It’s not easy being a woman. We’re bombarded with photoshopped images of beautiful models, we have strict beauty standards forced upon us and most of us receive criticism throughout our lives for one feature or another on our face or body. But it doesn’t have to be this way, instead of comparing ourselves to others it makes sense that we should embrace our own natural beauty. Accentuate our best features, look and feel our best in a way that’s true to us. Here are just a few of the ways you can go about doing that.

Photo from People Style.com

Choose a Hairstyle and Color That Works For You

By the time most of us reach our twenties, we’ve dyed our hair every color under the sun. You might have spent some time bleach blonde, jet black, bright red or any other weird and wonderful shade of the rainbow. But to embrace your natural beauty, why not go back to your roots? If you have natural auburn hair, why not make the most of this stunning rare color and show it off! If you’re beachy blonde, ditch the dark dyes and if you’re naturally darker than give up the bleaches. If you have grey hair, don’t feel as though you need to change it- the silver color can look beautiful. Toners can help to keep it the best shade of grey it can be without permanent damaging colors being added. Sticking with your natural shade will save you time and money, you won’t have to keep running to the hairdresser or using box dyes to cover your roots. Your hair will be in good condition where you won’t be constantly dying it, and when it comes down to it- your natural hair color is what will suit you best. It will complement both your eyes and skin tone and will make you feel like ‘you’- especially if you’ve been coloring for a while.

Stick To a Good Skincare Routine

These days there are all kinds of ‘lunch hour procedures’ that can keep you young from lip injections to fillers to Botox. They’re not too expensive and the recovery time is minimal, however, prevention is better than cure. If you treat your skin well you will reduce the signs of aging and naturally stay looking younger for longer. You should use SPF every day, even in winter as the sun’s UV rays are damaging all year round. Eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water and avoid damaging habits such as smoking, excessively drinking or taking drugs. Look after your body as a whole, and your skin is one place you will really reap the rewards. If you do feel as though you want a procedure or a little nip/ tuck to rewind the years however then go for it. When it comes to surgery, have the aim in mind that you should look like the best version of yourself, not someone completely different!

Work on Your Physique

A strong and supple body is, of course, practical- it allows you to live your life without feeling easily fatigued and you feel fit and healthy. But maintaining a healthy weight and having toned muscles also looks good too, and can give you a huge confidence boost. If you’re overweight, shedding some pounds will be useful for both your health and your self-esteem. You could join a dieting group for support, and join a gym along with a friend or partner for motivation. Alternatively, you could find an activity you enjoy, whether it’s swimming, yoga, a dance class, a sport or just hiking with the dog and family. Aim to get to a BMI that’s healthy for you (there are lots of calculators to show you this online) and you will look how you are supposed to look and feel great too. You’ll slash your risk of all kinds of health issues that can come from weighing too much or too little. Healthy eating and exercise don’t have to be a chore, there are tones of delicious dishes out there and lots of fun activities to get you up and moving. Don’t see it as a diet, instead see it as a lifestyle change in pursuit of becoming your best self.

You don’t have to conform to unrealistic beauty standards, instead just work on making the best of yourself and highlighting your natural beauty. When you feel good on the outside it does affect the way you feel on the inside- plus many things that improve the way you look will also improve your health.

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