Real Beauty Doesn’t Rinse Off
Afternoon, darling ones! Just a quick message today since I’m up to my eyeballs, but it’s one I think we all need to be reminded of from time to time: REAL BEAUTY DOESN’T RINSE OFF. I think we can all remember being told, “Beauty is as beauty does.” But somewhere along the way that message has gotten drowned out by the makers of fancy cosmetics and distributors of glossy magazines. We are fed images of airbrushed, uber thin, body conscious clothes wearing super models, and we’re told THIS is what beauty is. We’re told (or maybe SOLD is more accurate?) that beauty comes in a bottle, a tube, a jar, even in a protein shake if we skip enough meals. That we can buy it at the salon, or the gym, or the mall, and carry it home in pretty shopping bags. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m as make-up loving as the next girl, (I seldom leave the house without mascara) but from time to time I find myself slipping into that place-, (you know the one… the Comparison Zone) and I need to remind myself that while make up is fun, it’s not REAL beauty. Because you can’t BUY real beauty. The kind that doesn’t scrub off at the end of the day, or sit in a fancy jar on your nightstand. Lipstick can never replace a genuine smile. Bronzer won’t give you the kind of glow that happy does. Wrinkle cream should never replace laughter lines. In fact, beauty isn’t even ABOUT your face. It’s about your brain. And your heart. And your soul. Beauty is a state of mind. A way of being in the world. It’s about being genuine, kind, generous, and compassionate. About knowing who you are and what you want, and being okay with all of that. About giving yourself a break because you deserve one. You don’t have time for perfect. You’ve got a life to live, people to love, dreams to chase. And you’re doing it all BEAUTIFULLY! Just. The. Way. You. Are. So remember, the next time you’re flipping through a glossy magazine and feel yourself sliding toward the dreaded Comparison Zone, beauty–the REAL kind–is NEVER just skin deep. Love and Light, my lovelies!Stay beautiful! <3 Barb
You are so right. We are always comparing ourselves to the other person. Look how pretty she is! Look how nice her hair is!Look how flawless her skin is! I believe every woman is beautiful! Sometimes we forget that! Beauty shines from within! If our soul is beautiful.caring.compassionate. And kind. It will show through our eyes.our mind .our actions and our mouth! So don’t ever forget We are all beautiful!!!!
Exactly. Beauty is what we DO. The rest is just equipment.
Barbara,
I just recently found your books and I just wanted to stop and say that: Nothing has made me feel the way The Keeper of Happy Endings has made me feel. I sometimes feel very lost reading historical fiction. The details are too much and a a lot of discription on things I am not familiar with and have a hard time picturing the world. I’ve found that I’m doing more research on my own than reading and enjoying the book. This book was done beautifully. It was gripping me from the very first page to the very last page. It was heart breaking but also heart warming. And I actually felt what the character were feeling. I cheered when they succeeded and I felt deep emotion when they were broken. Not may books have done that for me. I just want to say THANK YOU. And I’m picking up The Last of the Moon Girls next. Looking forward to reading more from you. You are a fast FAVORITE author for me.