Lionesses at the Gate: brassy secret project

I am Brave and Beautiful.

I am Brave and Beautiful - a beauty movement that is sweeping the globe. Colbie Caillat started it with her recent song and video called TRY. My blogging friend Megan of Brassy Apple wanted to push this movement along and invited women from all over to share what they looked like without make up and I joined in!! Colbie's song says, "Take your make up off. Let your hair down... Look into the mirror at yourself, Do you like you? Cause I like you... "

Megan and her friend Cobi of Peacefrom6pieces have been the team behind this whole project. Their worldwide vision included creating their own video inspired by the song TRY. The talent of Robbins Creative made it possible for them to pull it off. You have to click play and see the beauty and bravery displayed and you might even recognize a few faces in there.

Me along with 101+ other blogging women from different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, ages, shapes and sizes have decided to be Brave and Beautiful! You can join in this movement too by sharing what you look like without makeup on. You don't need a blog either! Just tag your photo with #IamBraveAndBeautiful on Instgram and search the hashtag to see who else has joined in. ALSO, if you tag it with a second hashtag - #ColbieTRY we just might be able to get Colbie Caillat's attention since she was the inspiration behind it all!

Are you brave and beautiful? I am, here I go!

I did a unique thing the last couple weeks in preparing for this amazing project. I told myself those words every morning. I said it five times in a row. It's simple enough right? Something you wouldn't think would have that big of an impact on your day? I'm here to tell you, those words have changed me. I have realized just how low my self confidence over the last few months has gotten. Crisis has a way of doing that to you, right? Survival mode in life makes you put yourself on hold and "getting ready" is last on the list of many things to do. There were still days where I didn't get ready, trust me I'm not perfect by any means, but those days seemed way more productive than they use to. It may have only been a slight shift in mind set but it made a huge difference in my life. Together with the other women that contribute this blog we were able to get some amazing pictures taken. Each of has had a natural shot taken with a clean face, no make up, no photo shopping. We then had our make up done by amazing makeup artists and had pictures taken again. Doing it as a group was a great way for us to get to know each other a bit better. The outcome was so amazing it truly blew me out of the water.

I came home with messages from each amazing woman you see here. Each one thanked me for the night and thanked me for being willing to bare my natural beauty and be an example for them. One message in particular caught my attention and I new I had to share it.

"So I had some interesting realizations tonight... I thought I would share. I was really bothered that I didn't like my picture and so I was pondering why not. Normally, my pictures don't really bother me that much... I'm used to photos. So when I got home, all my kids told me how awful I looked in the makeup (nice I know) lol. But I started to feel a lot of anxiety and like I was crawling out of my skin. I realized it was the makeup. I didn't like the picture because I felt so covered and ... trapped with all of it on my face. When it was being applied I had moments where I wanted to push her away because I felt claustrophobic. I love Jan's photography skills... but I didn't like the picture because I didn't feel like it represented me. I actually liked the one with messy hair and no makeup better... is that strange? What do you think? Am I crazy? Do most girls feel beautiful in makeup and I'm looney?"

How would you answer that? I did with my heart. No she isn't looney. She's so confident in herself that she isn't worried about what having no makeup will do. She knows who she is and she's proud of what flaws she may have. It was a moment I was hoping would happen.

Yes, we each feel beautiful, sassy, unique when our makeup is done. We each may feel more confident with makeup on than without it. Why is that? Shouldn't we be comfortable in our own skin and not with added stuff to make us "perfect".

Each of these ladies has shared with you what they would describe beautiful as. Please not, "completely done up" isn't on any of them. Being yourself, being who you are, and loving that version is true beauty.

Photography: Winsor Photography
Make up: Heather @HMmakeovers
Photo Colaboration: Terra Cooper Photography

Photography: Shoootz Photography
Make up: Elvia Butz
Photo Colaboration: Terra Cooper Photography

share your natrual beauty - brassyapple.com

Don't stop here. Get clicking around - its a blog hop! Below are more brave and beautiful women bearing more than their natural beauty. They each have a little bit of their heart to share with you. Some get very personal. Some share stories. For some this was very hard to do yet they gathered their courage and did it anyway. We hope as you click around (and YES pin these different posts!) you will feel the importance of it, the empowering effect it has and that it encourages you in some way.

>>>>>>>Important info! Blog Hops often have glitches the first day. If the link has an ERROR, simply click on the HOME button for each site, or google the blog name next to the link, and you should see their brave and beautiful post there. Links will be updated as soon as possible.<<<<<<<<<<<<