Throwback Thursday :My Beauty Evolution
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Isn’t that what growing up is all about? My beauty evolution has had its highs and its lows, its ups and downs. Haven’t we all been there? Aren’t we better for it? I’d like to think so. I truly wish I could delve even further back into my past (in picture form) but alas! No such thing as digital cameras in my teens. Yep, that’s right! For any of you youngsters out there reading, they didn’t EXIST! My graduation gift from high school was a digital camera and it was one of the first of its kind. I loved that camera. But in a world where technology continues to grow at a rapid rate, it soon couldn’t even compete with what was on the market. Nonetheless, I rocked that digital camera.
I recently purchased a beauty book (stay tuned for a review at a later date) and it began with the author displaying her beauty evolution, attractive or not. She completely owned that it took her years to cultivate her look and identity and that she made a lot of beauty and fashion mistakes along the way. I totally respect that and was inspired to travel back and take a look at my own and boy are you in for a treat. Whether you have long hair, short hair, curly hair, thin hair or whether you like makeup or a more natural look, it doesn’t matter. It’s about finding what works for you and what makes you feel your best. Isn’t that what we’re all striving for? Self acceptance? I know I am. And the older I get the more comfortable I feel in my skin. I’ll be the first to admit that I have self-esteem issues. Unfortunately I think that’s become the norm for most women especially due to the focus put on “perfection” by the media these days. Anytime you’re looking at a magazine and wishing you were something else remember this one thing: If you had a makeup and hair team and photoshop by your side at all times, you’d be flawless too. Know what I think? Embrace the flaws. Flaws make people unique and real. Own it. My personal flaws? I’ve got what one might call a quick temper and I’m a little over weight at the moment. So what? What’s interesting is that I’m probably the least “perfect” I’ve ever been but despite all of that I can still recognize what a good person I am and look in the mirror and like the person looking back at me. Liking the person in that mirror is something I’ve struggled with my entire life and it’s liberating to feel this way. Like most, I have my bad days but with my 30’s on the horizon I think it’s high time to embrace who I am, fat ass or not, and get on with it. As my husband Scott says, life is too short.
What are you looking at here? Let’s take a trip down memory lane.
Picture 1 features a just graduated high school girl. Fresh-faced and fancy free, I had the world at my finger tips. I remember this picture like it was yesterday. I had just finished my final high school exam and in a rush of adrenaline chopped off all of my hair. I immediately regretted my decision as my long hair was and is my thing. Also note that I chose to not embrace my natural hair colour. I had my mind set that honey blonde highlights were for me. Silly, silly Kathryn.
What more can I say about picture 2 but get over the honey highlights already? In my defence I did go with a more natural all over base colour but apparently I’d be damned to give up that golden hue. At least I rocked my au naturel curly locks. About the only natural thing about that hair look. It was at this time I really started experimenting with makeup too. I was always good at it, but I really started to look into new and exciting products.
Picture 3… Australia. In 2004/2005 I backpacked through Australia and have life-changing memories because of it. My look? No more honey highlights! HOORAY! I came to my senses. But in exchange I decided I best pile on the bronzer. As if I wasn’t bronzed enough. I was in Australia for gods sake! If I could go back in time I’d say, “Put down the bronzer brush, Kathryn. Put. It. Down.”
In the 4th and 5th picture I really started to find the look that works for me. My natural dark hair colour, my actual ivory skin tone (not bronze!), some eyeliner and a glossy lip. It works! Quite often you’ll still see me rocking this look but when it comes to jazzing it up a bit I’m way more adventurous now. Word to the wise, note that I started to become the most comfortable in my own skin when I stopped trying to fake my looks. I don’t have honey brown hair. I don’t have naturally tanned skin. I don’t need to straighten the wave out of my hair unless I’m purposely wanting to. I’m working what my mama and my papa gave me and am proud of it!
Finally, my husband and I on our wedding day. Us at our best I like to think. I wanted to look like a glam’ed up version of myself all while rocking a hot pink lip. But that’s just me and where I am at this point— loving bright coloured lipstick! Seeing myself in his eyes makes it so much easier to embrace who I am. He loves me no matter my hair colour and no matter my waist size. So why shouldn’t I?
Like my little trip down memory lane? Then show me your beauty evolution by emailing me your own collage at hello@beautyjunket.com. You may just inspire another post on the topic!
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Kate December 20, 2012 at 10:54 am
This is a great post! Recently, I was coincidentally looking through some old photos and I found myself shocked by how skinny and “ideal” I looked in photos that, at the time, I swore were terrible photos where I looked fat or awful. I think our culture has put us in a position where we’ll continue to scrutinize photos of ourselves, looking for flaws, until we learn to truly embrace who we are. The girl in those photos was a girl. The reason she looks more “perfect” is because she’s a teenager (or in her young twenties). I can do my best to lose the baby weight, stay healthy, dress for my body, but I’ll never look like that again because I’m getting older. But our true beauty is what’s evolved since we were young and didn’t know what we were doing. We know ourselves better now and we know what does and doesn’t work for us (okay, maybe some of us are still learning, but we’re better off than we were back then!).
There are days when I wish I could combine how skinny I was back then with how knowledgeable I am now, but that’s a useless thought. I shouldn’t wish I still looked like I did in those photos because even when I did look like that, I still thought I looked bad. We really do need to embrace who we are and that will allow us to be the most beautiful versions of ourselves.
Debi December 20, 2012 at 11:04 am
Love all your different phases.
beautyjunket December 20, 2012 at 9:42 pm
Kate- I hear you loud and clear. If I had a nickel for every time I looked at an old picture and thought man… I looked great, but at the time thought I was hideous, let’s just say I’d have a whole lot of nickels.
Let’s look at it this way, if we could combine our awesome youthful figures with the knowledge we have now, the world might explode from awesomeness. You’re absolutely gorgeous Kate, inside and out. Thank you for your beautiful comment. xo
Kate December 21, 2012 at 10:53 am
Aww, thanks! You’re right. We would be bringing too much awesome into the world. Everything in moderation I suppose đŸ™‚