I always find it fascinating when I stumble upon a video about makeup on social media.
Lipstick, especially.
In the comments, there are always two kinds of women: those who say red lipstick looks ridiculous on them, and those who say it makes them feel unstoppable.
I read one story that stayed with me; a woman shared how her ex-husband always told her that red lipstick didn’t suit her blonde hair, light skin, and blue eyes. The day she filed for divorce, she bought herself a red lipstick and never looked back.
No one can deny that glamour has often been dismissed as something vain or superficial — a ridiculous costume women wear for attention.
And in some cases, yes. Glamour can become a mask. But like any form of power, it depends on intention.
Because you can’t fool Glamour.
When used for validation or performance, she exposes every crack you try to conceal.
But when she’s used with reverence (to express, to empower, to protect), she transforms.
Used consciously, Glamour is a spell. She expands everything she touches. She places you on a pedestal not built of ego, but of energy. She makes your presence felt before you even speak.
Think of the women who became legends through her; Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, Marie Antoinette, Empress Sisi. Women who understood Glamour as an art form, not a performance. They approached her with respect, and in return, She crowned them with undeniable presence.
That’s the difference between dressing for attention and dressing for power.
So what if we stopped dimming ourselves in professional or public spaces? What if we stopped fearing that beauty makes us targets, and instead, started seeing it as protection, as magnetism, as sovereignty?
Maybe then, we’d feel less afraid.
Less jealous of the woman who owns her silhouette.
Less self-conscious about our own reflection.
More at ease (and more alive) in our bodies.
Never underestimate the power of a red lip, a well-tailored garment, or a pair of heels. Glamour and beauty are among the most underestimated forms of empowerment because no one expects something so “frivolous” to be that powerful.
Perhaps that’s why they’ve been dismissed as vain or dangerous for centuries. Because nothing threatens the patriarchy more than a woman who knows the strength in her own allure.
So be a siren.
Use your beauty as your spell.
And double down on it.