From the Inside Out: Mary, Nicole and Samantha

Welcome back to the Natural Beauty Project: From the Inside Out! I am BEYOND excited to share photos of absolutely BEAUTIFUL girls from the inside out! These girls are choosing to embrace their natural beauty and find their confidence in WHO they are! I’m so thankful to have so many BRAVE girls who wanted to be a part of this project of mine! :)
 
One of my favorite things about taking these photos was the fact that I saw each and every girl for who they are. I honestly look at every single photo that I took and think to myself how BEAUTIFUL they are! Because you will find what you look for. Look for the beauty in these girls, in yourself, in your neighbor… in LIFE and you will find it! :) And if you look at these photos and the photos of the other girls and look for their flaws instead of their beauty… then I feel sorry for you. But I still want you to know that you are beautiful! And I hope that someday you choose to not focus on your flaws and the flaws of others, but to embrace them, knowing that YOU ARE ENOUGH exactly the way that you are! :)
 
With each blog post and set of photos, I’ll also be sharing some words from the girls with their NATURAL beauty photos! These girls are makeup free with their natural hair, unless stated otherwise! :) Some had long answers for my questions and some had answers with just a few words. And it’s all okay, because there is no right way to do this, there is no right way to be vulnerable. There is only your way! :) *The only reoccurring thing that most likely is not natural in most of the girls you will be seeing is an unnatural hair color. But the way the hair dries, that is natural unless sated otherwise! :)
 
See my natural beauty photos here: Natural Beauty Project: From the Inside Out
 
And now… ENJOY! :) And check back next week for MORE!! :)

Q: Full name?
A: Mary Frances Slager

Q: When do you feel most beautiful?
A: I feel most beautiful when I choose to be joyful. As a stay-at-home mom, most days I’m in a t-shirt and yoga pants. But even if I walk out the door with my mom garb on, I know my beauty is in my positive attitude.

Q: Where do you find your confidence?
A: I find my confidence in the Lord. When I search for it in other places, people, or myself, I fail miserably. He is the only One who can or will sustain me.

Q: What is something the world might see as a flaw on you, but you find it beautiful?
A: The world would see my freckled face as a flaw, but I see the freckles as God’s design for me.

Q: What do people compliment you most on?
A: People compliment me most on my relationship with my husband and kids.

Q: What is your favorite inspiration quote about being confident or loving yourself or being yourself or beauty?
A: Proverbs 31:10 “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”

Q: Full name?
A: Nicole Christine Clifton

Q: When do you feel most beautiful?
A: I feel the most beautiful when I am doing things I am passionate about, when I know that I am making a difference in the lives of those around me. I feel beautiful when I catch my husband staring at me. I feel beautiful when I am driving with the windows down, belting one of my favorite songs. I feel beautiful in my natural curly hair. I feel beautiful when I am reading and learning new things and learning to love more thoroughly. I feel beautiful when I am playing piano and expressing myself through music. I feel beautiful holding a baby. I feel beautiful when I feel like others can see the real me.

Q: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
A: I love that I am not just one thing. I can be smart and beautiful, logical and emotional, strong and weak. Neither of those things is better than the other and I can embrace all of those things about myself, even when it’s countercultural to do so. Dr. Brene Brown says in her new book Rising Strong that “I’m slowly learning how to straddle the tension that comes with the understanding that I am tough & tender, brave and afraid, strong and struggling – all of these things, all of the time. I’m working on letting go of having to be one or the other.”

Q: If you could go back and tell your 12 year old self one thing, what would you tell her?
A: I would tell her that vulnerability is not weakness, perfection is impossible, & to trust that she had a unique beauty to offer the world. One that isn’t dependent on how many boys like you, how popular you are, or if you have our culture’s narrow & impossible standard of the “ideal” body type. I would tell her that it’s ok to make mistakes and it’s ok to need help, and even to participate and find joy in things you know you’re not naturally good at.

Q: Describe what a beautiful act is to you?
A: A beautiful act is one that makes you stop in your tracks, one that makes you stand still and take notice. It’s captivating. Beautiful acts can be found in life’s big, extraordinary moments, as well as in its’ small, every-day moments. A beautiful act tugs at your soul and reminds you of how life should be. It could be something that exemplifies sacrifice, putting someone else’s needs above your own. It could be a person letting their light out for the world to see, allowing their creativity to contribute to the world. It could be a moment of compassion & empathy, a moment where we stop to listen to another human being and say “Me too” to help them know they are not alone. Just as beauty can be found in so many places, the possibilities for beautiful acts are just as numerous.

Samantha’s hair was curled the day before this shoot, so she has a little bit of an unnatural curl in there. But the rest of her is totally NATURAL! :)

Q: Full name?
A: Samantha Lynn Christiansen

Q: Who is the most beautiful person you know and why?
A: The most beautiful person I know is my friend Jessica Wooten! Not only is she beautiful outside but she is the whole package! She has the most kind and patient heart! She is so funny and never judges! She always tries to understand someone else situation and has such a heart for helping people! She has taught me so much about being a woman after Gods heart!

Q: What makes you beautiful?
A: My heart! I love to give and I am a very loyal person! Giving to someone whether it is my time, my energy, or gifts or money is really me in my element and it really makes me feel like a beautiful person!

Q: When did you start truly loving yourself?
A: I think it is a process of truly loving yourself! I also don’t think it it something that happens over night or something that you ever fully are able to do 100%! On a daily basis I thank God for who I am and how he made me! Some days I really rock at confidence and somedays I struggle! I do love the heart he gave me and the person he made me and if I continue to focus on Him and what he says about me then I seem to succeed at loving myself way more than failing!

Q: What inspired you to start truly loving yourself?
A: My parents inspired me to truly love myself! i grew up in a home where the compliments were never lackingI heard from both my parents how beautiful I was and that God made us unique! They encouraged us from an early age to love our differences and love our strengths! Thats mom and dad you guys are the best!