How do you see yourself?

Have you ever felt beautiful?

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This article is in partnership with Dove x Refinery29 find out more about their work here*. The Dove Self-Esteem Project is built on the belief that no young person should be held back from reaching their full potential. For more than 15 years, they’ve been helping to deliver self-esteem education that’s reached more than 60 million young people so far. 

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Presenting Beauty Monologues, in partnership with Dove and Refinery29 where we speak to the Amaliah community about beauty, acceptance, self-esteem and body confidence.

As we grow up we realise that there are so many ideals and blueprints pushed onto us. You wouldn’t be at fault for trying to chase these ideals, trying to hide parts of yourself or change yourself to ‘fit in’. We see those ideals, literally everywhere, upheld across industries, advertising, film, TV and media. We internalise that it is aspirational to fit into that ideal be it about skin colour, hair type, facial features, body types, your beliefs, the career you have (or don’t have) or how you live your life.

At Amaliah and Dove, we believe that we reach our full potential when we are living beyond these ideals! And so over the next few weeks on our Instagram, you will be hearing from Angelica, Noha and Saina about how they are rewriting their own definitions of beauty, finding acceptance and really getting to know themselves.

Beauty Monologue 001 / Angelica

“Growing up I lived in the shadow of my two older sisters who were the most magical beings I have ever seen. My mother was a queen in my eyes and I worried that I wouldn’t bud the way she had hoped.”

– Angelica @villageauntie, Beauty Monologue 001

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Read Angelica’s full Monologue over on our Instagram 

Beauty Monologue 002 / Noha

“Now my beauty is defined by everything that makes me who I am.”

– Noha @intibint, Beauty Monologue 002

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Beauty Monologue 003 /Saina

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Ain’t I a beauty? ✨Presenting Beauty Monologues, in partnership with @dove and @refinery29uk. We speak to women in the Amaliah community about beauty, acceptance, self-esteem and body confidence. / BEAUTY MONOLOGUE 003 @callmesaina “Ain’t I a Beauty? As a fat, dark skin Black woman, too often I am stripped of my femininity because I do not fit into the commonly held standards of beauty. I realised that for years I actually had no idea of what I looked like. I was constantly viewing myself from another gaze. I was squeezing myself into ideals that were not for me. It’s cliché but my first memory of acknowledging my beauty is sitting on the floor in my room getting ready for my yr. 12 prom. That was the first time I really looked at myself and said ‘Sis you’re actually cute yunno’. Sitting in front of a mirror helped me see what I actually looked like. It was an opportunity to match my outward appearance with how I see myself. Putting on makeup was an opportunity to really embrace and emphasise these ‘new’ features I found and each time I learnt about and loved a new part of my face. It was the first time in my life I was presenting myself how I choose, rather than how I thought others wanted me to appear. I realised that no matter if you try to assimilate or actively reject social standards, somebody somewhere will not approve of your choice and how you exist. So embody every choice you make and do it with full confidence. Like a snake shedding its skin each year, I change my look, explore new makeup, hair and art, to unlock new levels of Saina. I think that continued growth and exploration of myself has allowed me to see the best (and sometimes the worst) parts of myself both physically and mentally and spiritually and learned to love it all. I think that is the moment when true confidence appears.” AD #DovexRefinery29 #sisterhood #selfesteem – *every now and then we partner with companies to bring you content paid for by them. This helps us keep going at Amaliah. We strive to ensure we maintain the same editorial integrity that keeps you engaged in our non-sponsored content 💕

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“I realised that for years I actually had no idea of what I looked like.

I was constantly viewing myself from another gaze. I was squeezing myself into ideals that were not for me.”

– Saina @callmesaina, Beauty Monologue 003

Head over to our Instagram to read the rest of the monologues over the next few weeks and share your ideas of beauty with us.

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*Every now and then we partner with companies to bring you sponsored content, this helps us keep going at Amaliah. We strive to ensure we maintain the same editorial integrity that keeps you engaged in our non-sponsored content.