bottle six inches away from your body, aiming towards your pulse points such as your wrist and neck. Also mist the air above your hair and walk through it.
You can get your own set of Katy Perry’s INDI Body Mist at Walgreens.com.
Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone & Embrace Who You Are
Don’t be afraid to try new things, sometimes new strengths are revealed when conquering your greatest fears or challenges. It’s ok to start small if you tend to gravitate towards certain styles or trends. Try a new style, you will never know how something will look on you if you have never tried it.
Say yes more often! Again, embracing yourself also means giving yourself permission to grow. Saying yes is not always a bad thing. You just have to know your limits.
Read a different genre of books. Trust me you do not know what you’re missing.
Switch up your favorite nude lipstick, for a cherry red lippie :)
Most importantly, Give yourself grace! Don’t be too hard on yourself.
