what we can all learn from pamela anderson
Image: Rolling Stone
Is the makeup what made her pretty - no.
I’ve been a huge fan of Pamela since finding out that she was born on the same island I was raised in Canada. Even though I never pictured a future as a playboy model, I still looked up to her for being beautiful, and beautiful in a different way than the media painted her. Beautiful in that she was/is young at heart, and confident. Needless to say, I’ve discovered throughout my life that true beauty comes from confidence; confidence in knowing that you are gorgeous, you are intelligent, and you are everything and more in your world, and hey, that’s the only world that matters isn’t it? The one that you create.
In the past few years I transitioned my fan-girl energy towards Pam, to respecting her, caring for this person I’ve never met, and appreciating that she is a symbol in the media to guide the many of us that will never live a life like hers. It started when I was very early on postpartum, 2 months maybe, in the winter in Canada, and I started watching Pam and Tommy the series, then her personal documentary, from Pamela with love. Little did I know she had nothing to do with Pam and Tommy and was in fact ticked off (to say it lightly) that this show was even made. However, both shows highlighted a side of her that was even PRETTIER than what I’d grown up seeing, I got to see her as a young woman navigating motherhood with millions of eyes on her, and she did it all with grace, remaining fit, positive, and resilient along her journey.
Now this was a new thing for me, as I never considered that the reason I looked up to her was for her beauty AND physical fitness; she has a slamming body to this day and that is something that you have to work hard for, if you don’t, it shows. Now we get to yet another level here.. .she starts telling her own story which is beautiful as it is her truth, though she does it without a mask, without the makeup.. .what?
When I first saw her talking in an interview about her new documentary (with no makeup) it was akin to seeing my then infant child smiling and feeling all of the good feelings in her universe; it was pure confidence and joy. Then it dawned on me, that makeup was not, um, necessary? I had to really sit with that feeling for a while, that’s right Kell, makeup isn’t a necessity, it wasn’t from the moment I was born and it isn’t now. Well well.. .that sent this gal down a path.
Image: Perez Hilton
HAve you taken an honest break from makeup, ever?
A new path of skincare that I didn’t even fathom, bare skin. &.let.me.tell.you. WOW. What happened to my skin, and most importantly, my confidence, my thoughts, my appreciation for this face I see in the mirror everyday, radically changed. Not only could my skin breathe, I could breathe? I had this new morning routine where I “found” an extra 15 minutes every single morning to do something different, I noticed that my skin tone balanced out to the point where I wondered why the heck I ever wore foundation (PSA I still don’t wear it), and.. .Confidence. It’s like I took a shot to the system that directly impacted my confidence, knowing that my body knows what to do to look beautiful and healthy; and it had nothing to do with the makeup I was putting on every day.
Where am I going with this? Here it is - I’m inviting you to go bare skin, be exactly you, and go through that messy transition of skin rebalancing and mainly self-consciousness, to discover this new you, this deadly hot version that is stunning without a damn thing on your face. No matter how many times someone says you are beautiful, it really means little until you feel it within. That comes from confidence in yourself. If we can learn something from the icon that is Pamela Anderson, it’s just that, embodying confidence and embracing you for you, wherever you are in your journey.
For what it’s worth, I love makeup and enjoy putting it on from time to time. The take away is not anti-makeup, it’s removing that co-dependence so many of us have learnt surrounding makeup; getting back to true beauty - that my friends, has nothing to do with makeup - thanks, Pam.