What is beauty to you? What makes you feel beautiful, or see someone else as a beautiful person? We talk about the importance of inner beauty outweighing so called ‘good looks’, but do we really value inner beauty as much as we say?

The beauty industry is worth more money than we can even fathom, so clearly exterior beauty matters to us! We pluck, wax, smother our skin in expensive creams, bathe in oils, and salts, and wear mud masks on our faces! Between seaweed wraps and potions that promise prolonged youthfulness glow we are a society obsessed by how we look on the outside, and I haven’t even touched on the amount of money the ‘diet’ industry makes!

In many ways it feels like no matter how much we preach about inner beauty, we still focus way too much on how we look on the outside, but it is not all a bad thing is it? To some degree we should care about our appearance, because in many ways it is like the two sides of a coin. How we feel inside often reflects how we look, and vice versa!

It may not be all about the ‘beauty products’, but more about the fact we are taking the time to look after ourselves. By bathing in salts, or rubbing lotion on our bodies we are nurturing ourselves, and making feeling good a priority. Taking time to have a facial means we are putting self care high upon our list of priorities. Preparing a healthy meal, and exercising show we care about how we feel, it is all part of self love! Exercise doesn’t have to be about achieving a bikini body, it is about releasing feel good endorphins that make us happier, and therefore we look better! Rubbing lotions on is another way to promote feelings of self love through self touch.

On the flip side, doing things to make others happy, being kind and showing gratitude all contribute to feeling good about who we are, and when we feel like we are making a positive difference to those around us, we glow! We radiate inner beauty, we smile more, we laugh more and these are qualities that attract others to us.

One really cannot exist without the other, beauty truly is dependant on both things coming together. If we are only externally beautiful, and act ungrateful, rude, and treat others with disregard, we soon start to appear unattractive. Just as if we are a beautiful person internally that actually shows no respect to ourselves, and we constantly put ourselves down, and neglect self care, we appear unattractive.

True beauty shines from within, when we feel comfortable in our own skin, when we live fearlessly authentic and when we are true to our morals and values then we posses true beauty. It isn’t about what is in the jar, it is about the fact that we care enough to look after ourselves.

We don’t need to be fooled into using the most expensive brands, just the fact that we are taking time out to care for ourselves and pamper ourselves shows we believe we are worthy and that is absolutely what beauty is about. No expensive cream, or day spa can make you beautiful when you feel ugly on the inside, but being happy with the person you are will leave you glowing.

If you do you beauty routine, whether it is night or day, whether you are female or male, don’t just focus on your exterior self, include some positive affirmations, smile at yourself, keep a gratitude journal, and remember that you are completely beautiful all the way through!

So tell me what it is that makes you feel beautiful? What makes you feel empowered? I’d love to know! Please drop me a comment, love Mac xx

MusingsOfATiredMummy