25 Before 26: Au Natural

For me, being 25 has become a great deal about stripping. Of course not in the lurid sense! But I've been stripping the things that clutter my life, and learning confidence by accepting certain facets of myself that just are what they are.

One thing: My hair! The UK has matured me so much, and caused me to overcome some serious hurtles in my life. The last two weeks have been dedicated to my hair. Unfortunately, being in Wales puts me at a distance from hair salons that can give me a quick touch-up. Not to mention, it's pretty pricey to even think about getting a relaxer. My hair is a beast. It is the impenetrable forest that little pygmies live in. In other words, pretty hard to deal with. Yet in the last two weeks, I've been fed up with how I've given myself and excuse to hide beneath a beanie from H&M in a scrunchie. The sun's coming out, there's more light hours, and it's getting warmer, and therefore, time for a change. I scoured Youtube for some inspiration, before chancing upon a guru called Gracie (The Ugly Face Of Beauty-her new channel, filled with beauty, encouragement and hauls!), in which she gives a bit of a tutorial on how to achieve her natural curls. When I tried it, I didn't get her curls right off the bat, which irritated me. But finally, with some tweaking and fiddling around with my hair, I've come up with a look thats pretty easy, and allows me to wear my hair in beautiful waves. (Not to mention, my hair is the softest it's been since I got here...check out Gracie's hair routine video)

Being 25 has been one of those landmark years in my life, where I've finally decided that it's fine just being who I am. Where I don't have to go outside in a perpetually painted mask, or embrace insecurities as I once did in high school. I don't have to hide behind beanies just because my hair hasn't been chemically straightened, or pretend to wear a specific style to fit in with the masses. Have I clenched this entirely? Of course not...it's a constant act of living it out each day. But this is what becoming a mature woman is: Finally embracing the bits that everyone else wants to castrate, and making them beautiful (God already made them beautiful, it's just up to you to accept it). It's never comparing yourself to anyone else, because in the end there is no comparison. It's moving from the teenager in you that want's all the guys to think she's hot, to the woman in you who's radiant because she's fully in her own skin regardless of insecurities, and understands that she can show the world no other self.

Cheers to moving forward, and embracing ourselves as mature, and radiant women!