Blogmas Day 21: The Gift of Authenticity

Let’s talk authenticity.

Authenticity. Real. Genuine. Buzzwords we hear a ton in the age of social media and everything in your face all the time. Being hashtag authentic has taken social platforms and brand marketing by storm and we’ve seen a ton of positivity come from the #real movement, like…

The #aeriereal campaign, where we are finally seeing a brand consistently displaying their product on all types, shapes, and sizes of bodies…

#nomakeupMonday encourages people to post fresh-faced selfies and kick their makeup to the curb on the most manic day of the week…

#nofilter reminded us that half of the beauty we see on the internet is heavily edited, filtered, blurred and cropped to present us an idealized version of something…

to name a few.

Anyway, in the pursuit of Blogmas, I had planned to film a holiday makeup look tomorrow and was disappointed to wake up to a pretty major breakout all over my face. Who knows why? I’m sick. I’m stressed. I’m a girl. Pick a cause, any cause. As I was washing my red and blemished face tonight, I decided, the holiday makeup video isn’t happening tomorrow, and then I got that feeling. It’s a mix of guilt and shame. That pit that forms in your stomach anytime you feel like you’re making a decision that would disappoint the blogosphere. Like I’m part of the problem because this decision implies that I’m of the ‘highlight reel’ category of people.

And then, it dawned on me. There’s a delicate part of this authenticity thing that we’re all missing, and it’s this:

Your authenticity does not hinge upon your willingness to do or be something you don’t want to do or be.

I’m not making that video tomorrow because I am feeling insecure about my skin. The key word there is I. I alone am feeling insecure about my skin. That’s not me being inauthentic or #fake; it is simply and only a personal insecurity. It was there before the authentic movement, and unfortunately, I suspect it will be there long after.

So, let’s just take a moment to remind ourselves that passing judgment is bad no matter what, whether it’s aimed at the heavily edited photos on your Instagram feed or the girl who dares to leave her house in sweatpants (me. I’m that girl). #aeriereal bodies come in all shapes and sizes, including the former 6′ tall, 120 pound ones. Appreciating makeup for literally any reason doesn’t make you fake. And if editing your photo makes you feel like you’re putting your best foot forward, then go for it. Authenticity is being true to who you are, not this weirdly tight-laced, heavy, calculated thing we’ve made it out to be.

We’re all trying our best. Maybe I’ll end up baring my blemished, rosacea ridden face on the internet, maybe I won’t (and if I do, that sure as shit doesn’t make me better than the version of me who wouldn’t bare it all). I can tell you one thing though, whatever I decide will be true to who I am.

Be you. I’ll like you no matter how you decide to tackle that lifelong task.

@shutupcrystal is vlogging daily on her Youtube channel!

@thedailybaileyblog is blogging daily here!

xoxo authentically me