Skin is a great contributor to physical appearance both with and without makeup. Growing up a lot of us suffer from hormonal acne and begin to experience the new journey of what skin care truly is. I started my own skin care journey once I entered middle school because I remember feeling so insecure about all my acne. Your own skin care routine really depends on yourself it can be 10 steps or it can be 3. How you take care of your skin is for you to decide although one thing for sure is always wash your face and use that sunscreen!

Our skin is the largest organ on our body and a lot of damage goes towards it as we age, for example with sun damage, wrinkles, acne/ acne scars, and sagging. Our skin sheds everyday and gets dirty, the purpose of skin care is to cleanse and protect it as much as possible. By not taking care of our skin we can experience irritation, cracks, or even infections. The most common form of cancer is skin cancer. You would also experience dryness and loss of elasticity due to the destruction of collagen fibers within our skin. There are multiple consequences of not washing your face on a daily basis.

There are just as many positives and benefits to good skin care than negatives. Proper skin care will help us to get rid of and prevent visible pores, wrinkles( everyones worst nightmare), and those dark under eyes that we seem to get when we come to college. It leaves our skin looking healthier and younger as well as allowing us to keep that firmness in our face as we age. Overall it benefits our health and our physical appearance. Not to mention to all of you who love wearing makeup a clean canvas gives you the best results.

A normal and basic skincare routine does not have to consist of much. To give you an idea ideally you would start with a good face wash that suits your skin and works best for you. Face wash removes all the dirt and sweat off your face and typically is used in both mornings and nights. Then you would proceed with a moisturizer that works to hydrate your freshly cleansed skin. After you finish moisturizing a key component of skin care would be SPF! Once your skin is hydrated apply sunscreen to protect you from those harmful sun rays that follow you all throughout the day. Once you start trying out and experimenting what does and doesn’t work for you, you can start adding new products later on down the road. For example a toner, exfoliator, or face masks. There are so many products to pick and choose from for example Cetaphil, Nuetragena, and Cureology.  You might find it difficult at first but remember that skin of yours will thank you in the end.

To conclude skin care has always been around society although not much emphasis is put upon it which can be disappointing. Today skin care has grown and evolutioned so much. It’s always important to take care of your skin in the simplest of ways and I’m here today to remind you of that.

Nail art is a way of creativity, art, and beauty. As previously mentioned in past posts beauty expands through multiple different platforms ranging from skin care, makeup, hairstyles, and todays mention of nail art. Nails come in various shapes and lengths with designs of your choice.       Nail art has evolutional history that many of us are oblivious to. Personally I think it’s quite interesting writing about these forms of beauty because many people are not aware of. Nail art is  expressed on fingernails through manicures and toenails through pedicures.

Nail art goes as back as 3000 to 5000 BC where ancient Egyptians would dye their nails with henna in order to project their social hierarchy and seduce men. Status was declared through upper class women wearing darker and harsh colors and lower class women wearing pastel and warmer colors.  Men would also paint their nails either green or black with kohl when going to war. In 3000 BC the first nail polish was created in china, it was made from beeswax, egg, gelatin, vegetable dyes, and gum arabic. Ancient Chinese people would dip their fingernails within this mixture for hours until it dried in order to achieve their painted nails, having a range of colors as well. During the Ming Dynasty having long nails (as long as 6 inches) was normal and were protected by golden nail guards in order for their nails not to break or become damaged. It was not until the Inca Empire nail art became part of society with the first and primary design being an eagle painted on their fingernails.

The first manicure was created 1830 through using dental tools and previous to that metal rods or scissors where used to cut and shape nails. Women were known for having short almond shaped nails and would use oils as their polish. It was not until 1907 the first liquid nail polish was invented. As nail art progressed throughout the years the infamous and classy  “French Tip” was created in Paris in 1976. During the 1980’s was when nail beauty and art really popped off (making its final and lasting mark)and was even featured in Vogue.

Today modern nail art consists of positives and negatives. Negatively speaking on this aspect, while the nail community grew not only for girls but reintegrated boys as well. Many individuals view nail art as feminine, negatively impacting boys who decided to get a manicure with their nails painted creating controversy and questioning these boys sexuality. As for girls the nail industry has extremely benefitted them allowing them to experiment with different trends and designs of their own.

As to the different designs that I keep on mentioning, they allow clients to portray a sense of their personality physically onto their body. Length wise goes from small, medium ,large, and even EXTRA LARGE. Nail techniques range from acrylics, nail gel, gel X, and the old fashioned nail polish on your natural nail. Decorations and designs on nails have an unlimited range, you can literally put anything you can think of on your nails as far as dollar bills, golden flakes, gemstones, glitter, lettering, and so much more. Believe it or not nail art has impacted individuals in various ways, giving many of them new self own jobs/careers. During the COVD- 19 pandemic when many people were  loosing their jobs, women branched out and created their own nail business’, allowing them to pursue their long dreamt career goal in the comfort of their own home. Maybe next time you get your nails done think about these new small business waiting to give you the service you need! In honor of easter coming up enjoy some cute easter designs!

Leslie Quezada socially known as “Les Do Makeup” was born on January 3, 1994 in El Paso, Texas. She was born to her father whom is a business man and her mother who is a housewife, alongside her brother as well. Not much is known about her family or early life as she is also a very private person when it comes to her family and acknowledges/ respects their choice of staying away from the limelight. Initially her goals all throughout high school were to become a model. With her family’s support and encouragement she began sending pictures to modeling agencies around and at that same time she began her career on the internet. She was always know for being very attractive around her peers and was very well liked. Leslie Quezada was very active throughout high school in sports like volleyball and her school activities. Her internet career began after high school with posting pictures on her instagram. Later she became very well known throughout the instagram platform for her beauty and catchy captions  gaining millions of followers and likes. It wasn’t until April 4, 2012 she began her YouTube journey.

When her YouTube journey started  it was then that her life as an influencer began to evolve. She initiated with posting videos of her makeup looks and doing makeup tutorials and eventually evolved into vlogs as well.  Her audience was attracted to her simple techniques yet soft glam looks. As previously mentioned her creativity with her makeup techniques soon transitioned into  her audience getting a view of her everyday life with her vlogs. Within these vlogs she incorporated her boyfriend Vlex Galindo. The couple grew together both emotionally and on the internet. Making YouTube videos and eventually announcing their pregnancy with their first child  to the internet. She soon created two families,  her internet family and a family of her own. As years progressed she began incorporating her cake making videos alongside her beauty tutorials and her vlogs. The presentation of her cakes brought even more attention to her following due to their outstanding presentation and creativity. She even went on to make her very own cake for her own baby shower.

As of today Leslie Quezada has accomplished far more than what she set out to do. She has recently launched her own collaboration with Beauty Creations where she created her own makeup collection of lip kits, eyelashes, and more. Her following is at its highest it has ever been and portrays a sense she’s living a happy content life with her husband a child in the “Lone Star State” while checking off her accomplishments. An admirable aspect of Leslie herself is she is not just a beauty influencer who stuck to one category. Yes she does beauty and teaches others her techniques but she also expanded her platform by giving people a sense of her daily life showing the difficulties and process’ she encounters personally and business wise. She brought on her baking talent giving viewers another outlet if they aren’t interested in beauty or her mom life.

A true example of you can do it all and you can be who you want. I think a lot of influencers believe they have have to stick to one category because its what people known them best at. Being afraid of showing off their multiple qualities and talents. Leslie is able to appeal multiple different demographics through her content. Like any other influencer she has the platform to impact her audience but not all influencers have the power to impact their own community within their platforms.

Beauty is a way of expression that can be shown throughout many different ways for both men and women. Beauty is not just about makeup or fashion it can also be shown through physical beauty and personality traits. The history of beauty pageants and their impacts on the participants will be discussed. Beauty pageants are typically stereotyped in both negative and positive ways but many do not know the reasoning for its creation. Along with the historical impact it has left throughout the timeline of their commencement and present day.

      Beauty pageants have been around since Ancient Greek times. A myth said to be in contribution with the creation of beauty pageants is the greek god Alexandros was called to make the decision as to which greek goddess was the best looking. All of the goddess’ offered to bribe him and in the end he took Aphrodite’s offer of giving him Helen’s hand in marriage in exchange for Aphrodite being chosen the most beautiful of all. The start of  beauty pageants had very limited and strict requirements as to who was allowed to participate. For example only white women were allowed, only married women, good health, and age range from 17- 25. In the beginning beauty pageants were actually only pictures being displayed because it was seen as a respectful way for women to have their beauty judged. Soon it progressed to contestants actually being present and modeling bathing suits. It was not until the twentieth century that beach resorts began to regularly host beauty pageants as entertainment. The first Miss America pageant was held in 1921 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was intentionally made to bring about the issues of democracy and class, art and commerce, and gender and sex. It was not until1954 that the Miss America pageant began to be broadcasted on television for the first time which eventually made it into an international spectacle.

