#NOMakeUpSelfie: Baring It All
I never thought I would have the guts to post a no make-up selfie of myself, but here it is and here I am. Bare face, hair undone (unbrushed for that matter), brows undefined, fighting adult acne with scars to prove it, and yes my lips are rather full while my bust is pretty small. Was that a run-on sentence? Oops.
Hello, how are you? I'm Lisa Linh and I, like many of you out there, have major insecurities. As much as I'd like to believe that I'm confident and completely in love with how I look, I'm not. I know you can all relate because it's inevitable. We're only human. We can't help but compare ourselves to Kendall Jenner and the beauty industry is one industry that will never die. Although, I applaud Alicia Keys for being such an advocate of self love and going make-up free. I wish I had her bravery!
Needless to say, insecurities will always be there but we should never allow it to get the best of us. As an influencer, you can only imagine how many gorgeous babes are always around me. Being in fashion and beauty certainly makes you question how you look, especially when you don't get invited to a certain event or get skipped on a campaign. You can't help but start to question yourself, "is it how I look?", "am I not pretty enough?", "am I fat?"? It sounds stupid but I have felt like this and have asked myself these questions from time to time. However, at the end of the day, I have to remind myself that I am good enough and I don't need anyone or anything to validate myself.
I'm going to be honest, I'm writing this post to remind myself, as much as I am reminding you because we often get lost in social media comparison. While I have many flaws and wish I could change certain parts of me, I won't ever allow it to define who I am. Who I am is more than what is seen on the surface and while being a influencer is very dependent on looks (from how you dress to how you look), I will never allow my career to blind me. Likes and comments don't validate or confirm shit; you're more than the numbers seen on your screen. It's been proven over and over again that at the end of the day, if your personality is ugly, it doesn't matter how beautiful you look. Yes, cliche as fuck but I'm going to say it, "beauty is skin deep. you are beautiful, inside and out." Oh and one more cliche statement, "someone out there loves you for you."
Whatever you dislike about yourself, someone out there is actually wishing they had it. For example, I have rather full lips and this is something that has been trending this year. I sometimes hate it, but I am grateful nonetheless that I don't need lip plumping products. So before you start beating yourself up over any "flaws" or attributes you happen to dislike about yourself, think of this way - you have something someone else wants and will pay money for. Therefore, you're already winning and saving money, at the same damn time.
Go ahead girl, be proud of what your momma gave you!
So in conclusion, before this turns into a 10-page essay, which I can easily do and actually did back in 10th grade (when the assignment was supposed to be a 4-page double spaced essay) - my teacher was impressed but so annoyed he had to read all of that (LOL). But back to my point, I was born with a slim figure and fast metabolism that I've taken advantage of and now am regretting not taking better care of my body. Which of course, results to weight gain in the last few months and me feeling like crap, thinking I'm fat. What does that all mean? I've gained weight over the summer and I'm curvier than before, and that's OK.
I also am fighting what seems like a never-ending acne battle while trying to figure out how to fix my sleep schedule. It's true, I don't sleep enough or drink enough water. Save the lecture, I'm working on it. Thankfully, I got my hands on a few products that are helping and once this issue disappears, I'll be sharing what worked and what didn't!
Bottom line: we're not defined by how we look, what we look like, or what size we are. No matter how you feel right now, just know that you're not alone. BUT do know that you are gorgeous just the way you are, and if you don't believe me, ask Bruno Mars. He wrote a whole song about you.
End rant.
P.S. I was featured on The Huffington Post for this article! Click below to read!
