Okay, let’s just rip the band-aid off:
Yes, my blog is called Try Hard To Be Pretty.
And yes, I know that name makes some people feel… some sort of way.
Some people smile and say, “Same, girl.”
Some tilt their heads like I’m a sad Pinterest board.
And others? They hear “trying hard” and clutch their pearls like I just admitted to using expired foundation.
But here’s the thing: I am trying hard.
And I’m not sorry about it.
Because Trying Hard Isn’t a Bad Thing
Let’s be honest. Trying is often used as an insult. “Try-hard” implies desperation, effort where there should be ease, a lack of chill. But since when did effort become embarrassing?
If you see me at Publix in a dress and heels, I promise you it’s not because I think the produce section is a runway. It’s because I feel better when I try. Some mascara, a charm bracelet, a spritz of my favorite Gucci perfume that makes me feel like the main character? That’s not vanity, it’s strategy.
I’m not aiming for perfect. I’m aiming for present.
Pretty Isn’t the Goal. It’s the Gateway.
When I say “pretty,” I don’t mean Instagram-filtered, Botox-budget (even though I totally do that), five-layers-of-contour pretty. I mean the kind of “pretty” that makes you feel like yourself on your best day.
“Pretty” might be fresh lipstick.
It might be sweatpants you actually love.
It might be finally getting your roots touched up after six months of convincing yourself you like your natural color.
It’s whatever makes you walk a little taller. Because let’s face it: life is exhausting. There’s laundry. There’s that group text you forgot to respond to for three weeks. There are 47 browser tabs open in your brain. Taking time for yourself isn’t shallow—it’s survival.
Pretty is Personal (and Political and Emotional and Complicated)
Let’s talk real real for a second. I know “pretty” is loaded. It’s tied up in beauty standards, and body image, and capitalism, and more contradictions than a late-night skincare ad.
But rejecting the pressure to be perfect doesn’t mean we have to reject the joy of looking and feeling good. Wanting to feel beautiful doesn’t make you weak. It doesn’t mean you’ve given in. It means you’re human and maybe a little bit tired of pretending that your messy bun was “effortless.”
Because spoiler alert: nothing is effortless. Not your outfit. Not your job. Not your relationships. Not even your signature “no makeup” makeup look.
So What’s the Point of Trying Hard?
The point is this:
I try hard to be pretty because it helps me show up – for myself, for the people I love, and for the life I’m building.
I try because it gives me something when everything else can sometimes feel like a mess.
I try because it’s okay to care.
I try because loving how I look isn’t the same as hating how I don’t.
I try because I want to and that’s reason enough.
So if you’re reading this while wearing a hydrating sheet mask and Target pajama pants, hi, you’re doing amazing. And if you’re in full glam with nowhere to go, also amazing.
Because at the end of the day, the point of Try Hard To Be Pretty isn’t to tell you how to look.
It’s just to say that it’s okay to care.
It’s okay to try.
And it’s more than okay to find power in your lip gloss.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go straighten my ponytail that keeps frizzing up anytime the weather mildly changes. She and I are not on speaking terms right now. 🙃
Want more about trying hard? Check out my other posts:
Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay
