Why Authenticity Matters to Me

Authenticity matters to me because it’s about consistently showing up as who I truly am, rather than who I think I’m expected to be. It influences how I communicate, how I present myself, and how I move through different spaces in my life. For me, authenticity isn’t just a personal value, it’s a daily practice of aligning my actions with my beliefs and identity.

Growing up in a Caribbean household, self-expression didn’t always feel accessible to me. There were unspoken expectations about who I should be, how I should act, and what was considered “acceptable.” As someone who knew deep down that I wanted to live as my true self, that environment made authenticity feel distant and complicated. I often felt like I had to shrink parts of myself or hide them altogether, which made it difficult to fully connect with who I was becoming.

Coming to college changed everything for me. It gave me the space, freedom, and community to explore my identity without fear. For the first time, I felt like I could breathe and exist without constantly questioning if I was “too much” or “not enough.” Embracing my trans identity became less about fear and more about freedom. Life became easier in the sense that I no longer had to perform or pretend. I could simply be.

Now, waking up every day and being able to live authentically brings me a sense of peace and joy that I didn’t always think was possible. It’s something that genuinely warms my heart. I’ve come to see authenticity as a foundation for confidence. When I’m honest about who I am, I don’t have to second-guess myself or perform for others. That clarity allows me to feel secure in my decisions and more comfortable expressing my thoughts and ideas.

Authenticity gives me strength. It allows me to move through challenges grounded in who I am, rather than shaped by outside pressure. It’s no longer something I’m searching for; it’s something I live every day.

Afrofuturism in Fashion, Hair, and Makeup

Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic that combines African culture and history with futuristic imagination․ In the domain of fashion and beauty, Afrofuturism entails forward-thinking styles including hairstyles and makeup, projecting a vision of the future while celebrating Black culture․

As an example, Black Panther was designed to have costumes, wigs and makeup by Ruth E․ Carter that both represented Africa and also appeared futuristic and innovative․

Braided hairstyles, facial markings, and brash colors were among the design traits used to suggest cultural and power-related aspects of a character's design, implying that clothing is not the only part of a character's design that can be explored in this way․

I love Afrofuturism because it shows me how fashion, hair, and makeup can represent who we are and where we come from. It feels personal to me because style is not just about looking good—it is about expressing culture, confidence, and creativity. I admire how bold fashion designs, unique hairstyles, and powerful makeup looks can celebrate Black beauty while also imagining the future. Afrofuturism inspires me to be proud of my identity and to see fashion, hair, and makeup as creative ways to tell my own story.

The Power of Full Styling In Storytelling

Hair, makeup, and accessories are as much a part of great styling as clothing, and they provide yet another layer of narrative in terms of the look․ They combine to create a complete, holistic image․ Personally, I love how these details can show confidence, personality, and culture, because sometimes the smallest touches make the biggest statement.

In fashion editorials, films and social media, stylists can correlate the clothing with the makeup and hairstyles and their designs with the theme of a shoot, film or media appearance, for example, dramatic clothing with heavy makeup and structure as opposed to soft clothing with light makeup and house styling․

The phrase is often applied to social media influencers, who may upload GRWM (Get Ready With Me) videos that present the process of getting ready with makeup, hair and clothes․

As a person who makes GRWM videos on TikTok, I think a lot about how styling can affect the impression you give and your personal brand․ You can think of styling as a form of visual language․ Through hair, makeup, clothing, and accessories, people are able to tell a story about their personality, mood, and confidence without saying a word.