beau•ty (byoo-ty) | lisa from respect the shoes

Inspired by Marie Claire's monthly feature, "What I love about me", this is my new post series called "Beauty".  Every week, I'll introduce you to a blogger who has been kind enough to share their story about a feature they love now that once brought insecurities and how they learned to love it.  Together, these women will help re-define beauty in their own words and will hopefully help others feel more comfortable in their own skin because each of you are beautiful - you should feel that way everyday!  

Meet this week's beauty - Lisa from Respect the Shoes.

What is your favorite feature that you didn't always love, but have learned to appreciate?

My freckles! And I am sorry to say that dependent on the day, I still have a love/hate relationship with them! But they are part of what makes me Me and I don't think I could be the same Lisa without them.

What made you learn to love it?

Honestly? Part of it was knowing that short of doing something drastic, my freckles weren't going anywhere - I have very pale skin so any exposure to the sun and "pop, pop, pop" come more freckles - so I learned to live with them. And another part of it was accepting that was just the way I was born. Though they are a lot less prominent than mine, my mom has freckles too, so I like to think that these "little sprinkles" are a gift passed down from a woman I love dearly.

Any advice for other beautiful women out there who struggle with being comfortable in their own skin?

As much hoping and wishing we do, there are some things that can't be changed, so we need to learn to love and accept ourselves for the way we are. Believe me, life's just easier and more enjoyable that way. It has taken me a long long time to come to terms with many of the features I didn't like - including my freckles - but as I get older, I am not only growing more comfortable with them, but learning to love them. There are not a lot of Asian gals out there with freckles, so they make me unique. They are a sign that I am a healthy active human being who loves to be outdoors and enjoy the sun in my face. Plus I always thought freckles made me look young, so they will hopefully work to my benefit as I get older!