LIFE

 

Here's a scary statistic: 1 in 4 teens have been bullied. Yikes. Bullying can happen to *anyone*, even beauty pageant girls—you know, the ones you think are perfect. Britain Bennett is proof of that. The Miss Heart of Ohio Teen USA used to be teased to the point of not wanting to get out of the bed in the morning. Now, Britain has not only snagged a crown, she's also launched an anti-bullying initiative with the support of Paul Mitchell Neon (for whom she's a brand ambassador) and their #stickittobullying campaign. 

Check out our interview with Britain below on everything from standing up to bullies to facing your fears. Plus, don't miss her best beauty secrets for cultivating killer confidence...you *have* to try them for yourself!

GL: Tell us a little more about your anti-bullying campaign and TBH.

Britain Bennett: When I was in high school, I was bullied so bad that my mom had to physically pull me out of bed and dress me to make me go to school. And at my lowest point, I told my parents that I didn't want to live anymore. The day that my little sister told me she didn't know who I was anymore was the day it really hit me that I needed to do something. I decided to make the negative thing in my life a positive by making sure other girls didn't have to feel the way I did.

I figured out there are three things I can do everyday to feel good about myself which led to my TBH method:

T- Talk to someone. Don't let the bullying stay a secret, don't let it build up inside. Make sure people know what's going on.
B- Block it out of your head and your heart. Not everything a bully says is true.
H- Help others. I found that when I'm helping other people and making a positive impact on someone else's life, it also makes a positive impact on mine.

 

GL: What does it mean to be a "standbyer" vs. a "bystander"?

BB: Being a bystander means standing around and not doing anything. An easy way to become a standbyer is to make your friends be standbyers with you. You don't have to do it alone. Remember that the person being bullied might not have friends to support them so you can be that support that they need.

GL: Since you've been bullied personally, what advice do you have for other girls going through the same thing?

BB: Make sure you put your happiness first. I was bullied on how I dressed and the clothes I wore (I'm a very girly girl who wears dresses and does her makeup every day, that's just who I am) and when I started getting teased, I realized I was changing myself for those people to make sure everyone else was happy except for myself. So my biggest advice is definitely be yourself and stay true to who you are.

GL: Going along with staying true to yourself...Paul Mitchell (who you're an ambassador for!) is running a super cool #standoutstyle campaign. What would you say is *your* stand-out style?

BB: I'm definitely a girly girl. I love the big beachy waves and big curls so that's my go-to hairstyle. But I also like the slick straight hair. So that's what I love about the Neon products—they have something for every single style and every single girl out there. 

 

GL: What's your secret to having such flawless hair?

BB: My hair in the morning can be a hot mess so my trick is to wash it at night and sleep with it in double braids. When I wake up, I have those gorgeous beachy waves I love and make me feel confident without taking forty minutes to curl it. I can throw some of Neon's Sugar Confection spray right in and it stays all day. It's perfect because, like basically every teenager in America, I am *so* lazy in the mornings!

Have you ever stood up to a bully? Tell us your best standbyer story below!

Photo credit: Instagram, Instagram.

by Amanda Tarlton | 11/23/2016