You guys. Part 2.

Miss Viola Swamp (@imaqt209421)

🙂

Rebecca

You are phenomonally beautiful and SO inspiring. It’s really nice to hear that even gorgeous, successful people like you have down days too! We’re all human!

Tegan

I’ve been considering dying my hair darker after being blonde, very blonde and not feeling myself. I always felt too brassy and was constantly toning and correcting my colour which was not only time consuming but quite expensive. I started to hate my hair and feel very ‘unpretty’. Today i had a prebooked hair appointment to get my roots done and after a little further inspiration from reading your post I dyed my hair darker, not brunette but a much darker blonde and I could not be happier! I feel like myself again. So thank you 🙂
I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts and always learn something new and interesting.

Daniella

The battle against brass is indeed exhausting! I have the Roux mousse on the way to try but will really embrace my brunette self when I return to it!
Thanks for all the great tips!

Jenni

I love keepin’ it real posts on blogs!:). The truth is, if you didn’t have moments like you described THEN you would be a fraud, cause we all have them! I thank you for sharing it because man, that hair business can take you down can’t it?! That is actually how I found your blog. Over tears, Ben & Jerry’s and a really bad hair cut! I was desperate to find ways to grow it out and there you were!:). I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your honesty! One of my favorite posts:).

Tarynn

I really dig the blonde, it’s so fun, beachy and fresh and of course pretty! I of course love the dark, but the blonde is so pretty too! I have an idea, wait to dye your hair back dark around the time u would need to go in for blonde color maintenance, push it out as far as u can though to give your hair a “dying” break to give it time to strengthen?? Don’t be so hard on yourself 😉 your gorg!

Risa

You are badass in my book … You tell the truth and I love it! I swear your recent hair blogs are exactly what I’m feeling… Same exact days you post them … Crazy! BTW, Thank you for all the celebrity makeup tutorials … Love them !!!

Rebecca

You are human. And an amazing one at that!

Harper

Such a good reminder for all of us. Personally, you’re the most beautiful person I “know”, and reading your words tells me you’re just as beautiful on the inside. Thanks for being a daily inspiration in more ways than one! xoxo Harper

Katie

This was great and exactly what I needed to hear!!!

Charlene Maugeri

Cara! You are beautiful! I have always admired your ability to see the beauty in everyone and help them to see it and give them confidence. I think that it is simply human to fall into the trap of thinking only of ourselves at times and to not like our appearance. I am just glad you have recognized this and gotten back on the path of loving yourself and helping others which you are so good at! And I appreciate you sharing for those of us who can relate and maybe needed a little reminder!
<3 Charlene

Corinne Mosdell

Thanks mama for reminding me to see the good!! Love you and hope you got my message!! Xoxo

Diana

Aw Cara! I completely understand how you feel. It ok and perfectly normal to get caught up with yourself every once in awhile. If you aren’t happy with the way you look, it might not be the most important thing in the world, but it can still have a negative impact on your functioning. If you really feel your best as a brunette, then go for it! You have to be happy and feel beautiful, regardless of what other people think. I still stand by what I said the other day- you look absolutely stunning no matter what. You don’t even need a drop of makeup to look like a super model! A few years ago, I had dark hair and cut it super short- I had a bob when I’m used to having almost waist-length hair. Growing it out was the most painful thing ever, and I was constantly unhappy. These things happen and that’s how you learn what works and what doesn’t!
xxxx

[email protected][kreyv]

Cara, you don’t know how many times I go through this exact same cycle! (What is our problem as women?!) I work with the Primary at our church, and the theme this year is I am a Child of God. As adults, we all spend so much time making sure our children know how special they are, that we often forget to tell ourselves. I have a three year old daughter, and if she ever thought of herself the way I sometimes think of myself, I would be absolutely devastated. That right there is my reminder of how God feels when we beat ourselves up.

Thanks for being honest on this post, because I can guarantee, every other girl out there goes through the exact same thing, and every other girl out there needs the exact same reminder! P.S. You are beautiful, inside and out. Period.

