Who are your favourite leading female characters right now? ..."Jessica Pearson, Olivia Pope, Claire Underwood, Khalesi, Cersei or Victoria" but to name a few. These actresses and their alter ego characters’ are not part of the Victoria Secret models, but they are beautiful in their own way, are they not? (I know you are thinking it’s amazing what stylists, MUA's and lighting can achieve right? Maybe not...)  

Do we really believe such a way of life for women can only happen on TV and in the movies? Ah, no. Times have changed and thanks goodness too! Women are no longer expected to tow the line in a male dominated and defined world. Indeed women are not only portrayed as sophisticated, intellectual, educated and smart, but women can, should and do (albeit most often vicariously through cable TV characters) showcase their beauty, strength, femininity and their relentless commitment to be more than a defined perception developed by a mere male.  Female leaders the world over such as Oprah; Sheryl Sandberg; our very own Dame Tariana Turia, or Australia’s Julia Gillard offer an insight to the everyday sophisticated and successful women. These women aren’t just sophisticated, educated driven and successful, each are beautiful in their own way, and visually defining personal beauty according to who they are everyday rather than who they are not.

If leading characters like Gina Torres's "Jessica Pearson" or Kerry Washington's "Olivia Pope" tell us anything, it’s to overcome the doubtful voices in our heads that say we need to look like "somebody" in order to be deserving or considered "beautiful". Rather we just need to look at ourselves and believe we are deserving; that being smart, intellectual, successful, driven and educated, a mother wife or partner should not be kept inside and only let out on special occasions. By putting yourself on the "everyday" priority list enables you to discover your own sense of growth and change. An absolute "must" if you are wanting to  keep relevant in an ever changing world and not be left behind with a mindset that is out dated and borderline old fashion.  Prioritizing time to learn at least the basics about make up fashion and skin colour tones will not only empower you to seriously think about your individual uniqueness and beauty, it forms the foundation for you to practice applying make up every day, try new different and the correct sized clothing and understand what hair style will enhance your best features or distract from them. After all, this isn't about appearing to be someone we are not, but to ensure we can confidently reflect all that we are inside and out. 

Thanks to the advent of Youtube, you can learn almost anything about beauty tips, skin care and products online. Tutorials about how to apply make-up and hair styles can be accessed from the safety of your own home, and thanks to the plethora of fashion blogs, you can definitely learn everything about clothing styles, cuts and colours (think Trinny and Suzanna, or Gok Wan by the thousands.) Online shopping means you can shop beyond the standard chain stores in malls.  And if you are an online shopping virgin, be sure to read the reviews for online outlets first, or ask your social network what online store they recommend. In my experience, people don't hesitate to tell you who the dodgy sites are and the online stores that have proven to be reliable, consistent and free from scams. 

To have a beauty routine, lash extensions, manicures, massage, to lose weight, eat well, regularly exercise wear stunning clothes, shoes and make up is NOT vanity.  Nor is it a crime to visually reflect who you are by wearing clothes that lift your confidence, influence how you carry and hold yourself, how you style your hair and makeup and the perfume you choose to wear. Such elements can and do complement our human traits: to love, share express emotions and to feel. To look as wonderful on the outside as we do on the inside as defined by ourselves and not someone else.

Take your first step to change and get those lash extensions you have been curious about for so long (The Lash Affair is a great place to start), go and talk with a stylist about the hair cut and colour you would love to have, lose the weight you need to so you CAN shop at Cue, Veronika Maine or Zambesi. Eat well and healthy, and be at peace that you are indeed not only deserving but equally as beautiful as the next women who values both her abilities and how she chooses to showcase them with what she wears, how she lives and what she looks like.  Beauty, fashion confidence and sophistication is not only for the young and driven, the observers or marketers, it is available to any woman who chooses to believe she projects her own beauty and to hell with what anyone else thinks.