beauty – SHE’S AN ANGEL

TINASHE: THE SOUND OF THE FUTURE

Tinashe just released her new album ‘333’ this month and I’ve been listening to it nonstop, it’s a masterpiece and she really did magic with this project and I couldn’t be more proud. I’ve been a Tinashe fan for years and she keeps and doesn’t stop making hits!

With her previous projects like ‘Joyride’, ‘Aquarius’, ‘Nightride’ and ‘Songs For You’ which is her first album release as an independent artist and ‘333’ is her second album release . Tinashe continues to flourish musically and proves that she is the legend that she is. With the visuals she gives, the choreography, the aesthetics, and her lyric game no one is at her level period!

Now let’s talk about ‘333’ and how incredible this work of art is. Not only am I obsessed with the cover art, but the whole concept and the element of it. Tinashe named this album ‘333’ an angelic number which affirms that everything is working out in your favor, and that you’re on the right track. It’s exactly what we needed in 2021, Tinashe is radiating positivity and is spreading it through her music. Currently listening to it now, and she just gives us bops so effortlessly it’s mind blowing! I have to say it’s hard to pick a favorite because i love all of the songs on the tracklist but ‘I can see the future’, ‘angels’, ‘unconditional’, ‘small reminders’ and ‘bouncin’ are in my top 5. Tinashe did something so special with this project and I love seeing her get the recognition that she rightfully deserves!

TINASHE: A LEGEND IN PROGRESS

I love that Tinashe is receiving more recognition since the release of this project. It’s refreshing to see people appreciate good music coming from a hardworking artist like herself. She is multi talented, creative, a musical genius and always gives her all into everything she releases. Her sound just keeps getting better after every album release. Tinashe is not just an R&B artist or an R&B star she is a SUPERSTAR! The word ‘genre’ is not in Tinashe’s vocabulary because she can make any kind of music and still create bops and hits. She belongs in a category of her own. I’ve literally seen and listened to Tinashe growing up and she’s flourishing so beautifully. I have yet to see an artist that has the same passion and drive that Tinashe gives with everything she does for her career. I hear the word ‘underrated’ being tossed around a lot, when Tinashe is the topic of the conversation but that’s not the way i see it. Tinashe is the most successful independent artist I’ve seen that really puts in the work when it comes to perfecting her craft, she gives us the most perfect visuals, the most perfect choreography and the most creative sound and music videos. She’s not a mediocre artist, she’s unique she’s TINASHE nobody can compare and the way I see it i only see her prosper from this point forward. Stream ‘333’ by Tinashe for the rest of this year for more positivity in your life!!

xoxo, L 💋

Stream 333 and follow Tinashe on her socials! 💕

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/kw/album/333/1577329560

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Beauty and grace in women of color:

Now this is something I’ve been wanting to discuss for the longest time. For so long, I’ve only ever seen softness and grace being portrayed by white women. It was rare for me to see beautiful black and brown women being soft and graceful. This is the representation that we should have. Being soft and delicate does not apply to only one race, associating elegance with white women only is not it.

I never understood why we don’t get to see enough of beautiful black women just being angelic and being heavenly. The media always talks about diversity and inclusivity but doesn’t go through with it. I’ve seen multiple brands, multiple agencies, magazines etc. always preaching about diversity but they don’t always paint the right image.

Something I’ve always loved seeing is black women in victorian period dramas. I just love how delicate and graceful they are. The elegance they exude and their divine energy. Having more black royal princess characters is so important. Think about how it will make many young girls so happy to see a girl like them being all girly and feminine. This is what representation should be about. And you shouldn’t have to hear the complaints of many people to understand the idea of diversity and what it means. It’s 2021 now, the topic of race should be crystal clear to you by now.

We also don’t get to see enough of brown women being represented in hollywood and the media. It’s usually the stereotypical kind we see on television or they portray South Asian women as white washed. It’s as if they want brown girls to be ashamed of their appearance and their culture. They always want them to be more white, to have white features, not wear their piercings or their traditional clothes even though they look so beautiful just by embracing their features and their culture. I think it’s because society has always set the beauty standard to white women and has always made eurocentric features more feminine which is absolutely ridiculous. It’s damaging honestly to see that femininity can only be embodied by women with certain looks and features. But don’t let that get in your head. Femininity looks good on all women especially on black and brown women. Having darker hair and a darker complexion is enchanting and definitely deserves more appreciation.