Rachel

This is going to be a ridiculously long comment, but I hope it helps. Last summer, I was bored with what I looked like, so I dyed my hair. I’m a brunette with naturally curly hair. I went to an auburn color, but would wait 8 weeks between dyes, so it would go from auburn to a lighter coppery color with some roots showing through (I was too cheap to go every 4-6 weeks). When I first became a redhead, I couldn’t look people in the eye. I felt like my hair was a ridiculous color, and that everyone noticed it. After a while, I could finally act like something I already knew deep down: no one else realized my hair color. No one looked at me and thought “OMG!! Did you see that girl? The one with the red hair?” By the time Christmas rolled around, I had enjoyed my red hair, but decided it was time to go native again. See, I’m a quarter Hawaiian, but being 3/4 quarter, I’m pale enough that my dark curly hair is the only way that people would know. So, I dyed my hair back to a deep brown. It was hard when people asked, “What happened to your hair?” because the long explanation was this: I had finally conquered my fear of having a physical feature that made people look at me. So now, I wanted to get comfortable with people looking at the real me. I was tired of feeling like I was lying to people when they complimented my hair. And I was tired of feeling like I had lost a part of me that connected me to my ancestors. In my brother’s wedding pictures, I’m the only one with red hair. In the last six months, I haven’t looked back with longing or regret. I enjoyed being a red head, but I’m so glad to really be me again. I care more about my hair being healthy than everyone else thinking that my hair is perfect. Sometimes, I’ll brush my hair out until it’s a full-on afro. I don’t care if people think it’s funny, because it’s mine. This texture and color is awesome and beautiful, because it’s mine.

Long story short, we all have our ideal picture of ourselves in our mind’s eye. In mine, I’m 120 pounds and 6 feet tall. In yours, you’re brunette. That’s okay. Don’t feel like you have to rush back in forth, and keep in mind your hair’s health. You already bleached it lighter, so give it time to recover before you take it back. And don’t feel like you have to make a decision before the magazine shoot. It’s Allure – they could make you look attractive with a potato sack on your head. Remember that while you’re looking at the pictures asking “Why did my _____ look ugly?” every magazine reader will be saying, “That’s the woman who taught me how to look as good as I feel.”

Becca

You are gorge. Brassy hair or not (which, btw, I thought your blonde hair was pretty, but I know it’s all about feeling comfortable in your own skin). And you are beautiful on the inside too. 🙂 Thanks for the reminder to direct our energy outwards in the service of others. Need to write that quote on my mirror!

Jenny

Cara,
What a great way to put a spiritual spin on things. The words of the prophets are always uplifting. Makes you think more about the big pictures. You are an amazing, beautiful, gorgeous woman and it shows both inside and out. What you do for others and the glow you obviously carry about yourself is nothing short of extraordinary. You definitely are a person that can pull off ANY hair color. I bet you’d look amazing with even red hair. 🙂

Deegan

Cara you are beautiful no matter what your hair color. I have been blonde, red, blonde, red, blonde over and over but I have come to find that it is what ever makes you happy and hair color is FUN, don’t let it take up too much. Inside you are a beautiful person (and outside too) and I know that is what comes across. We all have moment of not feeling pretty or our best but I think that just means channeling your energy into something else and then you do feel prettier.

Lindsay

You keep your blog real and I love it. You are genuine and I love reading all your posts. Please don’t ever stop writing.

meghansilva

I love how you getting yourself out of the rut through gratitude and loving others , so inspiring.

Meghan Silva’s Blog

Sara Goff

Love this!!!! I know exactly what you mean :D.

Holly

I think it’s totally normal to feel like this sometimes! I know I have & I’m sure we all do! What makes you great is that you were able to snap out of it, open up about it, and push on! You are helping all of your readers by your honesty and thoughtful quotes! And I think your beautiful either way, light or dark- but when you say you feel better dark- there is your answer! Beauty comes from within, and confidence trumps ALL! 😉

Kristin

I sooooooo needed to hear this today! I have been struggling to lose weight for quite a while now, and that combined with damaged hair, being a stay at home mom to two little boys (yeah I don’t get to shower as much as I’d like lol), means I have ALOT of days where I get very down on myself. It’s so good to know I’m not alone, and even women who I see and go “wow she’s perfect” (like you

Fanny

Dear Cara, I have felt / feel the same way lately and the conclusion of this post was just what I needed to hear! Thank you, you are so inspiring and beautiful both inside & outside. Hugs!

