No matter what life throws at you, you will see the silver lining if you believe in yourself. When you feel tired of dealing with people, situations or a whole lot of bad luck, sometimes all you need is a memory of a happy place, a shoulder to cry on or a makeover maybe? Yes, I really do believe that feeling beautiful (not just looking it) can make you happier than you think. Loving and accepting your flaws for what they are and appreciating or feeling grateful for all the good stuff in your life will transform you into that beaming ray of sunshine that sends good vibes over to ever passerby. Beauty is within you; for you to love and give to others you first need to do it for yourself. Take care of yourself. Pamper and spoil yourself. You don’t have to feel guilty about it. No, it isn’t a waste of time. It is an investment in yourself. Every management book will tell you how you sell yourself everyday to everyone. So why not be ready for the day when Mr Big (or your hot-ass ex) bumps into you, or the day when your decade old husband falls in love with you all over again? Why not wear ruby woo to the gym? Why not carry your big skincare pouch on an overnight trip? Why not blow dry your hair for date nights with hubby? And why-oh-why not wear sexy lingerie inside your sweatpants!! Who made these rules anyway! Show me one woman who doesn’t feel good when she looks good. So why confine yourself to stereotypes, society norms and these guidelines that you set for yourself. You can wear red lipstick and can still be taken seriously. Let’s break these walls. Let’s catwalk on the long and boring runway of our daily lives. Walk into shit with high heels and waterproof mascara. Come out of it with a broken heel and a vulnerable heart but with a whole lot of confidence, a strong will and the courage to fight hard. Whatever you do, do it in style.

Pardon me if I sound girlboss-ish. I’m not referring to the working woman alone, but also the awkward teenager, the homemaker, the mother, the wife, or the uncertain entrepreneur. I don’t mean that you should wear a whole lot of makeup on the outside and be fake on the inside. Or that loads of makeup and a blow dry will get you places (come on, you can’t deny that a good hair day fixes everything). Only hard work will get you places. But, looking after the way you look shows that you care. Your image is a part of your personality. It is the first impression you make and 90% of the people you meet in your life will only know you by how you present yourself. So, put time and thought into it every single day.

We are entering a world where we love perfect pictures on perfect locations, perfect snippets of ordinary lives, and perfect stories of love, travel, overnight successes and inspired living. Everything is a projection, a half truth, a photoshopped story, a virtual reality. We are constantly comparing our lives (often unintentionally) to those of online bloggers/vloggers/you tubers. We aspire to be like them, to have everything they do. We try positive thinking, we try hard work, we hustle. But no matter what we do, we don’t look hot waking up and yawning in bed. We don’t drink herbal teas from quirky mugs while petting the dog. We don’t beautify our oats porridge with blueberries and coconut flakes. We don’t see pink sunsets everyday. We don’t pose at the infinity pool for a drone shot. And, we definitely do not do our makeup to clean out the closet. Reality check please. What you see is orchestrated reality. It is diligently conceived, planned, shot, edited, improved, projected- extraordinary moments from ordinary lives. And, let’s face it, we want to witness these magical, surreal, and inspirational moments. They make us believe in the promise of abundance, of wealth, of perfect bodies and unconditional relationships. So how do we compartmentalise this virtual grandeur from the simplicity of all that money cannot buy. Stop visualising and start realising. There is no better time than now to realise that you already have everything you need to be the best version of yourself. Don’t let anyone damp your mojo. Be kind, grateful, beautiful. Be you. Hot as hell, ready to take ’em on.

I’m a big fan of IG (Instagram) myself and ever since I had a baby I’ve constantly felt that sense of severe FOMO (fear of missing out). I wanted to do something, anything. I wanted to be someone. But I couldn’t make the time or manage the resources. I tried time and again, feeling the frustration build every time I failed. I compared myself to the online moms; I judged myself to the point of feeling hopeless. It’s funny how social media can make you feel so small. And yet, it is the most amazing way to connect to like minded, beautiful people around the globe. My resources now include a computer, a camera, some supportive friends and all these thoughts. I have an obsessive love for all things beauty, home, lifestyle (like 10 million others). I’m here to join a large fraternity of bloggers who I so deeply admire. And if you have actually gotten to the end of this midnight rant, maybe I have some teeny tiny potential.

And so, my first blog post goes out to every woman who knows she is beautiful.

Thank you for being here my beautiful friends.

Until next time, stay gorgeous! XOXO