Authenticity. It’s one of those words that gets thrown around a lot. Be authentic. Be real. Be yourself. But what does that actually mean?

For me, authenticity is about living in alignment with your truth, your values, and your lived experiences. It’s not about checking off someone else’s list of what’s allowed or not allowed.

And embodied authenticity? That’s when authenticity isn’t just an idea in your head or a caption on Instagram, it’s when your choices, your actions, and your body are all living it out.

Two Sides of My Authenticity

Here’s a personal example: in the past, I always made it a point on a second date to show up without makeup. Not because I don’t love getting dressed up but because I also wanted them to see me natural. For me, that’s two sides of my authenticity: the fresh-faced me and the glammed-up me. Both are real. Both are me. Some days I love the ritual of makeup and fashion, and other days I love the freedom of being completely bare. Neither cancels the other out.

The Complexity of Choice

Here’s the truth: women’s choices are not simple. Whether it’s makeup, implants, Spanx, kale smoothies, or hair dye - none of these choices exist in a vacuum. Every decision we make is tied to our stories, our pain, our desires, and our culture. For one woman, getting implants may be about reclaiming her body after cancer. For another, choosing to go makeup-free may be her way of healing from years of being sexualized. And let’s not forget, toxins aren’t just in mascara tubes. They’re in the food we eat, the lotions we rub into our skin, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. Yes, many of these things are toxic. But here’s the important distinction: toxic and inauthentic are not the same thing.

Authenticity isn’t about banning things. It’s about asking:

Why am I choosing this?
Does this choice expand me or shrink me?
Am I acting from fear, or from freedom?

Direct Truth vs. Judgment

The post that sparked this episode said “fake” things aren’t authentic or liberating — that they don’t allow a true relationship with your body. But here’s what I noticed: that wasn’t a universal truth. That was one woman’s belief about what she needs to feel authentic. That’s valid, but when we turn our personal beliefs into rules for everyone else, it becomes judgment. It becomes one-dimensional. Authenticity isn’t a cookie-cutter. What feels fake to her might feel freeing to you. What feels suffocating to me might feel liberating to you. And that’s okay. The real difference? Direct communication with kindness builds bridges. Judgment disguised as “truth” slams doors shut.

Embodied Authenticity in Action

So how do we practice embodied authenticity in daily life?

Here are three questions to guide you:

Pause & Feel: Does this choice expand me or constrict me?
Intention Check: Am I choosing this from fear, proving, or desire?
Body Wisdom: How does my body feel when I imagine not doing this?

At the end of the day, authenticity isn’t about the mascara, the implants, or the kale. It’s about whether your choice brings you closer to yourself — or takes you further away.