The material nature of a ‘beauty-led lifestyle’ is extremely fun to engage with. Who doesn’t enjoy checking out the latest products, having fun with creative make-up, practicing self-care, and discussing all of this with our friends? Not only this, but this is perhaps one of the few limited hobbies you can engage in that is a direct port of confidence to who you are, and can help you immediately see yourself in your best light. People might often criticize that beauty influencers or those interested in that lifestyle are materialistic and vapid, but that’s simply not true. Because really, is there any better way to celebrate life than to celebrate the beauty and brilliance of the individual? You need only watch a makeover show to see how this can radically transform their lives for the better.

But of course, none of this, none of it would be worthwhile without a little soul. Without that spring in your step, without that little bit of attitude, and without that natural energy imbued into things. Let us explain to you why beauty is much more than skin-deep:

The Purpose

Everyone has their own style. But have you thought about the purpose of this style? It can sometimes be interesting to see how you’ve formed it. From the moment you started making independent decisions about your clothes and possibly make-up from a young age, you have begun styling yourself in a certain way. It might be expansive and freeing, it might have been limited and only tailored to a few things. Of course, there’s no real ‘right’ answer here. Some women dislike wearing summer dresses, others wouldn’t be seen in a pair of jeans anywhere other than an arctic climate.

Finding the purpose for how your fashion styling currently evolved can help you understand why you find comfort in it, and that can lead you to question your own grown beliefs about fashion. For example, it might be that you’ve been dying your hair one color all of your life because you believe it’s yours, but deciding to go blonde or let your natural color shine through could be the first step to seeing yourself in a different light. Perhaps you’ve been applying makeup around your jaw quite heavily to camouflage a birthmark, but there’s little reason to do that when it looks so cute in the first place.

Reflecting on the purpose of your styling norms, especially as you apply them in the morning, can help you see your insecurities and securities. And from there, it can only benefit you to work on them more concretely. You never know just how freeing this can be laying old habits to rest.,

Utilizing Great Products Over Cheap

Often, the products we use can say a lot about how we value ourselves. We don’t simply mean makeup, but the whole extensive line of items we use to help ourselves groom in the morning. Of course, you needn’t purchase a complete palette set from the latest trending makeup artist to feel worthwhile, nor spend thousands of dollars on your straighteners to get a good effect. But it could be that doing a little research, considering alternative treatments or better areas of self-care could lead you to a whole grooming renaissance.

For example, using an incredible hair dryer designed around fast heating and controlled styling could help you achieve that look you want in the morning without hassle and stress, reliably every time. Sometimes having a great set of tools to rely on each and every morning can give you the best push forward, and the best start to your day. But be sure to consider:

Your Morning Ritual

We’ve said it before in this post and we’ll say it again. Beauty isn’t some grim duty you have to carry out. It’s not some awful responsibility that women (or men) are forever condemned to if they want to look passable. Far from it. You’re more than ‘passable’ without all of this effort. If beauty isn’t fun and exciting, then it’s not worth it. So it’s a great job it’s both of those things in hefty measure.

When we find something we enjoy, we appreciate the ritual of it. Think of a car fanatic washing his car and installing a new carbon fiber body kit, it’ll make their week. Think of a rower having a calming half an hour rowing on the fog-lined river. While we’re not suggesting beauty is your most important or only hobby, it can pay to enjoy a little morning ritual.

Decorate your beauty table with light bulbs or colored LEDs. If you don’t have a beauty table, make space for one in your room. Line up all your products and mirrors in the right way. Place a comfortable chair there. Perhaps place a speaker or two here, or even get vintage with a lovely vinyl player and a collection of old records. Perhaps line this up by your window so you can see the slow progress of life outside as you get ready. Wake up early enough where doing this needn’t be some horrific rush you experience in the morning. Maybe even give yourself a few minutes to read a couple of chapters of the latest novel lining your shelf. A little morning ritual never hurt, and can set you up for the day quite profoundly.

Enjoy It Socially

You can come to your own opinions about beauty – and you should! Allowing someone else to dictate what looks good on you, even a beauty expert, can feel a little limiting. The best beauty experts know how to give their advice warmly, as if a great friend. But they will never force their opinions on you. That means that if you find people like this, or friends like this, it can be wonderful to enjoy the social prospect of beauty with them. Heading to store launches or simply visiting the high street in your local city can help you see the latest beautiful deals and products, try a couple on, try a couple fragrances, and have fun with it. Even if you don’t purchase anything, the experience is what counts.

Adventurous

It can often be freeing to take fashion and beauty back into your own hands. Why not learn something new, and keep your interest in this hobby alive? Follow our blog, or follow social media accounts for beauty influencers you like. If you have something you wish to share, why not post yourself? Also, don’t be afraid to be a little adventurous. Might it be you wish you had that piercing you have been debating for some time, or even a tattoo you wish you had enjoyed some time ago? Might it be that you’d feel much more yourself if you simply had all of your clothes resized thanks to your amazing effort of losing weight in the last few months?

Being a little adventurous and deciding to do something you may not have usually can help this beauty interest feel fresh, and yes, add a little soul to proceedings.

Posture & How You Handle Yourself

Of course, there’s absolutely no need for us to dictate to you how to walk, how to talk, and how to move your body. But it has been known that learning how to stand up straight, to walk in your most comfortable manner, and to understand that embodying yourself with a little attitude can help you feel your most confident self. Posture plays a big part into this. If you feel timid the first and natural step is to make yourself ‘turn in.’ Imagine you’re at a party. People are being loud and obnoxious around you, no one is making healthy conversation, and you’re a little bit overtired. Of course, in this example you’d likely just leave, but even being in this environment can help you see just how your body reacts to certain stimulus. In this example for instance, it’s extremely likely you would unconsciously make yourself as small as possible, a natural tendency to try and ensure no one notices you.

But let’s say you work in an office. You want to give an assertive presentation to maybe get that promotion, but you feel a little uncomfortable. How would you seem the most confident? By choosing a range of high quality beauty materials, and wearing the best clothing ever? Or standing up straight, learning how to move your body with soul and authority? The answer is obvious. Simply assessing your body now and then can help you fix things, and give yourself the most ergonomic approach possible. It’s quite amazing to see how wondrous this can be for your confidence, but only if you allow it.

Don’t Force It

This post has encouraged confidence, self-belief and freeing your limitations above all. But there’s no reason as to why you should feel like you have to dominate everything around you. If you have only a tertiary interest in beauty, that’s completely fine too. Just being yourself is enough.

With these tips, you’re sure to have a little more soul in your walk.

(Image credit: Pexels)