Hello Beautiful People,
I have been thinking about starting a blog and wanting to connect with you in another format for a long time. So here I am very late to the show, finally getting over the obstacles I created in my head, sitting with my delicious candle, aromatic coffee, cozy pillow, calming background music and of course…ME - raw, as real as I can be, unfiltered, well except for some makeup (wink wink) it is a Beauty Blog after all.
So who am I? My name is Nika, a little girl with big dreams from a small town in Bulgaria, at least compared to Los Angeles, CA which is currently my residence. I am firstly a kind and loving human being, an artist, a creator, a singer, a true friend, a believer in magic, an empath, a woman, a healer, a helper, a mind power freak, a self image coach, a makeup artist and so much more…Who are you? Where are you reading these lines from? I can’t wait to learn more about you!
This will be the space to express how I view the world, art, love, makeup, beauty… SELF LOVE will be talked about A LOT, not only because I strongly believe it is one of the things we all need to exist, but because it seems so easy and is often so hard to acquire. Now tell me honestly, how often do you tell yourself you are beautiful, strong, smart, sexy, fabulous, wise, deserving, savvy, amazing at what you do? See what I mean - not that easy, but so easy! Cliché? Maybe, but are you up for a challenge?
Today I challenge you to Look in the Mirror and tell yourself you are YOU - gorgeous, smart, intelligent, loving and loved. Feel free to add any positive traits or facts you can think of about yourself. And then imagine how you WILL go out into the world and you will absolutely CRUSH IT! Let this be a reminder of how little we do this and how much we need it! Most of the time we are our worst critic, but why aren't we our biggest fan? Constructive criticism is needed for growth, but so are love and patience. So why are we lacking them when we take the stand in front of our own bench?
Did you accept the challenge?
0%I already told myself I'm beautiful before I read this
0%I am grabbing a mirror and doing it now
0%I am having hard time with this challenge
Beauty is not just about looks or makeup and I think deep inside we all know it, even though society and the media have been trying to convince us otherwise for a long time… It is about love, confidence, care, pride, expressing yourself, doing the things you love, experiencing joy, being healthy and simply being YOU! If not, what is life really about??? Beauty is like money - today you have it, tomorrow you might not. What is left underneath the surface? What do you see when you remove all things that can be bought with money? How do you feel when you strip and stare at your naked soul?
We often get deceived and look for happiness in all the wrong places… Could this be one of the reasons there are so many wealthy people that still feel unfulfilled and expect their joy to come from gaining more money, buying more things, getting the next beauty treatment or trend? Not to deny any of the security and basic needs money can provide in the world we live in, but how much of our happiness depends on the things we buy that we don't Need? Technically what we really need is water, food, and shelter. And yes, some clothes, shoes and means of transportation. Do we Need Gucci, Ferrari or Prada? Most likely not, but we Want the extremely expensive things, because they provide instant gratification, but with no intangible value and at a very high cost - sometimes money we don’t have, money we worked really hard to save or money that could buy us freedom if wisely invested elsewhere. Would you really honestly love yourself more if you own a Birkin bag? If your answer is “Yes” you probably need to ponder on why that is… Would you be a better person, would you have more patience and compassion for others, would you have more kindness towards yourself? Or is it simply because you want to escape your life as you know it and be or feel like someone else you saw wearing or owning the bag? Is it because some twisted form of society set the stereotype that status and happiness are determined by a $80,000 purse? Well, all I have to say is “Kudos” to luxury brands for creating smart business models banking on people’s insecurities and irresistible thirst for competition. So many resources are wasted on this planet and virtues are underrated. People will remember a fancy car for 5 minutes, but an act of kindness might leave a mark in someone's story for a lifetime. But yet we strive so much harder to surround ourselves with inanimate objects rather than offering thoughtfulness and support to other living beings.
And look, it really isn’t about the Birkin bag. If you love yourself for YOU, if you’ve accumulated enough wealth and decided that this is how you treat yourself, so be it! Buy the Birkin bag and please make sure you enjoy it. But if this is the straw you are grasping in desperate need for acceptance from others, then you are in for a big surprise. Because no amount of fancy things will gain you the respect and confidence YOU deserve from yourself. Not to mention oftentimes it could put such a dent in your finances that could result in debt or losses that will only sink your self-esteem even lower and might destroy your future. For what? Oh yes, for someone else’s approval that will last as long as the fancy brunch with them. But are you even enjoying yourself, or are you just trying too hard to match their lifestyle? IS IT REALLY WORTH IT? If someone likes you only for your possessions, their shallowness should have NO weight over you. No opinions about you matter, but the one YOU hold about YOURSELF and that is the one you have the power to change or mold. You have no control over what other people think, and sometimes doing everything in your power to be liked might backfire, because of the unpredictability of the world around you.
Note: this is not a guilt trip for those of you with a taste for outrageously high-priced items, but simply a reminder there is more to life… and if you have 5 Birkin bags and truly can afford them, maybe it’s time to give to society regardless if it’s donating the dollar amount of the 6th one or simply gifting your time, care and contribution to a noble cause. Or how about supporting brands that are strongly involved in keeping our planet alive and helping others in need?
I will leave the discussion of beauty treatments and plastic surgery for another chapter, so stay tuned if you are curious about my perspective on that matter. But I wanted to briefly mention makeup as a fun tool to be creative and not as a way to feel more beautiful. As a beauty professional with over a decade of experience I have seen so many women trying to cover up their beautiful faces with layers of makeup or being afraid to leave their house without it. I see makeup as a way to express individuality and to provide a presentable packaging for our fabulous personality when we walk into the room. But our true beauty comes from within - the way we treat others, our energy and confidence, our mind and soul, our heart and compassion, and I strongly believe that those are the things that will make us stand out in the eyes of the right people. If the crowd surrounding you only cares about what you wear or own then it is very likely you are in the wrong room. These are just a few of the reasons why I created the Self Image Program. Women empowerment and self love have moved my heart deeply for a long time and I have been looking for an outlet and opportunity to help.
We are only existing in this world for what a blink of an eye is to the universe, and can’t take any of the things we buy with us when we leave this physical world. You think 50 years in the future someone will remember your lavishly fast car? What will be remembered is your compassion towards their fragile soul. Sometimes the smallest gesture could change or even save a life. Let's make our short journey on this planet count by creating something meaningful, not by living in a house with more bathrooms than we can count! If this blog can make an impact in one life, one heart, one soul, I’d be grateful my message touched another human being and that would mean more to me than say becoming a millionaire by winning the lotto.
I don't want this to be just another beauty blog about skincare, makeup, and product reviews although I promise there will be plenty of that type of content. I want this to be a space for self exploration and discovery, where self love is learned and celebrated, but most of all where you embrace your inner beauty and accept yourself for YOU. I’d also like to tickle your brain a little and challenge you to become the best version of yourself, because YOU CAN, because you deserve it and because I believe in you. Now all that’s left is for you to believe in yourself!
I know this post took an unexpected turn even for me, but free mindflow always serves surprises and that is the beauty of it. Until my next post my dears, and now:
P.S: There will be a comment section open, I am looking forward to hear from You! Ask me questions, send suggestions and thoughts.
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