Project Perfect

This is a post that I have been meaning to do for a while now but I have not seemed to get around to it! 

If you have not hear about  "Project Perfect" or seen other girls post it on their blogs, here is a link to the original blog post created by Amy. She explains it perfectly. 

I was tagged by Francesca from Francescas Beauty Confessions  to do this and also saw this on Life Size Barbie's blog. 

Here are the rules..

1. Post a photo that you like of yourself and say in a couple of sentences why you like it.

2. State some things that you DON'T like yourself but say why others may love to be like that.

3. State 3 things that you DO like about yourself.

A photo of myself that I like..

I like this picture of myself because I was having a good hair, face, and outfit day. :)

Three things I don't like about myself turned positive. 

1. My nose. :/ For my whole life I have hated the size of my nose (I got my dad's nose). Growing up I was convinced that I needed a nose job! Now, after learning the wonders of contouring, I have found ways to make it appear slimmer. Doing this has helped me accept the way my nose looks and kind of like it because it is me. :)

2. My skin. Ever since I hit puberty, I have had pretty annoying skin. If it wasn't breaking out, it was uneven or red. Even now, my skin will still break out, especially from hormones. But, I have learned what kind of products, facial cleansers, and facial routines that work with my skin to even it out and improve it. 

3. My skin tone. This has been a long time battle of mine. I remember the exact moment that turned me into a tanning addict. Someone in high school had made a remark, "Danielle you are so pale". It didn't even bother me really at the time but it kind of pushed me in the direction of getting my first indoor tanning membership. After that, tanning has become one of my greatest addictions. In high school I began going whenever my parents would take me (sometimes every day after school). After I began driving myself I would go just as much. I hate the way that I look and feel when I am pale. I would go tanning year round until this past year when I discovered the wonder of self tanners. I never thought I would actually like self-tanners better than tanning beds but it has happened! I really feel like I achieve a darker and more even tan when I use self tanner than using the tanning beds.  The year tanning membership that I had just ended this February. And, I haven't stepped inside a tanning place since! I know that I may have a moment where I relapse and tan but, now I know that I DON'T have to use a tanning bed every other day and I AM lowering my chance of pre-mature aging and skin cancer.

Three things I like about myself.  

1. My eyes. I have always thought that my eyes were probably my best feature. I got a mixture of my mom and dad's eyes and they actually change color from green to blue. :)

2. My body. This is probably the biggest thing that I have felt self conscious about in the past. Growing up, I was one of those girls who "developed early". So, in middle school I was taller and also bigger than all the other girls in my grade.  I absolutely hated my body. I began to try and change it by running and dieting when I was only in 7th grade! Going into high school I grew into my body more but the feelings I had in middle school were still there. Now, at 20 years old, I love my body. Yes, I know I am not the thinnest girl out there but that is okay. I have learned that curves are actually a good thing! I also now know the healthy ways to keep your body looking good. This includes eating health meals and healthy exercise. I go to the gym about 4 times a week to do strength and interval training. It not only tones my muscles and burns fat but it makes me feel great about myself. I cannot stress enough the importance of exercise and nutrition to everyone! 

3. My hair color. I know that the white blonde is not my natural hair color, but I feel like it is. I have had my hair this color so long that it is a part of me. 

In the past and growing up, I let a lot of the features I didn't like about myself control my life. I was so negative about myself that I would feel sad all the time. I constantly compared myself to others. 

Now that I am older I feel that I have really grown out of most of these feelings. There are those times where I look at a girl and think "Man, I wish I had her bone structure" or "My body needs to look like that". But the fact is, you have to be yourself and work with what you have. 

You have to learn to love yourself and the way you look. :)

Anyone who is thinking about doing this post, I would encourage you to! It is really a great way to look at yourself and see the positives. :)