Lauren Flanery, a 2016 Shelby Valley High School Senior, gives my readers an inside look at what beauty means to her. We shot her senior portrait session back in September, and hit it off immediately when she revealed she was passionate about photography! Lauren is going to Big Sandy to study business, a wise choice for anyone who wants to take a passion for photography and make it a career.
Lauren’s beauty philosophy is that if you take care of your skin (your base) then everything else will follow, your makeup will on smoother, you’ll use less foundation in the end, and you’ll feel more confident. So as opposed to spending lots of money on foundations and concealers, she spends more on skin care. She uses Purity face soap, Cetaphil moisturizer, and makes her own sugar scrubs for exfoliation! They are less expensive and better for your skin. Those products can be found at ULTA!
Lauren’s makeup favs are Benefit, Real Mascara, Revlon color stay foundation, MAC pro long wear concealer, and Urban Decay eye shadows! Lauren believes if you invest in good brushes you can buy cheaper makeup because the good quality brush will make up for the cheaper product! Another huge beauty secret . . . drink tons of water! She tries to drink 8 glasses a day and mixes it with infused fruits when the taste becomes boring.
No matter how many beauty secrets you know and how much makeup you buy, Lauren says, “It’s your inside that determines your true beauty. Sounds cliche but true beauty does come from within.” Because, “If the world were blind, who would you impress? I have always struggled with my image. I was never able to accept a compliment thinking the person giving it was doing so by obligation. But, since I have discovered that my Heavenly Father calls me beautiful, I have begun to truly believe it.”
Lauren has a strong faith and relies on a Bible verse to help her overcome her lack of self confidence. Psalm 45:11 “The King is enthralled by your beauty.” Lauren says to think that the creator of the universe is captivated by her beauty is astonishing. So if He thinks it, so should she. Overcoming this has given her the push she needed to pursue her dream of becoming a professional photographer.
Her goal is to help others see themselves as their Heavenly Father and Creator does, beautiful.
Before my own photography sessions I always ask God to show his glory through my images. As you can tell by these photographs, He never fails.!!! If you would like to follow Lauren’s photography feed on instagram she’s @laurenrae.photography
Linda Webb - Absolutely Beautiful
Sabrina Holland Robinson - I have always said she has the prettiest skin around and told her mother to not let her in the sun.. She is beautiful inside and out
Amber Anderson - Beautiful girl inside and out!
suzanne deaton - The sun is a great point!!!!! I will have to write about that next. I have had skin cancer, melanoma, so I am a big believer in staying out of the sun. Thanks for your comments.
Kay Slater - Gorgeous pictures !
Walterene Rutherford - Beautiful!
Paula Goble - She certainly is beautiful. Needs to consider modeling.
Teresa Collins Thompson - Beautiful
Teresa Robinson - I’m not sure who deserves the credit for this session! You truly complemented each other — great job, Lauren and Suzanne!
Missy Stephens - Beautiful!!
suzanne deaton - Thank you so much Kay!