What Beautylish Staffers Are Thankful For

So much of the beauty industry is devoted to improving what you don’t like about yourself, whether it’s masking your flaws, hiding your blemishes, or covering up whatever it is you deem unsightly. While I’m all for improvement—hey, I’ll never ignore advice on how to minimize redness in my cheeks or achieve the perfect brow arch—it can be too easy to overlook the traits we love just the way they are.

And so, since it’s Thanksgiving, it seemed like a good time to sit back and take stock of which physical features we are thankful for. Inspired by Marie Claire 's What I Love About Me column, we asked Beautylish staffers to share the beauty traits they wouldn’t trade for all the marbles in the world.

As for me? I’m grateful for my freckles. When I was younger, I foolishly thought I’d grow out of them. But as anyone with freckles knows, you simply get more with every passing year! With them, I’ll never have a flawless complexion, but that’s okay. When I got my makeup done for my sister’s wedding last summer, the make-up artist asked if I wanted full foundation coverage to eliminate my freckles. Heck no! They’re a reminder of my Scandinavian heritage and now I think they complement my green eyes and reddish-brown hair. Here's what the rest of our staffers had to say. 

I'm grateful for....

“...my eyebrows that continue to grow, even after I've put them through hell. I've treated them more kindly lately by rocking a more natural, full look that I've finally come to embrace.”
–Selena Fragassi, contributing writer

“...the mole on my nose. I hated it when I was younger, but now I love it as it makes me feel beautifully unique and it reminds me of my mum and dad in Australia. It also looks like a nose ring from far away!”
–Asmeet Sran, product manager

“...my doe-eyes, not only because they remind me of my mom (she passed her big ol' eyes down to me), but also the '60s—an era I so wish I was alive for!”
–Caitie Schlisserman, assistant editor

“...my natural lip color, a deep pinky-red, which makes it so I don't ever have to wear lipstick to make my mouth stand out (even though I'm obsessed with lipstick).”
–Krista Burton, contributing writer

“...my eyebrows. Growing up, I was embarrassed by my thick dark brows and would try to hide them with long bangs, but now I know how to work with them. I wouldn't be myself without them!”
–Stella Rose Saint Clair, contributing writer

“...my blue eyes. They look just like my mom's, and she's one of the most beautiful women I know!”
–Shelby Kimbrough, contributing writer

“...my crooked smile because, even though I’m self-conscious about it at times, it makes me who I am!”
–Kelly O’Kane, consumer fulfillment specialist

“...my nails. While I tend to keep them on the (relatively) short side, my nails are super strong and grow really fast. Nail polish has always been my favorite thing, and I'm thankful I always have 10 solid little canvases on which to experiment.”
–Jill Russell, managing editor

"...my naturally thick eyebrows. When I was little, I thought they were the worst! In fact, around age 13, I plucked away all but a thin line (think Jean Harlow, but way less chic). It looked horrible! I think a lot of us go through that un-photogenic rite of passage around that age, but I was lucky that they (mostly) grew back. Now all I need is a little pencil for shaping, and get compliments on my brows all the time!"
–Sarah Campbell, contributing writer

“...the beauty mark above my lip. I'm simply in love with the history of beauty marks, whether it signifies luck or wealth like the ancient Chinese believed, or a sign of good love-fortune as 18th-century Spain courtship novels would tell its readers. I love the subtleness of mine, the placement, and what my grandmother and I share in beauty features. I grew up loving Marilyn Monroe and adoring Cindy Crawford, and find moleosophy an entertaining area of the Internet!”
–Briana Gonzales, studio manager

“...my full set of brows; there's no need to fill them in very much.”
–Bernee Briones, customer fulfillment specialist

Tell us in the comments: which feature are you most grateful for?