Bisi Akins is beautiful. Fact. Miss Nigeria UK, with glowing skin, smile to die for, and truly hypnotising eyes, I wonder whether I’m about to feel self conscious and unworthy but within seconds, Bisi is firmly socially distanced from vanity!
We were honoured to hear her thought provoking talk as part of the Rocking Ur Teens International Women’s Day celebration on 17th March 2021, with over 300 young women in attendance.
In our breakout session we learnt that we can use the fundamentals of makeup application to change the way we use ourselves; taking our reflection as a means to inspire, educate and motivate, not conform to the demands of social media or mask who we really are.
Bisi explains with relatable examples and laughter that Self: Image Enhance is not about makeup, it’s all about understanding ourselves, in order to know; what are we enhancing?
I pause for thought; Bisi’s take is such a refreshing, non-judgemental and easy to understand approach; do we prime our best authentic self for the day in the same way we prime my skin? Do we spend as much time reflecting on our values, our foundation, as we do the colour and texture of the products we place on our face?
As Bisi works through the components of a fully made up face, we really get an insight into how we can develop our self care skills in the same way we can perfect our cat flick eyeliner. Covering important life skills such as procrastination, self-motivation, action and resilience, it’s clear to understand that Bisi fully captivates her audience with engaging, relevant and necessary importance that truly inspire, educate and motivate them to strive for success.
The biggest take away from the SELF:I.E event was truly understanding that our self worth, identity and image are all interrelated, and now each time I look in the mirror – made up or not – I reflect back my best self; image enhanced. Because it’s not the shade of lipstick that I wear that ensures my lips speak my truth, it’s the knowledge I am my best self from head to toe, morning, noon and night that reflects who I am. Follow Bisi: @bissakins
Thanks to Hannah Cotton, Inclusive Leadership Consultant & Founding Director EquALLIES for volunteering at the event and writing this article.
Leave a Reply