The concept of a beauty pageant was very intriguing to society and soon it began to spread throughout the country. High Schools and Colleges also began incorporating a sense of competition amongst their female students beauty with homecoming queen and May Day traditions. By early 1960’s beauty pageants were seen a as a form of “constructing feminine identity”.  The first international beauty pageant was held in the United Kingdom. It was not until the late 1960’s that black women had their own beauty pageant, before that they were not allowed to participate. The first black beauty pageant was named Miss Black America in 1968 and it was held the same day as Miss White America. As we moved to desegregation black women were allowed to participate and were given an equal opportunity to display their beauty.

Beauty pageants did cause a lot of trouble as well. Many women began to view and dislike the way they were portrayed as entertainment. A movement created by women sparked as  the Miss America Protest or the Bra Burning Protest. This movement was multiple women protesting society only valued them for their looks instead of other characteristics like intelligence and personality. The movement consisted of them burning feminine products like makeup, dresses, and hair products in trash cans. Today a beauty pageants ultimate goal is to view a contestants talents, passion, and ambitions. There still are a lot of controversies amongst beauty pageants in present day. It is difficult to say if these competitions impact in a positive or negative way. For example many women develop eating disorders, develop low self esteems, or are used to sexualize young women. A couple of positives are they develop the start of their careers, advocate for charity work, and for some girls it can cause self discovery and confidence. Overall I think beauty pageants have come a long way. Do you think beauty pageants have more of a positive or negative impact?

I think now and days we can all agree some people have turned very materialistic in some way. It seems society can sometimes acknowledge a products value/ price  more as a sense of better quality which in some areas might be true but lowered price items can sometimes be forgotten. Makeup products vary from multiple different price ranges some going from $1 to $100. Todays discussion will be surrounded by the idea of luxury brand makeup products and drugstore makeup products. There seems to be a sense of misinterpretation on how similar and great both of these labels can be. The differences that set them apart not only are performance wise but also incorporates social hierarchy with making individuals feel more valuable with luxury products. Taking into consideration the actual products differences might make you think otherwise. Although it takes multiple factors to place these products under the table of luxury or drugstore.

For some girls it can be overwhelming when shopping for makeup because of the wide range there is to choose from. Sometimes it can be difficult deciding which products you should spend more money on than others but keep in mind not all products are worth emptying your pockets for. An obvious difference is drugstore makeup being sold in drugstores like Walgreens or CVS and luxury makeup is sold in makeup retailers or in their own stores like Sephora or Ulta Beauty.  As mentioned earlier there’s a misconception that drugstore makeup products are not as good as those high end luxury products which is FALSE. The differences between these two go as far as the kind of packaging, the design, reputation, formula, and ingredient quality. 15% of beauty products are made up of its ingredients and the other costs of the product itself goes to its packaging, design and as said now and days “clout”. Let’s backtrack a bit and address the quality difference of luxury vs. drugstore. Some reviews have mentioned luxury products for having a longer lasting effect than drugstore products but contradicting statements have also stated the long lasting effect with drugstore makeup. A hidden fact between these two is the expense of technology being used to create these products. Luxury makeup tends to use more expensive technology when creating their material than drugstore. Another difference is the amount of ingredients being used but surprisingly luxury and drugstore use a lot of the same ingredients, the key difference being luxury uses more “active ingredients” unlike drugstore brands. The quality of these products also comes into play. More natural products and less chemicals are used for those luxury creations while more synthetic ingredients are used for drugstore creations. The last difference being mentioned is of course the formula. When it comes to luxury products a lot of professional makeup artists contribute to creating the products formula. Drugstore formulas are typically low on collaborations and are tended to be created only by its brand with no outside contributing factors.

