I’ve always loved cosmetics, and I’ve always loved taking care of myself. There were hard times when I didn’t feel beautiful or confident, but everyone has hard times. For some women, that feeling of not being pretty enough never goes away. Do we want to look like supermodels? Of course not.

Feeling beautiful is never about looking at another woman and thinking, She’s prettier than I am, so I must not be pretty enough.

My motives are simple in theory, but difficult to put into practice. Women everywhere are always comparing themselves to other women, and this is not where a feeling of beauty comes from. My dad, who was beautician for years told me one day, “Jess, never cake makeup on your face. It’s meant to accentuate the good features that you already have, not to create a whole new face.”

Makeup articles and magazines will tell you what’s in style. Wear this shade of lipstick in autumn. Wear this combination of eyeshadow colors for your eyes are a certain color or shape. Never match your eyeshadow to your dress. Your skin is full of ugly, ugly flaws. Cover your entire face with concealer, foundation, powder, and blush. That purse is last season. Buy a new one.

Stop with those thoughts! Beauty is not about being beautiful. It’s about feeling beautiful. I love makeup, but I will never tell you what you should and should not wear. You need to wear what makes you feel pretty. You need to feel confident.

Let me tell you about this theory in regards to me. My nose is too big for my face, and it has a large bump right below the bridge. I have insomnia, so I always have dark circles under my eyes. I have beauty marks and uneven skin tone. However, I absolutely love my eyes, eyelashes, my lips, and my smile. So, these are the features that I focus most on. I love making my eyes and lips pop to draw attention to them. Even though I smoke, I brush my teeth and then follow up by brushing them with a bit of baking soda mixed with water. As far as my uneven skin tone and beauty marks go, the most you’ll ever see me wearing is an extremely thin layer of mineral foundation. I used to wear regular foundation, concealer, and powder, but I hated feeling like I was wearing a mask. I hated feeling as though I didn’t look like myself.

So, ladies, I want you to do something for me. Go look in the mirror right now. Pick out at least three things that you love about your face. Then, pick three (only three, now!) things that you dislike about your face. As you watch my product reviews, look for products that will accentuate the features that you like. There really isn’t much need to cover up your flaws. Draw attention to your good features, and people will hardly notice your flaws.

Although I’m not a guy, I’ve spoken to many on this subject. A woman who doesn’t cake on makeup to cover her flaws always looks more confident, and therefore more attractive. When you go out into the world, let everyone know that you’re not afraid of your flaws. Flaunt your beauty and accept your imperfections. Beauty will never be about what brand of makeup you have in your purse or where you bought your jeans. You only need to do one thing to be and feel beautiful.

Wake up every morning, look in the mirror, and tell yourself with conviction, “I am beautiful.”