Have you ever looked in the mirror and not been thrilled with the face looking back at you? I think it’s safe to say we’ve all been there. We’ve all had at least a moment where we get close to the glass and examine the parts of our skin that we deem imperfect. Sometimes if we dwell there too long, we see them again the next time we look in the mirror, only this time they seem to have gotten much worse. Over time if we don’t stop those thoughts, those imperfections are all we see when we look in the mirror. Sometimes they are even all we think about. To the point that when others compliment us, or tell us how beautiful we are, we don’t believe them at all. Wouldn’t it be life changing if you could just see yourself through someone else's eyes? Someone who doesn’t see the imperfections, or rather sees those ‘imperfections’ for what they really are - part of what makes you beautiful. This is precisely what my team and I do. Boudoir photography is a way to see yourself through the eyes of someone else. The way the rest of the world and those you love see you, as the gorgeous person you are.

We as humans tend to be our own worst critics, but women especially. The media hold us to such high standards, it can be exhausting trying to catch up. Idolizing women on magazine covers and Instagram models only makes our mirror tell us harsher lies. Lies about how perfect our hair has to be and how small our thighs should be. We work to make ourselves better, but there are some things that a salad and a treadmill won’t “fix.” The thing about these lies though? They’re LIES. You don’t have to look like an Instagram model to be beautiful! That woman you’ve been following looks just like you when she doesn’t have full makeup, a corset, and 180 degree ring lighting. I promise. The lies are that you too can look like her. When in reality you can never be anyone except yourself. You have to learn to love and respect yourself. 

Women also tend to put everyone else before ourselves. We are caretakers by nature and if someone in our care, rather a child or husband, needs something we provide it. Some of us are nurses or teachers, and constantly care for others all day. We are so busy taking care of others that sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. When was the last time you took a full day for yourself? Not ‘when was your last day off?’ When was the last time you took a full day to relax, where you didn’t run errands or clean the house? If you’re having trouble thinking of a day, maybe it's time to consider having a boudoir session. We all need a day to ourselves to relax, feel sexy, and create something beautiful. No one should live their lives working seven days a week, coming home and doing more work. We all need time to relax.

While we see boudoir sessions as relaxing, we do understand that some women would not see a boudoir session as “relaxing.” This type of photography is very intimate and personal, that can make a lot of women uncomfortable. We have had women literally shaking during their hair and makeup application because they were so nervous about their session. When this happens of course our hearts go out to them and we do everything in our power to make them feel more comfortable before we start their session. You might be wondering why women even go through this process if it makes them that nervous. Women do this because they know that when their session is over, they will get to see the best version of themselves. Women do this even though it’s scary because they know the end results are going to drastically outweigh their nerves.

We know that this experience is intimidating and scary, but sometimes the best things in life are the ones that scared us the most. I was terrified to become a full time photographer. When I decided to quit my six figure career I had three kids to feed, two car payments, and two mortgages. I had quite the collection of cameras and a big dream. So when Brian said he believed in me and wanted me to quit my job I went in that very morning, quit my job and started doing photography full time. Now, six years later I have a boudoir studio, lingerie store, & the Darker Shades of Gray website! Sometimes in life the things that scared us most turn out to be the best things we ever did for ourselves.

If we always did what we were used to we would never grow as individuals. If we never did anything tough or scary we would never become good at anything. What do you want to become good at? Do you want to become good at loving yourself? Do you want to look in the mirror and see what your significant other sees when they look at you? Do you want to stop seeing yourself only for all of the imperfections that you see? You can do all those things, but not if you continue your daily routine of criticizing yourself. You can’t grow as an individual, and you can’t change your life by doing the same things everyday. You are going to have do something different to change your outlook.

Boudoir sessions are beautiful experiences that can help you change your entire life by changing the way you look at yourself. We’ve had women come in and rock their session knowing how sexy they are. We’ve had others burst into tears on our couch after seeing their images because they had never seen themselves as sexy. When women come to us to commission sessions we hear all kinds of reasons for why they want to have this experience. Some husbands just really want the images as gifts, some women just want to be a model for the day, but most women who do this just want to be able to see themselves as beautiful.

Women have such a hard time letting things go. Women tend to hold onto rejection for a very long time. We remember the cruel comments that classmates said to us, what a partner joked about after sex, and what a friend who was “just trying to get you to be healthier” has said. We take those comments and file them away, bringing them up for air the next time we wipe the fog off of the mirror. We use those comments, the image from our mirror, and those memories of the Instagram models to convince ourselves that we are not beautiful, we are not sexy, and everyone else thinks so too. We do this to ourselves for so long that eventually we start to believe it. So much so, that some women may never feel sexy.

That breaks our hearts more than you could ever know. We want all women to think of themselves as sexy and beautiful which is exactly why I do what I do. All women deserve to feel confident and happy in their own skin. All women are beautiful and it’s time that they thought so too! Boudoir sessions are not just photography sessions where you are photographed in lingerie. They are so much more. These sessions can help you find your sexy. They can help you be more comfortable in your own skin, and see yourself the way others see you, the way your husband or boyfriend (or girlfriend) sees you! This experience will help you see that you are perfect just the way you are.

My little business was founded on my dream to help other women. My mission is to change women’s lives by changing the way they see themselves. I did that by creating a community of women that lift each other up rather than tear each other down. I want to change women’s everyday lives by helping them to look in the mirror each morning to see a beautiful lady looking back at them. I want to heal women by getting them to see that they are amazing, just the way they are. If you need a little help to see yourself for the beautiful person you are, schedule a consultation with me today!

If you would like to commission us for your very own boudoir session click on the link below and fill out the form to set up your consultation. We can't wait to meet you!
 

CONTACT US

Make sure to stop by and check out our new ladies boutique! We carry gorgeous lingerie from size S to 6X, bras up to O, nursing bras, bralettes, jewelry, shoes, gifts for him & her and more! We carry Cosabella, Elomi, Freya, iCollection, Mapale, Escante, Fantasy, Curvy Couture & many more! You can also shop online at angiedavislingerie.com. If you are looking for something a bit more sexy than just lingerie visit our website DarkerShadeofGray.com.

 

1131 Front St. Conway 501-450-4886

 

Instagram: @angiedavislingerie

ANGIE DAVIS Lingerie & Boudoir 

(Women Only)

ANGIE DAVIS Man Cave 

(Men Only)

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