Face Forward: Making Change

Get Moving

Recently I’ve been attempting to make real change. Not empty promises, but actions. From little shifts in my daily routine, to huge developments in my body image and confidence. That’s why when Clinique got in touch about their latest campaign, Face Forward, I knew I had to get involved. No regrets, looking forward and inspiring ourselves and others are the taglines, and I’m proud to say that I’m striving to achieve all three at this moment in time.

We’ve talked before about both body image and my food habits, and whilst I’ve had little bursts of motivation in the past, it’s now that I feel I’m beginning the journey to real change. I was in a slump, as I’m sure many of you also find yourselves on occasion, and I needed to do something about it. I wasn’t feeling particularly happy with my body, I guess the deluge of bikini shots on Instagram didn’t help a huge amount, but I knew I had to snap out of that mindset.

Small Changes

First came the small changes; things that would make a difference straight away. I picked up all old underwear (don’t tell me I was the only one still putting on knickers I bought as a teenager?!) and chucked it out, replacing it with a fresh new batch – I was determined that I wanted to wear something that would make me feel sexy every day. So far, so good.

Second came body hair maintenance. Lack of body hair isn’t a prerequisite to being happier (girl, if you like being hairy, you keep it growing!), but for me, having silky smooth legs is another way to feel good about myself. As a girl with PCOS, I got super lazy with my excess hair (potentially TMI here but my bikini line could probably look more like a pair of furry shorts on occasion…), so decided to invest in an IPL machine to at least attempt to minimise the growth and get it to a more manageable level. Whilst it’s still a work in progress, frequent hair removal and a good amount of exfoliation has left me with legs that I can’t wait to show off at any given opportunity.

Now it’s on to the bigger goals.

Getting to work

Since quitting dance classes in my late teens, I’ve barely exercised at all. I put on a few stone in weight, and despite having a general “I’ll eat and wear what I want” attitude, I’ve never once been happy in a bikini, and tend to avoid any sleeveless tops, crops or shorts so short that you’ll see my chub rubbing together. But for the past couple of months, things have changed slightly. I’ve started on my journey to be the best version of myself. That doesn’t necessarily involve losing x amount of lbs, or looking like those girls on Instagram in their bikinis, but being more aware of my body and how what I do affects it.

I started working with a personal trainer, which has been hugely beneficial, as I’m doing exercises I never knew existed and working muscles I didn’t know were there. Whilst so far the weight loss has been negligible, making progress and lifting heavier weights each week has been a massive confidence boost, and I can’t wait to see what happens to my body as a result.

But I know that I’m going to have to work at keeping this up. Clinique have set me the challenge of completing a goal, and as I can’t stand to say I’ll do something that seems out of reach, I’ve decided that it will be to do something active each and every day. Whether that’s hula hooping in the living room for 10 minutes, going for a walk on Hampstead Heath (and attempting a little bit of yoga!) or sweating it out in the gym. I want to feel in tune with my body and know that I’m doing the best for it that I can.

My goal is to do something active each and every day

Another biggie

Another big change that I’ve set upon is the addition of a proper skincare routine. For far too long I used any old product that came my way, and I’ll be honest, with the exception of moisturiser I never saw any difference in my skin. After switching contraceptive pills and seeing my hormonal acne clear up along my jawline, I knew it was time to do the best I could for my skin, too.

I recently went for a consultation at my nearest Clinique counter to find out which products in their 3-step system I should be using. After clicking through on an iPad and deciding that dryness and uneven colour were my biggest issues, it prescribed me with the Mild Liquid Facial Soap, the Clarifying Lotion and the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. I’ve only been using the products for a week now, but can already feel a distinct lack of dryness, and a general sense of confidence just for having stuck to a routine.

These things combined have given me a new perspective. A kick up the ass. The chub on my (beautifully smooth) thighs isn’t something to be ashamed of, I will wear short shorts if I want to. As for my face, I’ll happily smile in a picture where I’m wearing zero makeup, because it feels so good to experience change, and I can’t wait to see what will happen next.

Clinique invites you to make a promise to the future. Share the pledge you’re making to yourself via Twitter @Clinique_UK and Instagram @cliniqueuk. Take part in the #faceforward campaign to motivate yourself and inspire others!

The post is in collaboration with Clinique, but all 100% from the heart!

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