Finding true beauty in the age of social media - embracing kindness & self love

Let’s face it—social media today bombards us with tons of images of "perfect" beauty, trendy styles, and unrealistic standards. It can create a heavy sense of pressure, especially for young people trying to keep up.

I recently took a flight back to Hawaii from Denver and sat next to a teenager glued to her phone for the entire 7-hour journey. She was hopping from TikTok to Instagram, Facebook to Pinterest, lost in a swirl of makeup tutorials, fashion tips, and endless memes. It was exhausting just to watch! Her mind looked like it was melting under the weight of so much information.

Now, scrolling through social media isn’t necessarily a bad thing—especially when you're bored on a flight! But it does raise some serious questions. Many studies show that issues like anxiety, depression, and screen addiction are tagging along with this generation. Young girls, in particular, can feel pressured to fit into those ever-changing beauty trends and norms that have been around forever.

The history of beauty is downright wild! Women have gone through extreme lengths to be seen as beautiful, from the lead-infused makeup of ancient times to bizarre weight-loss methods like gulping down tapeworms. Crazy, right? And to think that today’s beauty goals—like perfectly shaped brows—are just the latest in a long line of trending looks.

But what really is beauty, anyway?

When I started HumanKINDglow, I knew I was diving into a super crowded beauty market. As a makeup artist who’s worked in film and TV, I’ve seen how overwhelming the product choices can be. I can’t count how many times I walked through Sephora and saw confused shoppers trying to pick that one must-have highlighter, only to find 20 similar options.

Doing my homework about manufacturers revealed that many so-called high-end products come from the same factories as budget items—hinting that sometimes you’re really just paying for the brand name, not the quality. I didn’t want to add to the confusion. Honestly, I almost didn’t launch my brand! But the message I wanted to share wouldn’t leave me alone.

I felt a strong desire to uplift young girls who are constantly bombarded by distractions and unrealistic expectations. What sets HumanKINDglow apart isn’t just quality products. We’re all about combining beauty with powerful messages of kindness and giving back—20% of our profits go to help vulnerable children.

Our mission? Empower women everywhere to recognize the unique beauty within themselves. True beauty isn’t about fitting some cookie-cutter mold; it’s about being kind to yourself and the world around you. It’s about lifting each other up, embracing your natural beauty, and practicing a little self-love—even on those tough days.

So let’s ditch the harmful beauty trends that mess with our mental health. Instead, let’s make kindness our new beauty standard! By focusing on what makes us uniquely us, we can honor the strength of women throughout history and foster a culture of self-acceptance and self-love in our own lives.

with love,

Natalie