I’m not here to make you chose or convince you to only buy luxury or drugstore products because at the end of the day it all depends on your PREFERENCE. Overall those low priced products can be just as good and maybe even better those who are considered luxury. If you like buying only luxury products there’s nothing wrong with that and vice versa. Hopefully after reading this you might take a chance in trying the luxury product you’ve always wanted or the drugstore product you’ve always wanted. If you find yourself conflicted on which products you want to buy or if your a beginner in makeup you might want to take into consideration which products you use the most and which products need to be replaced often. A couple of luxury brands are Estée Lauder, NARS, Dior, Bobbi Brown, and Kiehl’s. Some drugstore brands are Milan, NYX, Physicians Formula, E.L.F, and Wet n’ Wild

To conclude I hope you gained some knowledge on luxury vs. drugstore products because I definitely did while trying to find research on it. After this post I will be online shopping for those drugstore and luxury products and I hope this completely changes your perspective on some of your own makeup go to’s.

I’m back!

Have you ever gone up to a mirror and sincerely admired yourself without pointing out a flaw or insecurity? Body positivity is a very sensitive topic towards society, going based off of many people either fit into societies expectations of physical appearance or others feel as if that’s an unreachable goal. Things like photoshopping, cosmetic surgeries, and filters are all setting unrealistic standards of what someones body and overall physical appearance should look like. The negative impact photoshopping has on millions of viewers is really unspoken of and is not even acknowledge for its fake content but rather praised as a desire.

Body positivity has been around since the 1850’s when millions of women were protesting on how they should not be required to wear corsets to change their body shape or have their body looking a certain way. This has been something that’s been around for years but it was not until recently that it has been accepted and molded into a social movement. This is a movement that focuses on respect, acceptance and appreciates every form of body there is and acknowledges the beauty within each one. Having a positive mindset about your body and being comfortable within your own skin comes with a lot of benefits that helps you in different areas. When you have a positive body mindset some of the aspects that might be included are admiring your own body regardless of what societies expectations are, acknowledge your unique body, confidence, etc. With having body positivity there are also negatives and damaging aspects for those who have not reached their body positivity

Society and powerful platforms often put out messages (the wrong kind of messages) on what is attractive and what is a “perfect” body. Whether that be in size, skin tone, smooth skin, etc. Many times it damages those who don’t fit the criteria emotionally, psychologically, and even physically. Those unrealistic body goals can make those who don’t meet that criteria feel unattractive or unworthy when in reality beauty is beauty in all shapes and sizes. Adding on to that many women and girls tend to develop eating disorders or decline on their mental health because of those “perfect” images that they feel they have to imitate but can’t reach. These negative effects increase low self – esteem, unhealthy self talk, increase in mental health, body dysmorphia, and sometimes even self harm. Photoshopping has had one of the greatest impacts on how people perceive their body and not in the most positive way. It’s used in magazines, advertisements, social media posts, etc. It’s honestly everywhere so what are we supposed to think when we are influenced on how you and other’s body should look like. We obviously want to fit in, we obviously don’t want to be the outcast(we all want to look like Kim Kardashian but we all know that body is not real, except we don’t acknowledge that). Society now promotes that as the new “normal” for young girls and women causing them to often feel pressure as to what their physical appearance should be instead of being influenced to embrace their own natural beauty. This can not be the new normal. Many of  the people influencing and enforcing these unrealistic body figures are celebrities, influencers, and people of powerful platforms

The importance or body positivity and body embracement needs to be something that is being promoted more than these unrealistic images of women with big curves, big butts, and big boobs. Being comfortable in your own skin is what true beauty is and it’s what’s going to give you the strength to increase your self – esteem, your mental and physical health as well. Body positivity is a growing factor which I hope and believe to one day outgrow a fake plastic body. As cheesy as it sounds always love yourself and be comfortable in your own skin. There’s not need to change for others when you love yourself! We all have that natural   beauty!

I’m glad to see you are back for more knowledge on the beauty world! Going back to my old posts you can see all of the information being provided is based on facts and published evidence on beauty. We have gotten to know about its origin, it upcoming , and what is has evolution to in present day. Makeup and the beauty industry itself has come a long way whether that be from styles, to products, or even opinions from society. It’s sad to say this will be the last time we will discover new beauty encounters together but I thought it would be just right to end this last blog with sharing my personal favorite beauty products with my soon to be beauty gurus! Maybe some of you will go and buy these products and thank me in the long run (I’m kidding…. kind of). With the Christmas season approaching I thought it would only be right to start off with one of my personal favorite items from the beauty company E.L.F COSMETICS.