Lorie

Cara, thanks for sharing and being so honest! It’s take courage to share your insecurities so openly. We are all human and we all have these moments. A long time ago I cut my hair short, a little longer than a pixie cut. I wanted to try something different. When I arrived home my ex husband laughed at me. My kids were little and so they reacted to him and laughed too. That did very little for my normally okay self confidence. Growing it out was tough, but I survived!

Most recently right before I discovered your blog I had my eyebrows tattooed. I thought about it for years and was too afraid to do it. I was never good with my eyebrows. I finally did it. The first week they were a bit swollen and dark. All I saw were the imperfections! I thought I had made a huge mistake. That was a tough week for me! After the darkness and swelling went down, I got used to it. Sometimes when we get fixated on our beauty misfortunes life can appear miserable. It’s okay to feel that way. As long as we can get past that and move on. Thanks for sharing your insecurities, you just became much more real to connect with.

Sue

Such a great reminder! Though we’re all entitled to a “Wah! I’m having a fat, bad hair, break out, crappy all around” day pity fest from time to time, it’s a great reminder not to let yourself wallow (I’ve been there plenty of times!) and focus on all the good stuff/ pray for or help the people who don’t have it as good.
P.S. I’m not Mormon, but Gordon B. Hinckley seems like a wise man–always very inspiring.

Lidia

What a great post! Glad to hear your new perspective and I fully agree with it, the way we treat others is the best way to feeling confident, content and beautiful with ourselves. With that said, if you feel more beautiful with your darker hair, go and dye your hair back before you regret your magazine shoot. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! We all experiment with our hair and ultimately we usually go back to what makes us feel our best. If having dark hair makes it easier to see your own beauty, then don’t hesitate for a second. Nothing wrong with wanting to feel confident. Though, may I suggest a rich chocolate brown instead of black? Still dark but a bit less “harsh” and little different than what you used to have with all the mystique and shine of the dark hair.

Lindsey

Love that quote :). If you are feeling brunette do it! It’s a great look for you.

Janna

Thank you for sharing one of my favorite quotes from sweet Gordon B. Hinckley. It reminds me of an anonymous quote, “the more you think about yourself, the less happy you will be.” So true, right!?! Anyways, as always, thank you for your honesty and inspiration. Oh and ps- last night I hosted girls night and two friends totally used your HAC video and did an amazing makeover! Good stuff.

Tracy

That is an awesome quote and oh so TRUE! I am going to steal it ok??!! You are gorgeous! I love your Blog and think that all these great things are happening to you, because you have helped alot of girls feel better about themselves… Keep your head high beautiful!

Fran Oropeza

Cara, all I can say is wow! I can’t believe I stumbled upon this post today as I am about to go out the door to get my hair hi-lighted. I am a natural brunette but have fought the good fight against dark hair my entire adult life. I’ve had enough bleach on my head then anyone should admit to! I have recently gone back to my natural brunette color but have been feeling really down and depressed, so my natural instinct is to get hi-lights to feel better. I am so glad I read this post today. I am going to stay brunette and let my natural and inner beauty shine through. Thank you for your positivity, wisdom, and all around awesomeness!

Kassie

I agree I am the same way. I am so introverted and self conscious that I tend to over analyze myself I think. But I feel I care for others more than myself, I’ve always been told. But in my head I feel selfish lol I love that quote! I’m gonna try and remember it because I get down on myself alot. Thanks for keeping it real girl! I honestly think you are gorgeous in and out!!

Rebecca Bishop

What good thoughts and even better reminders you just shared! Thank you for realizing your beauty :). I too, have found that focusing on others and being less “me” centered really helps shape my happiness and my thought-life. Our thoughts determine our actions, and often if we let them, our thoughts are the things that need changing. Good thoughts are always followed by good actions. You are loved and admired, dear Cara.

missunderstoodme

A great reminder that beauty is not always skin deep.