Beauty Authority Mikki Taylor has 30 years of experience working in an industry focused on outside appearances, but while speaking on the beauty & style stage at the 2016 ESSENCE Festival the industry veteran spoke about how to hone in on your innner beauty. As she gears up for the release of her new book, Editor-in-Chic: How to Be Style and Be Your Most Empowered Self (simonandschuster), Taylor shares some key tips on self-love. Here are the 5 things we learned about honoring, celebrating and being your most chic self.
Package your look: “If you don’t define your own brand, package your look and master You Inc., what’s the point?”
Finding your inner beauty is key: “Self perception sets the tone for everything. How much joy you derive out of life, how you express your beauty and how you honor your temple. The other day I sent a tweet out that said ‘don’t treat your temple like a trailer’ It really is the place of honor.”
Honor yourself: “You have to get still, you have to make time for self and you have to be in a self-nurturing mindset. As women of color we give to everyone else and after a while we start to give from a place of lack. My mother always taught us you can’t give that which you don’t have, so you have to keep filling your cup and giving to yourself and that’s fine. When you understand that you also teach others how to honor themselves, because you set an example.”
Know your value: “The creator has already validated you. As a faith forward girl I understand that when the creator defined me he was satisfied, and that’s all the validation I need. So that’s what keeps me in the space of knowing my value and beholding my magnificent truth.”
Understand that you’re an original: “I don’t allow someone else to imprint an identity on me, or look on me that’s not my own because if I do that I have to admit that I’m willing to live in the shadow of who I was meant to be. And that’s not acceptable. You are a divine, inspired original. When we say original there’s nothing else equal to, nothing else like you ever was, nothing like you ever will be.”