Prologue

So here goes nothing! I have long since been fascinated by fashion and beauty products. Not the craziest thing you've ever heard, right? But coming from me, it might surprise a few.

I grew up and still largely am a tomboy. While my sister participated in lyrical dance and played with Barbies, I was in the woods with the boys of the neighborhood playing Army with an arsenal of Nerf guns. I was never able to convince my parents to let me play Powder Puff Football (although, I do recall a mischievous gleam in my father's eye at the time I made my request, which makes me believe he was not altogether against it). Instead, I signed up for kempo karate lessons at the age of 12, quickly becoming a force not to be reckoned with.

Soon after I began my training, my mother was involved in a parent-teacher conference with my 7th grade Homeroom teacher. There was no discussion of my grades as I was typically an A student; rather, the topic centered around my ability to exude more feminine qualities, which included a change in wardrobe. My teacher meant well, but the resounding implications of that conversation continue to plague me to this day. Hence, I purport that a blog about health, beauty, accessories, and fashion, written by yours truly, will likely surprise some.

As all awkward teenagers do, I continued to grow & mature, (without a new wardrobe and a makeover, mind you), and eventually I began to assume a more "girly" veneer. I did it at my own pace and according to my own preferences. But beauty is not, and by NO means, only skin deep. I am a firm believer in and an advocate of one's sense of inner beauty and self-esteem. Notwithstanding, being a woman with an athletic build and a demeanor that is more rough and tumble than graceful and chic, I do struggle with all of the same self-doubts and negative self-talk every other woman in the world combats. And so this blog, while it will certainly contain my opinions, views, and impressions on the latest trends, beauty products, etc., it will also likely delve into my personal triumphs and struggles with self-esteem as it relates to my perception of beauty and the expectations placed upon women by pop culture. Hopefully, somewhere along the way, you will find some piece of useful information or some thought inspiring. I am doing this largely because I enjoy the topic, and I hope you will enjoy it too.