Real Beauty

This past week,
I've been doing a
"breakfast-breaks-
lunch-break" catering
job for a make-up
company called Sephora.
I've done a couple
of weeks of this in the past.

They have all these girls
{and some guys}
come out to Utah and
train to sell make-up
and all that jazz
for four days.

They pretty much breathe,
eat, and sleep: make-up
and facial whateverness.

So,
I was minding
my own business,
cutting some pineapple
and suddenly...
one of the ladies comes up
to me and says:

"Wow.
You have beautiful skin...
so pretty..."

..and walks off.

Huh?

Did a make-up artist
just say that to me?

Did I mention
that this is the day
I came to work with
just a touch of mascara
and a small pat of
foundation?

Hmmm.
Some food for thought,
don't you think, ladies?

Now, I'm not
a girl to glob on
the powder and glitter,
but I do wear my share
of make-up.

However...
in recent years past..
the days where I just
put on that dab of foundation
and a little mascara
always feels marvelous.

Because I'm just me.

What happened to when
all of us were eight years
old and LOVED the way
our little face looked?
Or when we didn't
care if the pony-tail
was half falling out
all day long?

Yes,
I like to put
some make-up on,
but let's be real.

Me.
Just me.
Without any scratch
of eye-shadow.

It feels gooood.


And that's what HE loves.

He:
Daddy
My brothers
Best Friend*
Future Hubby
Heavenly Father

The boys
in my family and
in my circle of dear friends
always tell me that
"girls don't need it"
&
"pretty girls=confidence
Not a made-up face".

Now,
I'm not saying we
should never wear
make-up.
It's great to put on
a little somethin'.

...just as long as you
are completely satisfied
with what's underneath.

If someone whipped off
the applied product,
would you be happy
with you?

***
Might I share a
rather personal story
with all of you?

Whew*.
Here it goes.
I can't believe I'm
actually sharing this!

Okay.
When little girls
grow up into
taller and slightly more
mature little girls,
sometimes they
like a boy...
and the boy likes them...
and the little girl+little boy
kinda sorta...
hold hands...
and maybe...
give each other a
sweet, simple...little
kiss.

Okay.
I said it.

I'm not gonna lie.
It's happened to me.

Now,
a girl can imagine
that kiss with that
amazing boy 5 million
times-over and over
and expect certain results.

{Don't judge.
You've ALL done it}

Well,
once there was/is this
brilliant beyond perfect,
best friend, amazing young man.

Greatest friendship
to exist.
Always friends,
but never anything more.
{Due to my stubborness}

This boy has seen me
in every single sort of
mood...feeling... attire..yeah.

Formal dance.
Casual dance.
Hang out.
Nice date.
Sunday dress.
And of course...
Sick-gross days.

Sadly,
he's seen mostly
the sick-gross-sweats
days.

But also,
with that statement
comes a really cool thing.

I knew that he cared
about me and thought
I was beautiful no matter
what I was wearing or what
I looked like.

So the sweats were accepted.

This particular day,
I had been super sicky.
Not contagious, just sick.

I looked...great.
{sarcasm please}.

Hair on top of head
{who-hair as my dad calls it},
sweats,
baggy shirt,
sweat,
...nasty.

But he came over anyways.
Just because I asked him
to because I needed my
best friend to comfort me.

He walked in,
saw me,
and gave me the same
face he gave me
when he saw me all dolled
up for the formal dance
we went to together.

"Beautiful".

Okay, skipper.
Let's not get too
brown-noser like.

:) But he wasn't brown-nosing.

He let me lay my disgusting,
greasy hair on his lap,
and he stroked my face
and combed my hair.

Then it hit me.

As I looked up at
my BFF,
I realized...
that I seriously was
beautiful...
just like this...
to him.

He was always there.
Through everything.
Stupid boy stuff.
"Allytude".
Plays.
Support.
Talks.
Singing.
Crying.
and sweaty-no-make-up days.

So,
that's all it took.

I lifted up my
all too heavy,
stuffy head
and gave him a little...
kiss.

;)
Yep.
Best, greatest, sweetest kiss
was...

Not when I was wearing make-up.
Not when I was wearing a killer dress.
Not when my hair was perfectly combed
and smelled like strawberries.

but when I was totally and completely
ME.

Maybe it wasn't
that kiss I had pictured happening
in my head with this amazing BFF.

It was even better. ;)
***

Love the beauty that
lies within.
You are SO gorgeous,
beautiful, pretty, classy,
smart, funny, fabulous,
and phenomenal...

even without the make-up.

Go ahead!
Have at least
one day a week
that you don't wear a drop
of make-up,
if you haven't already.

May you find
the real beauty
inside of you. ;)



Love always,
Little Besty