As for aesthetics I have yet to see more black women in cottage-core/ castle scenery and it’s really frustrating. I think it would be incredible to see pretty black woman who can be soft princesses who are charming, intelligent, compassionate, delicate and feminine. We need to see black women take on the main roles, the love interests etc. We don’t see enough of them taking on those roles and it’s about time we do!

Black woman should be seen as soft and feminine beings. It’s tiring to see the same faces and the same looks being incorporated as ‘dreamy’ or ‘delicate.’ But I think what’s great about social media today, is that we discover so many different people who share similar interests and similar styles and aesthetics. I love seeing women who love feminine things just as much as me, and who are the most beautiful angels I’ve met online whether it’s on instagram or twitter etc. Personally I am obsessed with all the girly princesses i follow on my Instagram who continue to inspire me just by being themselves and staying true to who they are. Like Porsha who is @porsharenaehall on instagram is the definition of divine feminine. I just love how girly and dreamy she is, there’s also @angelmilkdreams her account is the most satisfying thing to look at she is literally my favorite it girl and she should be in every mood board in my opinion. I also really love @elizabethsfairytale she is honestly so cute and she just gives off fairy energy and I’m obsessed with her. There’s also kenji @flowersfromkenji a beautiful and romantic soul who always looks like she came from a fairy tale. I also love camri hewie @camrihewie who is my inspiration I’m just obsessed with her style and energy and she is just so mesmerizing! These are just a few of my favorite accounts, but there are lots of beautiful black women on social media who take pride in being feminine and soft. The main thing that I want everyone to understand from this, is that femininity does not apply to one race or to a certain skin color. Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that you’re not girly enough just because of your skin complexion.

xoxo, L 💋

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How hollywood demonizes femininity: the girly girl trope

It’s about time someone’s mentioned it right? For years Hollywood movies and tv shows have always portrayed femininity in a bad form. It’s strange to think that a specific color and style can irritate many people and have them convinced that it looks ridiculous right? The thought behind being girly and feminine isn’t an issue what’s an issue is how it’s illustrated in the media.

Gender stereotypes have ruled for decades, there were always things that were made for men and things that were made for women. Like the color pink, wearing makeup, wearing dresses and skirts etc. This is what is considered feminine and what many people believed is how all women should be. Obviously not every woman wants to wear makeup or high heels or ball gowns but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing to like all of those things. There’s really nothing wrong with loving pink and being girly and feminine. The ‘girly girl’ trope was always made to bring down women and portrayed them as shallow, dense and dumb. Then comes the ‘not like the other girls’ trope that basically means the complete opposite of being feminine like not dressing up or getting your hair and makeup done and liking more ‘masculine’ things.

Let’s be honest this really has to do with internalized misogyny. Like why would these women bring down other other who love being feminine just to try and be more ‘different.’ These girls particularly just want some form of male validation, and it’s honestly very sad how they want to mock feminine women in order to get men to like them. They will often get praised by men because they’re being misogynistic and prejudice towards other women. I don’t really think they’re the ones to blame, since a lot of the movies we’ve seen, the main girl (that usually gets the guy) comes off as basic and doesn’t like to have a lot of friends who are girls because she likes to feel like ‘one of the guys’. And in those same movies they usually turn the girly girl to be seen as ‘high maintenance’ or ‘shallow’ and just focuses on her looks instead of showing that she can also be smart, wise and intellectual. This mentality is so bizarre it’s really engraved into their heads if we’re being honest. And it’s really a shame how being girly is often seen as a weakness or seen as superficial, but it’s not true there’s nothing wrong with being feminine and delicate and you’re not forcing a gender stereotype.

Take Elle Woods for example, one of my favorite characters of all time and an iconic one in my opinion. This movie is perfect because it proves that feminine women are also powerful and intelligent and that they’re more than just pretty girls who love wearing pink and dressing up. This movie also used a blonde girl from Beverly Hills now normally people would expect her to be shallow and mean but she’s hardworking and career driven. She was always herself and she didn’t let anyone try to change her. And that’s what everyone should remember.

Daphne Blake is also a good role model, I love seeing a girly girl who’s smart and can also kick ass! I feel like every girl growing up who loved fashion loved daphne not only did she have great style but she could also solve crimes!

Another one of my favorites Miss Sharpay Evans! A career driven, hard working go- getter who took no for an answer. I never understood why she was the villain when all she did was go for the big opportunities and go for the spotlight that she wanted and that she worked hard for. Not to mention the way she was getting Troy so many opportunities and scholarships and he still went for Gabriella?! She deserved better. Once again a mediocre man will still pick a basic girl over the fancy one because she’s considered more ‘simple’ it’s ridiculous.

