“You look stunning.”
It’s such a simple phrase. Just three words. But when said sincerely, in the right moment, those three words can work magic.
I remember the first time someone said that to me and I actually believed it.
It wasn’t prom night or a fancy event. It wasn’t when I’d spent hours doing my hair or putting on the perfect outfit. No, it was a regular day—jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie. I had just come back from running errands, hair thrown into a messy bun, eyeliner smudged from rubbing my eyes. I felt exhausted, definitely not at my best.
And that’s when they said it.
“You look stunning.”
I blinked, actually looking behind me to see if they were talking to someone else. When I realized they weren’t joking or being sarcastic, I laughed awkwardly and mumbled something about how I “look like a mess.” But they just smiled and said, “Still. You look stunning.”
That moment stayed with me.
Because “stunning” isn’t about looking perfect. It’s not always about red lipstick or flawless skin or clothes that cost more than your monthly rent. Sometimes, stunning is about presence. About confidence. About something unspoken shining through.
Sometimes, it’s the way your eyes light up when you talk about something you love. Or the way your laughter fills a room. Sometimes it’s in your kindness. In your courage. In the way you show up, even on hard days, and keep going.
We live in a world obsessed with appearances. With filters, angles, and highlight reels. We’re taught to chase perfection—clear skin, slim waist, perfect posture, polished nails. We’re taught that stunning is a look you have to achieve, not a state of being.
But the truth is: stunning isn’t something you put on. It’s something you are.
I’ve met people who walk into a room and immediately turn heads, not because of what they’re wearing, but because of how they carry themselves. There’s something electric about authenticity. When someone is fully themselves—unapologetically, beautifully—it radiates.
I’ve seen stunning in someone with tired eyes but a hopeful smile. I’ve seen it in a person holding someone else’s hand through heartbreak. I’ve seen it in the quiet resilience of someone picking themselves up after life knocked them down. That’s the kind of stunning that never fades.
And yes, there’s power in dressing up, too. In putting on your favorite outfit, doing your makeup just right, or walking out the door knowing you look good. That confidence—that little strut in your step—is beautiful. You deserve to feel that. To take up space. To feel seen.
But what I wish more people knew is that they are already stunning—even in sweatpants, even with bedhead, even when they don’t feel it.
We’re so hard on ourselves. So quick to pick out every flaw in the mirror, every imperfection in photos. But would you ever talk to your best friend that way? Would you ever look at someone you love and say, “You look tired and bloated today”? Of course not.
So why do we do it to ourselves?
Why not stand in front of the mirror and say what we would say to someone we love?
“You look stunning.”
Say it to yourself in the morning, before the world has had a chance to get in your head. Say it on the days you feel good, and especially on the days you don’t. Say it when you’re crying, when you’re laughing, when you’re growing.
Because stunning isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about being real.
I think about the people I love most in this world—their quirks, their goofy smiles, the way they scrunch their nose when they’re thinking hard, or laugh too loud at their own jokes. That’s what makes them beautiful. That’s what makes them stunning.
It’s the soul that shines through the surface.
It’s the way they make people feel seen, safe, and loved.
So the next time someone says, “You look stunning,” don’t brush it off. Don’t say “No, I don’t,” or “Stop lying.” Just say thank you. Let yourself believe it—even if just for a moment.
Because you are.
You are stunning in the way you exist. In the way you try, even when it’s hard. In the way you laugh, love, cry, and carry on. In the way you take up space in this world, uniquely and unrepeatably you.
So whether you’re dressed to the nines or in your pajamas at 2 a.m., know this:
You. Look. Stunning.
Always have. Always will.
