Look Good Feel Good by Gianna

Look Good Feel Good by Gianna - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

I was serving a table last Sunday when the young girl sitting there told me how beautiful my skin was. She asked me what my secret was. In all honesty, I didn't have a "secret" I could share with her. I wash my face with soap and water twice a day, simple as that. All I could do was say thanks along with a giggle before taking her order.
However, when I think about that question deeper, I am reminded of the thirteen-year-old version of me. She would wake up each morning with the previous day's makeup smeared across her face. It wasn't a mistake, but carelessness was what it was. That version of myself did not care to see what the next day held for her, let alone the condition of her skin. Regardless of the many nights I slept with makeup on my face though, a blemish never appeared. I boiled it down to luck, or God's way of forgiving my laziness. I spent many mornings looking in the mirror seeing a face that portrayed something that once was. It felt like yesterday's mistakes followed me into today. Rather than waking up energized and ready to begin my day, I was always still recovering from the previous one.
On New Years Eve of 2021, I made a promise to myself. I told myself I would never sleep with makeup on again. I would wash my face every single night, no matter how tired or busy I was. Little did I know, this New Year's resolution changed my life. Day by day, I started feeling better. I would wake up and actually like who I saw back in the mirror. I began to take pride in who I was, and carry myself with confidence. It has been a little over four years since that night, and I look back on it with gratefulness Had I never held myself to that promise, I would not be the girl I am today: outgoing, confident, hardworking, kind. Who knew one simple act would change the entire way I viewed myself.