E.LF. cosmetics is one of the biggest beauty and makeup company known for their cheap products and flawless outcomes. My all time favorite product created by this company is the E.L.F cosmetics Power Grip Primer. This primer will have you skin and makeup base looking flawless and that’s not even the best part! I know we all struggle with having our makeup last all day without smudges and creasing but not when using this product. It’s fame came about with its success on making makeup last all day. A little more about this product and its benefits are it’s non scented for those of us with sensitive skin, it’s suitable for all skin tones, it’s gel based, and overall has a way of making sure everyone sees your beauty shine through all day long. I personally love how long it makes my  makeup last as mentioned before and overall how light it feels on my skin along with the final outcome it has with my makeup looks

Another one of my favorite products is the Frankie Rose Cosmetics Foundation. This foundation is perfect for those of us with oily skin (like myself) and is super lightweight on your skin when using. It gives you that perfect sun kissed look and just really soaks into your skin making it look very natural with a full coverage. I can assure you I will never stop using this foundation unless there’s something better out there. I’ve struggled with finding a foundation that’s perfect for my oily skin and does not make my face look oily and cakey and this is it! Its pricing is a little more on the expensive side but great quality is being given. Some benefits this foundation offers are it gives you a matte finishing look, perfect for long wearing,  and is for all skin types

Lastly, a face without eyelashes is like ice cream without sprinkles — it’s the finishing touch! Wearing fake eyelashes is what I look forward to when completing may makeup look, it gives me that extra finding touch and overall is the captivity of the look itself. Lashes contribute to a makeup look in so many ways by making your eyes bigger, or adding to your flawless eyeshadow, and even just being that only thing you need when you want a bare face no makeup look. I personally love buying fake eyelashes from small business online but prices range when buying  from big companies to small businesses. A makeup look is not complete without fake eyelashes, it’s the final step to your look and it’s what ultimately completes it. With that being said this final post is the eyelashes of our final look and is the finishing touch to this beauty blog

Animal testing has been around since 500 B.C. and unfortunately continues to this day.  Many beauty companies are either part of animal testing and many others are not. The U.S. as a whole has not prohibited animal testing as a whole only some states like New Jersey and Maine have banned animal testing from being committed. Mexico is an example of a country who has completely prohibited animal testing of any sort. Animal testing is not only used for makeup because cosmetics covers a wide range of products including any products like shampoo, deodorant, and acne creams are considered beauty products as well. It is sad to say that animals are used for testing as the development  products that are soon to be used by us. It is sad to see that these living things do not get a say on whether they want their body used for these experiments

Manufacturers are to demonstrate to the  Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that all these soon  to be products are safe for humans to use the actual catch is testing on animal is not required. Society has evolved and evolutioned where there are now alternatives to cosmetic testing instead of using animals. Fort example human cells and computer simulation models and ingredients already tested for human safety that don’t require  new tests to be committed. Animal testing for cosmetics today is very much unnecessary. Putting animals through pain and suffering that should not even happen in the first place. A couple of animals used during animal testing are rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats, and even dogs (dogs are rarely used). Rabbits out of all of them are the most common tested animal in chemical and animal testing. Guinea pigs are typically used by getting all of their fur shaved off and scientists using their skin to use cosmetic treatments to see if there are any reactions of some sort. Mice are used to paint a cosmetic ingredient onto their ears to check for allergic reactions. Rats are used to see to what extent a chemical absorbs into their body and onto their bloodstream. Dogs are typically used for human diseases like heart and lung cancer. Notice how the word “USED” is being incorporated into these sentences that’s because that is what is happening. All these animal testing methods are using living creatures that are unable to stand up for themselves that are unable to fight to live instead of being signed up to kill

Cosmetic companies claim to still use animal testing methods for reasons most of us would not consider valid. Studies have found these methods are still used by cosmetic companies because “of loopholes intended to protect workers from chemicals.” One of their primary reasoning for still using this method is legal liability and consumer safety. Along with researchers and companies believing that this method is the most reliable instead of the new methods being developed. Incorporating along with this statement that the sad reality of the development of our simple everyday products like sunscreen, acne creams, and shampoos are considered to be drugs and therefore have to follow the drug requirements of the FDA which incorporate THEIR “normality” of using animal testing.  “Animals are used for safety assessments of makeup products and their ingredients are usually small, docile, and use highly social creatures that are otherwise often kept as pets.” Although they fail to mention most if not all animals tested for makeup products are often killed.  There are just as many cosmetic companies that oppose to animal testing as there are to those whom support it.

