During my prom, a staff asked me I had lost weight. I was like what!?! because I was actively involved with sports and in an excellent shape. Then I realized the clothes I wore were baggy and oversized.

My late grandma would always tell me to wear lipstick, use a purse and dress nicely all the times. I roll my eyes and it drives me nuts, but don’t worry, my love for her is grand, I mean bigger than life itself :)

My grandmother had a beautiful jeweled pin that she would wear on the collar lapel of her coat, and after her death, my mother gave it to me - along with her story of how she could remember her mom wearing it…I’m sure it gave Grandma that same boost of confidence as your pearls or Erin’s stilettos. I haven’t tried out their magic for myself yet, but one of these days I will, and hopefully I’ll be able to carry myself as tall and proud and confident as my grandmother (a successful businesswoman) did.

I admit, there is something to be said for donning a nice business suit and a pair of sexy pumps that makes a woman feel strong and confident and well…sexy. It’s been a while since I have done so myself, and I have to confess that I miss it. I’ve been out of work for awhile, and I admit that during this time, I’ve begun to neglect myself, with the result that I’ve put on a couple of lbs. and don’t much like the way I look whenever I glance in the mirror. I’m looking forward to getting back into the workforce again, so I can start wearing my “power clothes” once more. Kinda hard to feel confident about yourself when you’re shuffling around the house in sweats and big floppy slippers…

When my son got married, I knew - I had to lend the power pearls to my future daughter in law. I told her about the magic they hold over me and she understood. They were beautiful on her….and it’s kinda cool to see all those wedding pictures with my power pearls. But, secretly, I really missed not wearing them - especially when I had to deal with all the guests as mom of the groom. My hand would go up, as if looking for that boost of confidence. When she later told me she had gotten so many complements on the pearls and they had made her feel so good, I knew I had done the right thing. It was her day, not mine.

And it reduces the chances of getting prostrate cancer. So, fap away!

Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin as self-neglecting.

Though beauty can be considered a drug, where you do cross the line. But just to buy a pair of pumps to boost my self confidence is not crossing the line.

The article ended with this paragraph:
“Feeling beautiful can build confidence. Being surrounded by beauty can be inspiring. And willfully refusing to acknowledge its value can be a form of ugliness in itself.”

I can’t say anymore than that.

Wish I knew how to post links in comments- but here you go. This is an article about how Oprah added a beauty salon to her school in South Africa - all for the sake of empowerment through self-love.

It’s nice on most days when you go out in jeans, hair messed up or pulled back and no one pays attention to you.