Wow Him with Femininity

As your sister in Christ, I am going to tackle this much overlooked issue about physical beauty in relation to finding your spouse.  Many times in faith circles we learn to not give much importance to our physical beauty, rather to focus on our inner being.  That a man who finds a virtuous woman finds a treasure the bible tells us.  Yet, I would be lying to you if I didn’t share that men are visual creatures and while serious, godly men will not base their spousal choice on superficiality- a nice appearance is needed to provoke initial interest.  Sadly at first glance your inner qualities as wonderful as they might be are not seen…  There was a picture not long ago (making its rounds in social media) with the slogan: “there are no ugly women only poor ones.”  The picture was taken for a completion for the show “Extreme Makeover.”  What I found really thought provoking (from the before and after picture) was that we all have the potential to look authentically beautiful - we just need to learn what brings out the best in us physically and use it towards our advantage.  If I still haven’t lost you with these honest thoughts- let’s explore the subject of beauty from the Biblical story of Esther.  The Book of Esther is the biblical "The Bachelor" story. A great king is looking for a beautiful wife to become the queen and maidens are chosen from all over, but before they meet the king they are each given numerous treatments to enhance their beauty.  After the beauty regime clothes and jewels are brought for each maiden to choose their look for their first meeting with the king.  Esther who is as clever as she is beautiful finds what style the king favors and chooses her wardrobe and jewelry according to the taste of the king she is trying to win and the rest is history (smile).      

God made us each beautiful in our own unique way and what I am about to propose is a Christian form of using what your momma gave you to help in the process of finding your mate (smile).  The period of waiting for a spouse is a time to work on being the best version of you in the totality of who you are: body & soul.  It’s a time to become the type of person you want to attract inside and out.  It’s a time to develop a healthy self-image.  I was asked to write a piece on what to pack to a singles retreat from an obvious female perspective.  In addition to giving you a list - I also want to give you some examples and hints to enhance your physical beauty, which I hope you take just as friendly tips from one sister-in-Christ to another.  I was raised by a mom who stressed the importance of good hygiene and a clean appearance and with a very fashionable older sister- these two women passed on to me a love for clothes, shoes, accessories and just anything ultra-feminine.  Growing up I was most often found in a frilly dress and to this day I love being a girly-girl.  I’m also an artsy person and usually we tend to dress more creatively as a form of self-expression.  So that’s my informal background in fashion and beauty- though that probably doesn’t qualify me as your personal stylist I was asked to do this so let’s begin (smile).

I usually take a good book  and my traveling journal to read & write.

Toiletries: Tooth brush, tooth paste, floss, deodorant, etc.

Make-Up: Foundation, blush, mascara, lipstick etc.

Electronics: Cell phone, charger, camera, memory card, etc

When preparing for a singles event we must plan what we pack with more consideration than usual since even though it is a retreat we want to look our best to increase the potential of meeting a godly man.  First, I like to find out what activities will be offered that way I know that if there’s a pool I bring a swimsuit, if there is hiking to bring comfortable shoes, etc.  Since, this post is particularly for the June retreat with Ave Maria Singles, I have checked the activities and it seems like two casual outfits for Friday and Saturday will be needed, a cocktail dress for a dance on Saturday night and a nice day dress for Sunday Mass.  Below are some examples:

Casual Dress:  Wear an outfit that displays your personality.  I would do layers since you are most likely going to be in the casual outfit from morning to afternoon and that way if it gets too hot you can remove some layers.  A simple hint is to buy things that are functional, yet cute and feminine.  A bold color, pattern or cut usually make an effortless impact.  I added a fringe scarf and glitter flats to make this otherwise boring outfit display a hint of me. 

Formal Dress: Again get creative, if it’s the common black little dress add a fun statement necklace, a pop of color with a cute clutch or fun shoes.  I am really into lace and glitter so I added some basic pumps that are not so basic because they are covered in navy glitter (smile).  The dress is a vintage handmade dress that I found at a thrift store and is so much me that I feel super pretty in it. An awesome Betsey Johnson eagle statement necklace completes my look.  Wear things that you feel great in because that will naturally bring out your confidence.  

Sunday Mass Dress:  If you are going to dress to impress the opposite sex it's only natural that you should also dress up for God.  A nice summer dress with comfortable shoes to to celebrate the Eucharist and get you through the last day activities should be in your suitcase. I added some fun sandals, gold jewelry, a hairband to make it a bit more dressy. 

Overall be healthy, be clean, be attractive and develop the habit of being your best inside and out.  Pay attention to your dress and always be encouraging.  God made you beautiful - in your femininity you have POWER learn to work it to get a man's attention and once you have it your inner beauty will close the deal. Though I wont be attending the retreat, I will be praying for all of you, God bless.