Embracing True Beauty

Photos by Ivy Rashid Mulholland

Did anyone ever sit down with you when you were growing up and teach you about the ins and outs of skin care and makeup or talk to you about how true beauty emanates from within? That definitely didn’t happen with me. But I know I’m not alone. I would imagine a well-rounded (or even a not-so-well-rounded) intro to beauty is pretty uncommon.

I was fortunate to get a good education at various cosmetics counters on beauty outings with my mom when I was a teen. And I absorbed whatever I could in fashion and beauty magazines. But those makeup counters and magazines promoted a feminine ideal of the “perfect” skin and body. I felt self-conscious and kept trying to “fix” my oily skin and endless pimples. I felt defective when I found some cellulite (imperceptible to anyone but me) or when I learned that some girls were a size 0 and knew I would never fit into such teeny clothes (never mind that I was a half foot taller than those girls).

A Meaningful Opportunity

Remembering what it was like to be a teen, I jumped at the chance to organize a beauty workshop for some teens here in San Francisco. My friend Judy asked if I could teach some teens she works with about basic makeup and skin care stuff. The idea got even more exciting when I found a makeup artist who gives seminars that focus on embracing inner beauty.

The workshop became something much more meaningful than a basic beauty class – something that could help the girls think about beauty in a new way, to help boost their self esteem and confidence. It became a workshop I would love to have participated in when I was a teen. It was also an opportunity to “give back,” to lend my own beauty expertise and my ability to pull together talented individuals and fun beauty donations for the girls.

So today I’m sharing what happened at the workshop with tips on how to embrace your inner beauty every day.

A glimpse into our day…

A Beautiful Success

Everyone involved in our workshop seemed to have a really good time. I think the girls got a lot out of it. We worked with seven teens, most of them are from Chinatown and participate in the Lion Dance and Martial Arts Clubs of the Marina Middle School Expanded Learning Program, which is an after-school program that provides enrichment activities and academic support. My friend Judy has worked with these young women as a volunteer for a couple years. She wanted them to learn about skin care and how to apply makeup for lion dance performances. Most of them had never applied a drop of makeup before the workshop. I thought it would be fun to do a photo shoot as well.

A Generous Team

Everything came together beautifully. A friend referred me to Kathleena Gorga (middle, below), a successful Bay Area makeup artist who gives seminars about embracing what she calls “deep beauty.” As a makeup artist, Kathleena has worked with people like Cindy Crawford, Heidi Klum, and even Steve Martin. Her work has appeared in Vogue, Glamour, and Elle.  The Coveted’s lovely Jennine enlisted the help of Ivy Rashid Mulholland (left, below), the founder of BeautyHype and Grooveeffect and a talented photographer who documented the event and took all the gorgeous photos here (well, except the one of herself). I also received generous donations from Neutrogena and The Body Shop so each girl got a goodie bag chock full of makeup and skin care products. Judy (second from right, below) got delicious treats for everyone so we wouldn’t be famished on our day of beauty.

A Unique Look at Beauty

“It is so easy to forget that we are each have gifts and talents that are our own expression of beauty.”

Kathleena led the workshop. She says she wanted to create “a fun, validating experience where the girls could feel special” and “help them understand that true beauty is so much more than lipstick and blush and their outer appearance but rather who they are as unique individuals with their own gifts, talents and perceptions.”

Kathleena points out, “It is so easy to forget that we are each have gifts and talents that are our own expression of beauty. We each have our own magic and medicine that we contribute to the world. Our original, true beauty goes beyond the superficial exterior…  In my work as a makeup artist I have made up supermodels who were ugly people and I have also worked with disfigured individuals who were some of the most beautiful people I have ever met.”

What Do You Think is Beautiful?

Everyone chatted about what they think is beautiful. It varied a lot from person to person. One girl said that an “A” on a test is beautiful. Another talked about a beautiful sunset, while another brought up a vintage, burgundy sports car.

Test Driving Beauty Products and a Photo Shoot

The girls tested out their new face wash. Then Kathleena demonstrated how to do makeup on me. She and I also did each girls makeup, and Ivy took photos of all the girls, Kathleena, and me; and Kathleena snapped some shots of Ivy. Everyone got to see that getting photos taken for a photo shoot is fun but a bit daunting. Unfortunately, I can’t show you pics with the girls’ faces, because they’re under 18 so we needed releases signed by the parents, which is a big challenge when the parents don’t speak English.

Embracing Your Beauty

Want to get in touch with your inner beauty? Kathleena has created what she calls “The Daily Embrace” to help anyone nurture their inner beauty on a daily basis. She recommends things like watching our thoughts and self talk for an entire day to become more aware of “negative speak,” which can help us shift toward more positive thoughts; getting off the couch and being active so we can connect with our breathing; and unleashing our passion and creativity, because we feel more beautiful when we love what we do. You can learn more about “The Daily Embrace” at her Conscious Beauty website.

She says, “When we train ourselves to look for beauty rather than imperfection, our lives shift. I do believe that what we focus on we create more of.”

Fashionable Donation

To further help the girls, Jennine created a design for our beauty event and set up a Café Press shop. Pick up a super cute shirt, tote, or mug to celebrate your inner beauty and help a good case. We’ll donate every dollar of the profits to the Lion Dance and Martial Arts Clubs to help them buy things like uniforms and equipment.

Do Tell

Wish someone had taught you about beauty basics and inner beauty when you were younger? Do you embrace your beauty inside and out?

(This is part of a post that originally appeared on The Coveted, a fashion and beauty blog that I write about beauty for.)