I want every girl to understand that it’s really okay to be into the girly princess type aesthetic, there’s literally nothing wrong with that. Liking pink and being all feminine isn’t a weakness and it doesn’t make you look dumb. And if you’re a woman who’s not into those certain things, then that’s okay too it’s not strange but what’s strange is trying so hard to be different and dragging other women for liking those things. We can all agree that we’re women and we should just feel free to like whatever we want to like without being judged or ridiculed for it. Femininity is what you make of it, it’s in us all, you’re not less of a woman if you don’t wear makeup or if you don’t dress the same way that other women do.

xoxo, L 💋

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I’M NO BEAUTY QUEEN I’M JUST BEAUTIFUL ME

What is beauty? What does it mean to be beautiful or feel beautiful? that’s something I’ve always thought about. I’ve always wanted to know what it meant or what it felt like and I think as I’m growing up I’m starting to understand it a little bit more. You see, beauty to me isn’t just your outer self it’s more about your inner self. Anybody can look so stunning on the outside but you see how ugly they become by the way they treat others. To me, beautiful people are gentle, tender, kind and compassionate.

Audrey Hepburn has always been an inspiration to me when it came to beauty, elegance and grace. I loved her charm and I’ve always wished to be more like her. I loved the way she carried herself and the way she made people’s heads turn around whenever she was in the room. It made me upset when I’ve seen in one of her interviews that she didn’t think she was all that pretty and that she didn’t like her body and some of her face features. I thought to myself if this woman whom i adored didn’t think or feel that she was beautiful how could i? She wished she had some curves to her body and i wish i didn’t have any. It’s strange when you think about beauty. A common phrase i remembered hearing over and over again was “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I’ll be honest, that quote really stuck with me because it’s true. How many times have we compared ourselves to other people and then our friends would go and say something like ‘oh she’s not that pretty’ or ‘she only looks good because of her makeup.’ I can guarantee that almost everyone has felt that way before and don’t worry it’s something we’ve all done to cope with our insecurities.

But, let me tell you this real beauty is within. When you make the people around you feel good, when you’re kind and caring and loving that’s what’s really beautiful. You might not feel it, you might not know what others perceive of you but you’ll start to notice how your treatment affects others. Reassurance is a beautiful a thing and reminding people of how loved and how important they are to exist is incredible. It doesn’t just make the other person feel better but it also makes you feel better too. Because we often see what others don’t, I don’t know how I look from another person’s point of view; none of us do until we get told by other people. With that being said, you never really notice the unique qualities you have until someone points them out. Isn’t that amazing? like you could’ve complained about your hair or your style or your body and then you come to a realization that it’s what makes you different and that’s good. Just by being yourself unapologetically makes you beautiful and all your cute little flaws and all your qualities that you hate the most are what makes you, you and that’s how you stand out. So beauty to me is just being yourself, but also being kind. So many of us struggle with our insecurities and have our own battles, we might or might not understand other people’s circumstances so it’s always better to be kind. Especially when it comes to you, and the things you’re going through be gentle with yourself i know it’s hard but please remember that you are enough and that you are beautiful. And, remember when there’s beauty in the inside beauty will radiate from the outside.

xoxo, L💋

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How to channel your inner angel energy

I think with how our society is today we get so caught up in looking and comparing ourselves to other people that we forget about ourselves. We look at people on social media and imagine what it would be like to be them and daydream about it constantly. That’s the biggest mistake anyone could ever make, is not creating the person you want to be, not being the dream girl you always had the potential of being. You should be taking care of yourself, buying the best makeup, wearing the best clothes, taking care of your skin and body. It’s what you deserve. Include a lot of self care in your daily routine, it’s the closest thing to feeling angelic. Just by applying lip gloss or meditating or even writing down in your journal it could help you feel more soft and delicate inside. You should feel like you’re the most ethereal human being on the planet. It’s so important to remember that we’re all special and different in our own way. Comparison is the most toxic thing you could ever do to yourself because you shouldn’t feel like you’re not good enough or pretty enough because you are. It will take time but eventually you’ll realize how beautiful and unique you are. You’ll see the things other people saw in you that you didn’t notice before. Some of them may be your imperfections but that’s okay because we all have them. Some of your biggest insecurities can be seen as the prettiest things of all and that’s what beauty should feel like.

xoxo L💋