Let me ask you this: Do all beautiful people look their best with bangs in their haircut? Of course not. Some people look amazing with bangs, while others look better without them–both types of people are equally attractive.

So why do bangs suit some people more than others? It's because every individual has unique features and proportions that are best complemented by certain clothes, makeup, and haircuts. All features and proportions are beautiful–they make each of us unique.

Someone’s attractiveness isn’t determined by whether specific haircuts, like bangs, suit them. The same goes for clothing and makeup. Someone’s beauty shouldn't be judged by whether a particular clothing or makeup product suits them. Yet, our perception of our attractiveness is often unjustly influenced by whether the clothing and makeup products marketed to us look good on us.

Fashion brands’ marketing tactics convince us that their clothes and beauty products will make us feel as confident and happy as the people in their ads do. So when we purchase them, we expect a boost to our self-image.

However, not everything marketed to us will suit our unique features. Let’s be real: most of us have experienced that sinking feeling when we try on an outfit we thought would look amazing, only to feel like it’s not working. When we buy products that don’t complement our features and proportions as expected, the confidence boost promised by ads doesn’t materialize. Instead, other feelings might come up.

Buying clothes that don’t suit us makes us feel like we have nothing to wear or, worse, that we’re not attractive enough to pull off the pieces we like (which is simply not true).

After taking that hit to our confidence and adding clothes we’ll never wear to our closet, we’re left with an even stronger urge to find something that will finally make us feel great. Each purchase leaves us hoping the next one will solve the problem, creating a cycle of insecurity and dissatisfaction with our wardrobes. We call this the Shopping Spiral.

Being stuck in the Shopping Spiral comes with plenty of problems. Beyond shaking our confidence and making getting dressed feel stressful, it can also be expensive. Even worse, the Spiral leads many of us to chase the looks of the celebrities, influencers, and models in ads that drew us in rather than admire our unique appearance. Over time, we may forget about or even become blind to our features' natural elegance and appeal.

Fast fashion thrives on the Shopping Spiral because it keeps us shopping. The industry profits when you doubt yourself–but you don’t have to play their game.

Most people spend years–even decades–trying to figure out what looks good on them, still stuck in the Shopping Spiral. Yet, professional stylists can take one look at a person and pick out an outfit that’s perfect for them. Why is that?

It’s because professional stylists understand something that most people don’t: every person has an underlying style formula based on their unique features. The key isn’t following trends–it’s finding out what works for you.

We can break free from the Shopping Spiral by understanding how to choose products that genuinely suit us and make us feel confident in our natural features. Typing systems like color seasons, Kitchener facial essences, and Kibbe body types–developed by professional stylists–help us do just that. Using these systems as tools, we can embrace our unique appearance and create a signature look that feels authentic. When we feel aligned with how we present ourselves, we cultivate confidence that naturally extends into every part of our lives–that’s real freedom.

We believe everyone deserves to see their beauty. It’s upsetting that social media and fast-fashion marketing tactics have blinded so many of us to it. When we learned that there were styling systems designed to help people regain control of their self-perception, we knew more people needed to hear about them.

That’s why we started Cultivated Confidence–to do just that. We want to see you regain control of your self-esteem. We want to see you enter your career, home, and social lives feeling proud. You deserve to.

If our typing services or social media content help you cultivate your self-confidence, our work here is done.

Before becoming the world’s most recognizable actress, Marilyn Monroe was Norma Jeane (her legal name)—an attractive young woman among many struggling to break into Hollywood. Casting directors told her that although she was pretty, she wasn’t memorable enough for the silver screen (boy, did she show them!). She was getting minor roles, yet no one saw the star potential in her.

However, instead of accepting their judgment, Norma came up with a plan to stand out. She realized something important: her success wouldn’t just be about how she looked but about how she held herself.

She didn’t become an icon by trying to fit into every beauty standard of her time. Instead, she crafted a signature style that highlighted her natural features and made her unforgettable (coiffed platinum hair, winged liner, and a red lip). She even refined her movements, practicing a confident way of walking.

It wasn’t about looking a certain way for others; it was about stepping into an identity that made her feel powerful.

One of the most famous stories about Marilyn proves just how much confidence and presentation shape perception. While walking down a busy New York street with a friend, she blended in completely—just another woman in the crowd. Then, she turned to her friend and asked, “Do you want to see me become her?” With a slight shift in posture, a tilt of her head, and a change in the way she carried herself, she transformed. The difference? Not her looks—her presence. Paparazzi chased her down moments later.

This is what a signature style can do. It’s not about following trends or changing who you are—it’s about understanding which style makes you feel your best and carrying yourself with that certainty. When you feel confident in your style, that confidence radiates into every part of your life.

That’s what Cultivated Confidence is all about: helping you develop a personal style that enhances your natural features, aligns with who you are, and makes you feel like the most magnetic version of yourself. Because when you feel good in your own skin, you can take on the world.