’ve long been defiant of the notion that beauty
is somehow frivolous, and that those of us who
enjoy vanity or the act of self-indulgence should
be ashamed for being so immersed in ourselves. As a long-
time beauty editor, I stand firmly on the belief that beauty
is power. The ability to play with how we look is one of the
few things in life we can control. It affects how we take up
space in this world—but most importantly, it affects how we
feel about ourselves.
The sentiment that beauty is power really started to
solidify itself for me a few years ago when, ironically, I felt
like I was falling apart. I had just walked away from my cor-
porate career, which is all I had ever known. I was supposed
to be fulfilled, but I was a shell of the energetic, curious,
and vigorous person I once was. The false sense of urgen-
cy I was forced to assimilate to over the years took away
from my ability to truly pour into myself. I no longer felt
expansive—I felt limited. Every ounce of my creativity had
been depleted. Not only did my soul feel empty, but being
so far out of my natural alignment manifested physically.
My hair was thinning, my skin was dull, and I felt like my
natural glow had faded. Never in my life have I ever felt so
unattractive, and it had nothing to do with trying to appeal
to anyone else. This was about the way I felt about myself.
And for a moment, I forgot why I started working in beauty
in the first place.
MY BEAUTY REGIMEN ISN’T
A WANT—IT’S A NEED
No matter how busy I am professionally, I am nothing to anyone - or anything - else if I am not first pouring into myself.
BY KAYLA GREAVES
@kaylagreaves
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YES, AND