Dear Tan, Jonathan, Karamo, Antoni, and Bobby,

I had been wanting to watch your show for a long time but had never gotten around to it. However, I'm glad it came into my life when it did.

I had been getting ready for my 19th birthday and my Mom was trying to convince me to wear a dress. I stubbornly refused and said I wanted to wear a t shirt and leggings. I didn't want to shave my legs even though it was going to be a hot day. A t shirt and leggings were what I was comfortable in and a dress would just feel too proper for a casual shin-dig with my friends. My mom just rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. She was used to me rejecting her beauty tips.

I went over to my boyfriends house to get away from the planning and we logged into his Netflix account. Queer Eye was on his cue and we selected it, excited. We had heard about the show and had been planning to binge watch for a long time. And even though we only made it through 3 episodes, you really struck a chord with me.

Because you're not about transforming people and their entire life. You show them what's already there and teach them how to make an effort.

Your show is all about making small efforts to bring out a person's natural beauty even more. You say to these men, "You are beautiful and you deserve to treat your body and mind better." You are chipping away toxic masculinity with every face mask and hors d'oeuvres you introduce them to. And you make none of what they're learning feel like a chore, you teach them that all this is for is making them feel pride in themselves and realizing they are so worth it.

When I was growing up, self care was something to cover up my faults. Once puberty hit, all I saw on my body were a whole bunch of problems that needed fixing. I had oily, pimply skin, scraggly eyebrows, a mustache, hairs sprouting under my chin, and dark leg hair. Before that time, I knew I was uniquely beautiful. It wasn't just because my family told me, but it was because I had the self confidence that I knew I was rocking it. Then middle school came along and I saw girls looking like they were going to be on the cover of Vogue. My self confidence dimmed briefly, but it came back.

However, I never forgot feeling awkward of how I used to look when I was a girl with long hair, calling myself a rat. And while the storms of puberty subsided, the need for upkeep did not. I was always given constant reminders from my Mom, "Tweeze your eyebrows", "Shave your legs", "Bleach your mustache", "Get ready for electrolysis". Having acne was the worst because I would get dragged to the dermatologist once a month and be given Proactive, Biore, Cetaphil, Retinae, Minocycline, anything to have clear skin and it felt like none of it was working.

Eventually I decided enough was enough. I kept up basic hygiene but in terms of shaving my legs, plucking my hairs, and wearing face masks, I stopped caring. I didn't have to poke and prod, I thought, my body had been put upon enough. The people in my life who matter will see past the flaws and love me all the same. And I was lucky.

When I met my boyfriend Dean, he genuinely meant it when he said I could be wearing a dress or a dirty t shirt with my hairy legs exposed and he'd have eyes for no one else. I know this because I have worn the latter in front of him and caught him looking at me with a smile on his face. But even with Dean's unconditional support, I still didn't feel right.

When I watched your show that night, I realized I didn't feel right because I wasn't letting my natural beauty shine in its full capacity. I was hiding it all the more by claiming to go "au naturel". And my mother wasn't nagging at me so I could cover up my faults, she just wanted me to show the rest of the world what she already saw in me.

Neal, in episode two, said it best about how he thought Queer Eye was going to be a drastic change that he didn't like, but he realized taking care of his body could be done with a routine that made him feel comfortable. I felt emboldened. Self care wasn't going to be a drag, it was going to be fun.

I went back home and told my mom I would comply. I shaved my legs the next morning, tweezed my eyebrows, and put on the green dress with pale gold flats. I felt beautiful and got some quite nice compliments as well. But it didn't stop with the party. I upgraded my skin regimen with biore pore strips and avocado face mask. My skin has become gradually clearer. I shave my legs more frequently and can't stop getting over how smooth they are. I also use a gel mask for my eyes to reduce puffiness and put it on for fifteen minutes when I'm watching TV after a long day at work.

I see a girl in the mirror with short hair, thick black eyebrows, eyes with her father's lush long lashes, a well defined nose and profile, and a little bit of acne. I still compare myself to the cookie cutter perky girls I see on campus, but I feel like I'm glowing. If it hadn't been for you the Fab Five, I would still be bogged down in insecurity, but I am radiant. So thank you for letting me be able to look at myself and say, "Yas, queen."

With all due gratitude, Juliet.