Feeling comfortable in your own skin is a long journey for many. I have spent the last three or four decades helping both men and women feel better about themselves, regardless of their skin color, the condition of their skin, the shape of their nose, the gap in their teeth, or the freckles on their face. These are all things that make you, you.
I've always loved individuality. When I was growing up, if you didn't look like Barbie or Cheryl Tiegs, you weren't considered beautiful.
My journey started in middle school. Like most of us, I struggled with self-esteem. One day, I saw the movie "Love Story" with Ali MacGraw, and it changed everything for me. It was the first time I recognized my own beauty. Like Ali, I had long dark hair parted in the middle, thick eyebrows, a few freckles on my nose, and I never wore much makeup. It was an uplifting moment.
So, what does someone who's dealing with self-esteem issues do for a living? They move to New York City and work with supermodels in the fashion industry. I spent my days with icons known by just one name—Linda, Cindy, Christy, Naomi. Whether on set or at a runway show, I was there, applying makeup. My moment came when I saw all the models lined up in bathing suits, ready to step onto the runway. My team had not only made up their faces but their entire bodies as well. I looked up and saw the most gorgeous humans I’ve ever seen.
Then, there I was, eight months pregnant, sitting in front of a mirror, when I told myself, 'Stop.' I realized I couldn't compete with these women. It was time for an attitude adjustment.
Fast forward to now. It has been my mission to empower women to own who they are. My makeup brand, Jones Road, has launched an I Am Me campaign to spread the message.
Here’s our video featuring some of my friends and models who are sharing their stories.
I shared my story. I’d love to hear yours.
When my husband died from cancer in Aug 2021 my entire life changed, I moved to a new apartment in NYC, I quit my job (that I had loved) and dissociated from my grief. I hoped that finding a new man would help me bypass deep grief. I ended up trying every dating app, and exploring my sexual expression as a woman in midlife (55). I created an alter ego for a new IG acct @jenny.manhattan.milf where i could post my sexy lingerie pics and videos (all self taken and edited). I wrote about grief in my captions and eventually started using my real name. Two months ago I set up my Substack acct and have published 32 stories (18 are memoir chapters). I'm an advocate for grievers, single moms, sex workers (I did OnlyFans for 6 wks and rose to top 2.6% of creators on that platform), marginalized populations and children with disabilities (my son is autistic). I’ve been told I’m a “force” and I’m beginning to believe it 🥰
Are we talking about looks/how we feel about our appearance? I'm a short middle aged woman of Chinese heritage. As a teenager, I absolutely HATED being the short one. I was the shortest of all of my first cousins and more petite than even my mom. I'm okay looking (but had awful skin as a teen...I spent most of the 90s and early aughts using OXY pads/cleansers and 10-0-6 astringent) and look younger than my age. Small-framed, even now, and am only starting to get some bulge/chunkiness now that I'm in my 40s. And I'm still "light" compared to most people. That's just how I'm built (don't want to get into my shoe size, because, well, let's just say it's really Cinderella). Recently, I published my first children's book! And there's going to be at least one more. I published an Who Am I? post back in February.
https://cynthiacm.substack.com/p/so-who-exactly-is-cynthia