Beauty Tips From Audrey: Eyes

​My two sisters and I love Audrey Hepburn; her movies and her style (and the fact that she had a pet deer!).

​Like most fashion icons, Audrey also has some pretty well-known quotes. One of my favorite Audrey quotes speaks of beauty:

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” 
​~ Audrey Hepburn

I was inspired to do a series based on this quote, so over the next three weeks, I'll be sharing how we can live out these words in Christ-like ways. I'm also excited to be sharing interviews with others ladies about their thoughts on this quote and beauty. Two of the ladies are bloggers and one is a skin therapist, and all have great things to say!

The first part of the quote speaks of looking for the good in others. What does this mean for us as women who have relationship with Jesus?

1 Samuel 16:7 says, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Looking for the good in others means more than finding good qualities in them and things on which we can compliment them. It means seeing others the way God sees them. It means viewing them as Jesus' beloved, whom He died for and longs to have relationship with.

When Jesus walked on earth, He continuously looked past the mere appearance of people to their heart.

John 4 details one of these instances, when Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman. Just based on appearance, He had legitimate reasons not to speak with her. 

Now [Jesus] had to go through Samaria. So He came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as He was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give Me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to Him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can You ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can You get this living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
“I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that You are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am He.”
Just then His disciples returned and were surprised to find Him talking with a woman. 
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a Man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward Him.   
John 4:4-20, 25-26

This was a woman. A Samaritan woman. A Samaritan woman who was living in sin. Yet Jesus saw through all this to her heart, a heart that was thirsty for God and longing for love, but looking for it in all the wrong places.

Jesus looked past appearance and saw the heart. And by doing so, hearts were changed.

How we view others will dictate how we treat them. So if we are not looking in love, we will not act in love, and 1 Corinthians 16:14 tells us, "Do everything in love." 
​
One of my favorite recording artists, Beckah Shae, has a song called Put Your Love Glasses On. Part of the song says this:

"God give us grace to see all things, to see mans’ heart the way You see. Gotta get that vision. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes in all things, endures in all things. So we gotta get that vision!" 

When we look at others with God's eyes, we are able to love them, even when they hurt us and do wrong. We can bear and endure the hurt, and still have hope for this person's future. Even if it seems there is nothing good about them, we can still see the good that can be; their potential in Christ.

And what about those who seem to do everything right, who it's easy for us to find the good in? We must still remember to view them in love, lest we become jealous, or unable to extend grace when they do fail. We may even be able to see needs and ways we can help them that wouldn't otherwise be evident.

So how do we get this vision?

We must fill our minds and hearts with God's truth found in His Word. This truth will transform the way we view those around us, and will enable us to love as Christ does. We must pray, asking God for His Spirit to fill our lives and be our eyes. 1 Corinthians 2 promises that God's Spirit reveals the things of God to His people, so they can make a right judgment. 

Looking for the good in others comes from love, and love comes from seeing others as God does. That is truly having beautiful eyes.

And now, without further adieu, let me introduce to you Alexandra Marie, the blogger of Into the Woods! 

Alex is a fashion blogger with lovely vintage style and A-MA-ZING photographs! Here's what she has to share:

Jessica - What is your age and how long have you been blogging?
Alexandra - I am seventeen years old, and have been blogging for three years as of this month :)

Jessica - Why did you start your blog?
Alexandra - I started my blog in 2011 to show girls how to re-purpose old clothes to be new and beautiful, while dressing modestly.

Jessica - Name three facts about yourself.
Alexandra - Hmm, well I love black licorice, I am a professional photographer, and I LOVE hiking.

Jessica - Do you have a favorite Audrey Hepburn movie?
Alexandra - Yes! Funny Face is my all time favorite.

Jessica - This Audrey Hepburn quote really talks about having beauty from the inside out. What advice would you give to young women about having inner beauty?
Alexandra - We live in a world that is increasingly focused on outer beauty- it's so sad. I admit to getting caught up in the lies of outer image at times- it's very easy for us girls to pick ourselves apart when there is so much false photo-shop beauty plastered everywhere. While how we dress and appear on the outside does have an impact on others, inner beauty is what can really be used to reflect God's glory. And, after all, no one stays young forever!

Jessica - What advice would you give to young women about seeing their physical appearance as beautiful?
Alexandra - One thing I always find encouraging, is knowing that I am a daughter of the King. I can find my true value in who I am in Christ. Other people will always be critical because it's almost like they are looking at you through broken glass. They have on this pair of glasses that continually impair their vision. But God sees you for who you truly are- His beautiful creation. He doesn't even need glasses, and He sees the clearest, most vivid and accurate image of you.

Jessica - Of the three parts to the quote, which one speaks the most to you and why?
Alexandra - I think speaking words of kindness. In school, and even now on the internet, I have been subject to some bullying. People say things that are difficult to forget. I think one of the most valuable things a girl can do, as a lady, is to be kind to others. I heard a quote once that said, "Everyone has a story. You become a part of that story by how you treat them." Life words right there!

Jessica - If you were to add another “For beautiful...” phrase to this quote, what would it be?
Alexandra - For a beautiful heart, love the Lord.

Jessica - What is your favorite part of dressing up?
Alexandra - I love getting gussied up for different occasions- even if it's something as small as running an errand! I would have to say my favorite part would be planning my outfits- I usually pick them out the night before so I don't spend hours in the morning throwing my clothes around them room- haha!

Jessica - I love how you do your eye make-up! Do you have any tutorials readers could check out?
Alexandra - Thank you! I actually have a YouTube channel - I only really started getting into it this year, but I have several makeup tutorials on there, and upload new vids a couple times a month.

A huge thank you to Alexandra for answering my questions and sharing her advice!
If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to The Overflowing so you won't miss the next parts of the series and the other interviews! 
And remember, put your love glasses on!

The post Beauty Tips from Audrey: Eyes first appeared on The Overflowing
Photos of Alex: c/o Alexandra Marie
All Scriptures taken from the NIV