I wasn’t always this way. I used to romp around with a permanent gritty film from head to toe. For a short time, I distinctly remember the thought of a bow in my ponytail or a barrette in my hair bringing tears to my eyes. Now, you’d be hard-pressed to catch me without make-up and without a carefully coordinated outfit on. The style seed was planted in me at a very young age but didn’t seem to shake out even a root until around high school. I grew up in a family 8 deep, not including pets or the occasional pesky neighbor kid who never went home, and money was never something I felt was a given. I was definitely taken care of and always felt secure, but I was not privy to getting everything I wanted, and I had to work for even the small amount of allowance I was given. It just so happened that when I got my first real, paying job was right about when I began to experiment with style. I quickly found that accessorizing was the most cost effective way to look fabulous. I was frequently forced to wear hand-me-down clothing from my millions of sisters, but with an amazing hair pin or blinged-up clip, I was able to establish a small degree of personal style.

This quickly budded into a romance: Rachael and accessories sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. This puppy love with accessorizing was nurtured into the obsession that I seem to have with it today as an adult, and even more so now that I am studying cosmetology at Aveda. I feel like it’s just a given that with the right accessory a hair cut can become a style. Accessories help us to express who we are, or even better, who we want to be. Vintage inspired pieces, like clips donning netting, feathers, gems and pearls, are coming back in full effect and I am more than thrilled. Putting these little, ornate touches in your hair is no longer confined to your wedding day or prom–women are glaming themselves up everyday, bringing back the classic idea that looking like you made an effort is a good thing. The amazing thing about adding this extra finishing touch to yourself or a guests’ hair is that it is an instant confidence boost. Something about having a little color or sparkle wrap ped into your hair makes it easier to accept a compliment. “Thank you so much, I love this piece, too! Isn’t it great?” You can essentially compliment yourself without seeming like an ass; when else would that be socially acceptable? (Never.)

Over all, I’m a big fan of doing anything for myself or others that promotes confidence, which itself happens to be the best accessory you can possess–and get this, it never goes out of style!

Tagged as: glam, Hairstyle, Posh