Miss Essence of Kindness: A Pageant For Inner Beauty, Without The Bikini Contest

Ever fancied a beauty pageant that no longer judges a woman by her looks? Can such an event exist? Ex-beauty paegants, Katharine Watson and Jodie Eardley from Abergele, Wales, have turned dreams into reality. They are ploughing the path to creating a beauty paegant with substance. Having had experience in the cut throat world of beauty queens, they are providing a platform for girls to bolster their confidence - without the bikini contest! The aptly named Miss Essence of Kindness,  is on the hunt for women who have a cocktail of self-confidence, inner beauty and ultimately, kindness. Much more than swishy, glamorous ball gowns, these girls will demonstrate through interviews and their efforts in raising money for charity, as to what makes them unique.

The aim of the paegant is for every girl, no matter her size, shape, colour or race will have the opportunity to compete. Moreover, the woman who emanates kindness, and inner beauty will win the crown! Hurrah!

Photograph: digitalart from www.freedigitalphotos.net

What do We Woman Find Beautiful?

Shakespeare said: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Easy to say considering he was a man (please forgive the feminist comment) but art, photography and literature were all male dominated, thus lending a one-sided perception of what is considered beauty.

Mr Shakespeare had a myopic opinion: the pressure of attaining symmetrical beauty surrounds us woman more than ever before. Day by day, the illusion of ideal beauty is notched higher and higher to ridiculous heights - take for instance, the latest winner of the Elite Model Competition 2011, 15 year old Julia Schneider whose glamorous allure but waif-like figure has raised plenty of eyebrows. It somehow has set the tone that we all must be uber slender, be blessed with cheekbones that cut glass and bone structure that rivals Kate Moss.

Of course, there is resentment, frustration, guilt and shame. Femininity is out, replaced by hardcore sex-on- legs role models. I've started noticing women who opt for plastic surgery; a majority of them opt for the button nose, high cheekbones and inflated lips, tilting towards the Angelina Jolie look.

In the midst of all this mangling of the female body, I have to ask, what do women find beautiful? We easily criticise one another thinking: she is too fat, too unkempt, too plain, too boring, too this or to that; oh dear, the list of sharp criticism continues to rip apart our beauty identity.

So I'm asking you, right now, just stop, listen, observe, look around and appreciate those women who may not always understand, know or have the confidence to see what makes them beautiful. Before letting your mind judge, send your thoughts down to your heart the next time you see a woman who you may not consider a conventional beauty and attempt to see the beauty that lies within her.

Photo: www.freedigitalphotos.net

Mirror Mirror On The Wall Beauty Exercise

When it comes to looking in the mirror, it clearly is a love/hate relationship: some of us are narcissistic, admiring every feature, gazing into the glass without hesitation, completely fixated with our reflection And for others, the sight of themselves in the mirror can bring tears to their eyes as they shiver at the image they see in the crystal. 

Our physical reflection does get our mental chatter going – swinging from “I hate the way my skin looks”, “I’m getting so old, I require a facelift” to a “I feel so alive and beautiful”. 

Now Monday mornings aren’t the easiest day for most of us, 

And when our negative chatter is set to default (and we’re all guilty of it) especially in front of the mirror, its definitely not conducive to vamping up our beauty vibe. 

Negative mental chatter about our physical self (ranging from the way you look to the size of your waist) affects our whole way of being – it unfortunately keeps us in a gridlock of “feeling” ugly and worthless. Dressing up then becomes a game of fishing for compliments from strangers, co-workers, family and friends. 

Our physical reflection does get our mental chatter going – swinging from “I hate the way my skin looks”, “I’m getting so old, I require a facelift” to a “I feel so alive and beautiful”. 

Now Monday mornings aren’t the easiest day for most of us, 

And when our negative chatter is set to default (and we’re all guilty of it) especially in front of the mirror, its definitely not conducive to vamping up our beauty vibe. 

Negative inner chatter about our physical self (ranging from the way you look to the size of your waist) affects our whole way of being that we walk around the rest of the day “feeling ugly”. 

Think about it: waking up first thing in the morning and telling yourself you’re not beautiful or good enough for the world makes your world  especially your body language, reflect that message. We walk around with a hunch, feeling frustrated perhaps even angry or even jealous of others,  For some women, they are focused on their physical flaws of not having that “perfect” supermodel look; for others its their skin appearance, heck, its even about not having the perfect shaped nose! 

Our eyes, lips, hair, hands, legs and body require emotions, a certain vibe, to breathe life into our bodies, because we’re more than our physical self – otherwise we’d be no different from a mannequin doll in a shop window. 

When we look at ourselves in the reflection, first thing in the morning, take into consideration you’re looking at the “naked” you: In simpler terms, your looking at yourself without a painted face or eyes. Each part of the face speaks has a message to relay: the eyes, the windows of our soul, reflect the emotions we’re feeling; the skin’s texture reflects eating habits; our hair shows the amount of time fingers twist the strands and curling iron around it. Listen to what your body is saying before the blaring voice of your ego captures your attention or Vogue’s latest front model makes your reach for those false eyelashes…

Let us go beyond marred views, nagging disappointments and . Just as we drill for oil, we must drill for the “x marks the beauty spot” to unleash the beautiful self. It’s your turn to find out, each day, what makes YOU beautiful. 

Exercise
Every morning, for 20 minutes, look in the mirror without makeup or styling your hair. Breathe deep and say “This is me, I am beautiful as I am”. Take this time to appreciate your skin without makeup and your hair without styling it. This is your time to love yourself without any masks.