Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Coleman.
Tina, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Hey, y’all my name is Tina L. Coleman, Founder and Editor in Chief of the blog My Life In Ruffles. I’ve been a beauty & fashion lover for a long as I can remember. Back in the day when we used to receive catalogs in the mail, I would recreate the outfits and looks. Man, I wish I still had those notebooks with all my sketch work!!! All the different colors, patterns, and shoes galore!! I had every crayon and colored pencil ever created! Growing up my mom, grandmother and aunts took pride in putting themselves together for work, church and casually as well. Watching them and asking them questions would prove to be very impactful in the future.
Fast forward to the summer of 2018, I started posting OOTD pictures on Instagram to inspire women over 35 to try different things with fashion. After months of posting, I discovered I wanted to do more. So, I took a leap of faith & started the blog to share my story through my love of beauty & fashion.
My blog, My Life In Ruffles, represents all the highs and lows women experience in life. On the MLIR blog, I tie real-life, real-world situations together through beauty, fashion, and lifestyle. A large part of my story is that I’ve had two weight-loss surgeries, a Lapband in December 2007, and a Gastric Sleeve in December 2014. I have lost over 130 pounds between the two surgeries. I want women who have lost a large amount of weight to feel comfortable discussing situations that might be challenging to talk about. I share things like my relationship with food, clothes, and social situations so ladies are aware that my journey didn’t start where I am right now. Since my weight has fluctuated over the years, I understand the challenges women face when shopping and styling clothes.
Also, I’ve been a Licensed Esthetician since 2005. I talk about makeup, skincare, and the changes our skin goes through as well. As a lover of makeup since my teens, I like to share tips/tricks and new products as well! I LOVE encouraging women to look and feel their best!!!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The journey to get here has been full of twists and turns, but my love for beauty & fashion has always been there. My weight loss surgery journey started when I was 315lbs. I remember wanting to find and wear trendier fashions but it just wasn’t available (the 90s & early 00’s), so I stuck with fashion basics (black & white) and discovered accessories & color had NO size!!! I figured out how to style around my weight. Lots of big jewelry & lots of color! I still embrace both, which became my trademark along the way!!! I wouldn’t change anything that led me to this point. Not even the bad stuff or the feelings of self-doubt.
I knew I wanted to make a difference. For years friends & family encouraged me to do something beauty or fashion related, but I didn’t know what or how that looked. Now I realize the things I went through personally happened so I would be encouraged to share my story with others.
My advice to other women, especially young women, is to ALWAYS be true to yourself! It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing, focus on the things that drive and inspire you. Pursue the things you are passionate about, irrespective if you see people in that space that look like you. This is why I started MLIR. Motivation is usually personal to you & your experiences. And it’s okay to be a champion for the things you believe in!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My role and brand is to authentically inspire and motivate women. That’s what I love. That’s what drives me. This is what keeps me motivated. It makes me want to do more and be a better woman. For years friends, family and coworkers have come to me for style advice and now I get to share my gifts with others. I love to bring happiness and joy to your timeline and inboxes!!! I am known for COLOR! I love adding bright colors, texture, and bold lipstick to jazz up basic fashion looks.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I’m proud of myself for starting this journey & MLIR at 40! I have become less introverted and I love that my passion drives me to meet new people and learn new things. The thing that sets me apart from others is my thoughtfulness and authenticity. I care about my readers and what they are going through. Being a woman can be hard, and being a black woman is really hard! Authenticity is vital when I write, because it’s from my point of view, but my POV isn’t the only one. I want the MLIR blog, Instagram etc. to be a positive space for all women.
Also, I’m happy that my mom gets to play a part in the MILR journey as well. I bounce ideas off her and she takes a lot of my PICTURES!!! Thank you, Mama!
Sending everyone love and light!
XO, Tina
Contact Info:
- Website: mylifeinruffles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mylifeinruffles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mylifeinruffles
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/MyLifeInRuffles/_saved/
Image Credit:
Catherine Elizabeth “Cat”, Dejan Steel and Kari Presley (@klaynephotographytx)
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