I am sure most of us have a seen a bunny symbol on a couple of our beauty products, this being the symbol of the “Leaping Bunny Certification Program” which was designed and typically seen on personal care items and household items. The  products seen with the leaping bunny symbol mean they do not condone animal testing nor does the development of their products consist of  animal testing. A couple of companies that are part of this movement and who are against animal testing are Burt’s Bees, CoverGirl, Alba Botanica, BeautyCounter, etc. There are more than 2,000 companies that are enlisted in this movement and who do not test on animals. Lets not forget about those who do. A couple of commonly known companies that do still test on animals are companies like Maybelline, L’Oréal, Victoria’s Secret, Benefit, Clinique, etc.

Completely abolishing animal testing would be one of the greatest achievements to be accomplished but I think we all know we are nowhere near that. With that being said there’s nothing wrong with bringing awareness to this downside of beauty products and animal testing itself being a downside. Knowledge on the development of our products can really help incorporate our beliefs into our products. Maybe after this reading some of you will go and see what products of yours are part of the leaping bunny program and which test on animals. After reading this article are you a leaping bunny or are you the one who kills them? (maybe that sounds a little too harsh but you guys know what I mean).

Nikita Dragun was born on January 31, 1996 in Springfield, Virginia– most importantly she was born male. She was born to her Vietnamese father and Mexican mother along with two sisters and a brother. At a very young age Nikita knew something was different about her and she was not the only one that suspected it. Her mother suspected it as well when as a child Nikita would get in the girls line instead of the boys line when asked to lineup in school. Although no changes were made until she reached high school where she just questioned if she was gay until she realized she was a female trapped in a male body soon declaring herself transgender and following with the cosmetic procedures. Her family was very supportive and encouraged her to do as she felt was necessary soon leading to the beginning of her influencer career. At first she began posting beauty videos like makeup tutorials and tips but did not have much of a following then, soon after she felt necessary to tell her fanbase about her true self and that was when she revealed herself as transgender and uploaded a video in mid 2015 which soon blew up and truly began her journey as a social media superstar

Dragun did not feel like she belonged in her community because there were not many transgender individuals she could connect with or resonate with. Making her take the grand decision of moving to Los Angeles where she connected more with the LGBTQ community and solely focused on her social media career. This was a new beginning for her, she even changed her name legally as Nikita Dragun ( I could not find her original name) and would use a fake ID with that name before these changes. She became more confident in her self as her following tremendously grew and is now the amazing beauty influencer and entrepreneur we all know and love. Dragun began collaborating with other LGBTQ members like Jeffrey Star, Manny MUA, and Bretman Rock.  Along with designing her own makeup brand named “Dragun Beauty” who she mainly targeted for transgender individuals and the LGBTQ community as a way and message for them to feel encouraged to step out of their shell and do what they hide inside. She was also able to model for a Victoria Secret runway show that consisted of her modeling their new lingerie collection. Nikita has come a long way not only as an individual herself but she’s also made a great impact towards the beauty and LGBTQ community

Many would say she’s an advocate for transgender individuals as well as an inspiration. With her story of her sacrifices and experiences she went through during her transition its a way of showing others they are not alone and its okay to be WHO YOU ARE MEANT TO BE. Her passion for makeup led her to opening new doors and contributed to the factor of her being the Nikita Dragun we know. Known for her symbol as a dragon, she chose this as her reference to being fierce and confident; she chose this as symbol for all those who are questioning who they are.

Its believed Nikita Dragun is an example of empowerment and defied all of society’s social norms by proving transgender individuals are capable of discovering who their true selfs are and accomplishing all of their goals. One of her main focal points was she wanted to accomplish everything she sent her mind to without having anyone preventing her from doing so because of her gender. I can’t image how difficult it must be feeling lost in regards of who you feel you should be or who you truly are. So this is sign  itself telling you its okay and you will be okay, acceptance or no acceptance you are who you are and no one can take that away from you. You make of yourself who you want to be!