Fashion is something that people are constantly judged for -- whether you should wear a crop top with low waisted shorts versus high waisted shorts, or if those gladiator shoes match that sundress you love. There are so many factors that go into true fashion that me, a simple athletic nerd, never could understand or participate in the "up and coming" fashion of the season. I didn't even know that there was fashion for each season of the year! I just wore what was comfortable for the weather. Then there is hair and makeup and I am totally lost. It has taken twenty years for me to slowly figure out what to wear when my hair is flatter, or what eye shadow to wear to distract people from the huge bags under my eyes. The best part is, that anyone can really figure it out. At least figure out the basics of fashion, hair and makeup.

Growing up, I always watched my mom put on lipstick, and it was mesmerizing. She never did much with her hair because it was thinner and laid nicely against her face, so she never really needed to style it for any occasion. She also never wore too much makeup so she had the basic foundation, lipstick and mascara.

I would play around with her lipstick every once in awhile. But I was that kid that could not keep it just on her lips, so I was a hot mess. I was also the oldest, meaning that I had no one to look up to for advice about this kind of stuff. A lot of my friends did not wear much makeup, and the ones that had some skill had difficulty teaching me.

After thousands of makeup tutorials and Pinterest board pins, I started to learn the best colors for the seasons, my eyes, my hair and the outfit that was worn with the makeup. I never learned how to contour, and really don't believe that I have the want, skill or need to spend that much money on all that makeup just to make my face look plastic. I focused on foundation and my eyes, which became something that I am proud of. I used only a few eye shadow palettes, but I love playing up my eyes for any type of occasion.

In the last two years I have found blush, only sticking with the one color I bought and enjoyed enough to stick with it. I also just started to experiment with lipstick, but with my appetite I usually eat or drink so much that the lipstick is back on my face like I was a young kid again. I might not look perfect, but I love the person who I look like in the mirror. That, to me, is all that matters.

It took years of reading how to use a curling iron or straightener, burning myself repeatedly, or looking like an idiot for me to gain the experience that I have now to at least look decent for my sorority events or nights out with my boyfriend. Straightening my hair does not feel like a torture device, anymore, but a way to quickly and efficiently get my bangs to stay in one spot.

Curling irons are still a mystery to me, as I never seem to be able to make the curls the same tightness or thickness, and this takes up a lot of my time. Videos have helped me to avoid burning myself repeatedly, but the experience and time learning how my hair reacts was the best way to learn. So, yes, there are hundreds of embarrassing pictures of me with my hair half-straightened, because for some reason I could not reach the back pieces that were still wavy, or my curls are all over the place because I did not use enough hairspray to keep everything nice and clean.

And then there was fashion. This is, by far, the hardest thing for me to catch on. I don't think it will matter how many articles or pins I have on fashion for me to ever fully understand it. It is something that is constantly changing, and I cannot keep up with it for the life of me. Half of my closet consists of my workout or athletic wear, with the other half being dresses or comfy clothes.

My work clothes are very limited, as well as my "going out" clothes. It wasn't until college that I started to figure out my taste in clothes, but I still tend to purchase more clothes than I can wear and never really know how to wear it differently every time. I attempt to follow those "must have basics" for every woman's closet, but most of those lists contain clothes that I would never wear.

I am not the biggest fan of jeans, so why would I want five different pairs? Why sport a fancy, light jacket in the fall rather than my super comfy (and very warm) Under Armour sweatshirt? Obviously, there is fashion for body type, personality, season and location because no one would want to wear a little jacket in November -- that is just crazy. Who would spend hundreds of dollars on UGG boots to wear in the winter, in a place where there could be five feet of snow? It's questions like these that keep me from spending large amounts of money on clothing, although there are always a few exceptions.

Overall, your appearance is determined by you and represents just a small part of your personality. It is amazing how a lot of people do judge a book by its cover, and miss out on someone truly amazing. All of my friends are beautiful because they are amazing people and have unique personalities, so much that I could care less if they are wearing sweatpants or a ball gown (they are all naturally gorgeous though).

When I wake up, and can smile at myself in the mirror, I am content. No one needs to spend hours and hours watching videos to make themselves look better; your true self will shine through. It is OK to take 20 years to figure out which way to curl your hair, or figure out what eyeliner is the best to use. It is OK to not fuss about fashion or hair or makeup, but slowly find what you like and what makes you happy. Find what works for you, smile and be you!