Allison's new column: We introduce the new Allison has taken a break from being high brow (that's high brow not eye brow- we all know how fond she is of brows) and we introduce her column it has not yet been named and we are asking for forum subscriber's suggestions so post your ideas for Allison's a sex in the city style column:


She's pretty but she's got a moe.

You feeling a little insecure? I am. Twas only this morning when I looked in the mirror and realized my butt was larger than anticipated.

My saviour came in the form of a magazine. Yes I'm serious- a magazine. There before me on page 230 was an attractive face with a mild pout and, wait for it- a hint of a moustache!

Sure it was just light tufts of hair at either side of the lip, but it was hair there! This was the real deal an actual non-photoshopped lady before me.

So it wasn't a main stream mag, but it renewed the faith that I am normal.

As women we generally talk (in my case- a lot) but we never seem to talk about those things that make us normal. In my job I see it all and it shocks me how many times I have girls come in who feel incredibly embarrassed by normalities such as toe hair.

Show me a woman without it I say! We have hair more or less everywhere if you have hair somewhere chances are the rest of us gals have it too. Problem is we don't tend to say too much about it and we're pretty quick to remove it so, like photoshopping, it's like it never existed.

Truth is we all have irks, possibly even those doe eyed models. But we now have nothing real to make those comparisons we will inevitably make because some graphic designer shop lifted all the cellulite away. Our reality is warped quite literally.

In a world where editors have taken away reality there is not longer a realistic marker in place for our brutal comparisons. We now strip our self confidence with abstract comparisons to the lovely 15 year old lady in the picture with colour 99880 enhanced skin.

Thanks to technology and research into the health and beauty area we know and understand more, this means we can look younger for longer by working on the outside in and the inside out.

Advanced treatments mean we can feel better about ourselves by eliminating very real confidence busting issues while simply taking care of the bod. we were given, however it's a double edged sword. By working on the inside out this means more than taking your vitamins. A facial peel ain't going to make you glow if you're not glowing from within.

I say bring back Confidence; it is the most underestimated beauty potion and money can't buy it. You can photoshop yourself stupid with every treatment under the sun (and there are some good ones), but if you ain't got some confidence to wear with the lotion there is nothing in a bottle that will make you glow.

OK, I'm the first to say chicks need more confidence (although there are some I would'nt express that opinion too, but generally speaking). :) I agree confidence is important, but I also see it this way..... If I don't think I look good on the outside, I don't feel so great on the inside.

I'm sure I'm not alone by telling my little story. Picture this....
Your having a bad day, but without fail, if you put on some stillettos, your favourite dress, crank up the eyeshadow and lip gloss, the heads turn and your on my way to feeling better.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for females and their confidence, but it's also important to appreciate your outside and look after yourself.

Absolutely... I agree. I supose my point is that in a aesthetic focused world too often we forget it's more than the wrapping that matters.

As I said there are fantastic treatments out there; I see a brow wax or corrective skin treatment really make people feel good about themselves and sometimes a bit of red lippy will lift the mood. But too many women go on the eternal quest to feel happy through clothes and treatments while forgetting to take some time out to nurture the soul.

Balance is tricky.

Self esteem is about respecting both the inside and the outside equally. If it's the heels or botox you need today or the time out with a nurturing massage tomorrow or a hot cup of tea, music and breathing time, you do what you need to do to feel whole and confident in equal measures.

We just need to acknowlege when we are retaliating with the lipstick and heels post break up when maybe some time out and some TLC maybe be a longer tem cure for the 'I feel crap' syndrome.

Sarah definitely has a point, however I am not saying don't shower and just meditate, no matter how confident and radiant I ended up no one would sit next to me on the tram! :)

any other thoughts gals?

It's so true that everyone is self concious about something. If not hair where you don't want it, then there is always something. And when I realised that, I stopped worrying.

I'm not sure about 'glowing from within', but I know it's not worth worrying about your imperfections.

Check out the Dove video if you haven't already. I still haven't bought any Dove products, but it's quite amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz5IRdFIpvA

Because there is so much out there to make us look perfect, people just think they are not perfect and so wont be happy till they do all these things to themselves!

When my fiance looks at me with no makeup on, hair in a mess and in my pj's and tells me how beautiful i really am, then i realise thats all that matters.

I totally get the whole 'if you look crap you feel crap'.
It is soooo important to take sometime out as well though to rejuvinate ourselves, either with a walk, massage or a chat with a friend but putting effort into they way you look and having confidence always turns heads!

Oh how I hate toe hair! :explode: I am pretty relaxed about the rest of my waxing & have often grown my underarm hair during winter and don't care what anyone thinks. But as soon as those blasted hairs start sprouting on my feet they are gone! Remind me of Hobbits.

Oooh, I'm the same Medusa, those little buggers don't last long once I realise they are there! There is just something really repulsive about them, makes me feel really unattractive.:vomit:

I'm a bit torn on this issue (not toe hair - nasty little blighters, they hafta go!).

I do the new clothes, do my hair and makeup etc when I feel down but to be honest I still feel a phoney; like I'm wearing a costume. It just isn't enough. I reckon it's about acceptance as much as confidence, whether it be your mood or a physical imperfection.

Guru rant endeth here.

I understand what you are saying guru rbb, there are those days I don't feel so great about myself, and no makeup/product/or great clothing/hair can really make me feel differently... because I still see what is really there behind the facade... it doesn't just go away... until I like myself a bit more (that was a bit of a thinking out loud brain flow thing going on there, sorry :o .)

If I'm down, I always find I need to have a good wallow first before I can do the hair-and-makeup-pick-me-up thing. Put on the trackies, eat too much icecream, watch Labyrinth for the millionth time (David Bowie :hearts: )... and THEN go wash my hair and put on something nice.

What a great comfort movie that is too! I've had many days when I felt as though I was in the Bog of the Eternal Stench :chuckle:

Allison
Why don't salons or even permanant hair removal places advertise prices for removing toe hair? They have no shame in printing Brazilian/g string/ lip/chin etc what is so taboo about hair on your feet??!! :question: It just makes it all the more embarressing. I for one have never brought it up at a salon for this is exact reason. Sure I strip my knickers off & spread my legs for a brazilian but no way am I showing you my hairy toes!!! :chuckle:

Medusa, get yourself some of those mini wax strips, the ones that look like a bandaid that you pull apart and contain cold wax. These should easily and effectively remove toe hair in the privacy of your bathroom!

Hey gals,

I don't advertise it because I automatically remove it on anyone who has a half or full leg wax.

I only evey had one client who liked her toe hair and wanted to keep it.

eveyone has toe hair so don't be embarrassed!! Good salons should just rip the suckers out with your leg wax!

xx