Welcome back, unicorn tribe — it’s me, Angelina Mi Lajki:
Creative Unicorn, DOH!pamin Artist, AI Whisperer, Interactive Storyteller, Brand Builder, & Alter EgOH! Muse ClOH!ned.
I don’t just make things — I hatch worlds, dress ideas in glitter, and whisper to AI until it spills rainbows. One moment it’s a one-of-a-kind hat, the next it’s a brand identity with a secret personality, or a creepy-cute creature crawling out of DR AlbinOH!’s lab. My playground is where fashion flirts with storytelling, brands grow alter egOH!s, and pop-ups transform into portals.
✨ And today, I want to talk about something that gets a seriously bad rap: vanity.
Because somewhere along the way, caring about how we look became taboo. “Too vain.” “Too self-absorbed.” “Too much.” But what if vanity isn’t insanity at all? What if it’s actually one of the most underrated acts of self-love there is?
1. The “Vain or Vital?” Dilemma
Vanity gets labeled like a sin — shallow, self-centered, conceited. But here’s the truth: vanity, in its pure form, is vitality.
When you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you walk differently. You speak differently. You vibrate differently. That’s not ego — that’s alignment.
Vanity isn’t about obsessing over perfection. It’s about showing up in harmony with who you want to be. When your outer image matches your inner essence, confidence stops being a performance and starts being your natural state.
So no, caring about your appearance doesn’t make you shallow. It makes you self-aware.
And the real insanity? Pretending that how you look and how you feel aren’t connected.
2. From Sweden to Selfies: My Vanity Backstory
I grew up in Sweden — land of long winters, quiet people, and glossy magazines that promised transformation through eyeliner and Aqua Net. 🌬💄
The 80s were a masterclass in aesthetic survival. Madonna was queen, MTV was gospel, and I learned early that beauty wasn’t just seen — it was performed. Those pop-culture moments were my escape, my education, and eventually, my calling.
Later, I moved to Florida and earned my Bachelor’s in Arts & Design. Suddenly, I was in the belly of the beauty beast — fashion school. I saw firsthand how aesthetics shape perception. How the right outfit can shift energy. How color, texture, and silhouette can whisper stories louder than words.
My career took me from fashion to PR to branding — all spaces where looks and storytelling merge. Vanity stopped being a dirty word; it became a strategic superpower.
But eventually, that mirror turned inward — and I had to face the reflection that wasn’t filtered, curated, or branded.
3. Vanity vs. Visibility
For years, I hid behind my work. My creativity sparkled — but I didn’t. My ex-husband took the spotlight while I stayed safely backstage, building the world that carried his name.
It felt easier… until it didn’t.
When everything collapsed — the marriage, the business, the identity — I had two choices: disappear completely or reclaim my selfie.
Selfies became my rebellion. 📸
Every click said: I exist. I matter. I’m still here.
Vanity? No. Visibility.
We talk about selfies like they’re shallow, but they’re actually radical. They say: I’m not hiding anymore.
So here’s the truth: filters, flaws, no-makeup days — none of it makes you fake. It makes you human. You’re allowed to play with your image, shapeshift, and explore how you want to be seen. Because visibility isn’t vanity — it’s power.
4. Beauty, Ageism & AI: The New Vanity Game (and My Real Story)
Let’s get real as fuck.
We live in a world that tells women:
👉 Care about your looks, but not too much.
👉 Stay young forever, but don’t look like you tried.
👉 Be confident, but not “attention-seeking.”
You can’t win that game — unless you stop playing by their rules.
I’m 47. I’ve heard every whisper: Too old. Too late. Too much. But that voice doesn’t drive anymore.
My forever age is 38 — because that’s the year I almost died and decided to live.
A rare ectopic pregnancy ruptured in my 10th week — a near-death experience that forced me to face myself. I survived surgery in a hospital bed thinking, If I get another chance, I’ll stop existing and start living.
That’s when I decided to continue evolving and building on Milajki — the immersive, magical world I always dreamed of.
Five years later, I opened Sweden’s first Milajki Selfie Pop-Up Museum in Gothenburg — right as the pandemic hit. It became a hit, a safe space of joy in chaos.
Then came the crash: the economy, the marriage, my dad’s and mother-in-law’s deaths, bankruptcy, betrayal. I hit rock bottom — pouring rainbows into others’ lives while my own light faded.
And yet, that darkness was my glow-up.
Because when I had nothing left to lose, I rebuilt from the inside out.
Today, people think I’m 35. Some days, I feel 25.
But it’s not about the number. It’s the spark. The youth is in the energy, not the skin. I shine because I finally refuse to dim.
Whether you love Botox or wrinkles, filters or raw selfies — own your choice. It’s not about hiding age or chasing approval. It’s about what makes you feel alive.
5. When Vanity Becomes Insanity
There’s a difference between using vanity as fuel and letting it consume you.
💋 Putting on lipstick to feel fierce = power.
💋 Believing you’re worthless without it = prison.
The danger starts when vanity stops being play and becomes punishment. When filters become armor. When your reflection becomes a battlefield.
The insanity isn’t caring about your looks — it’s forgetting that your worth was never meant to live in your mirror.
You are not your reflection.
You are not your filters.
You are not your follower count.
You are the art — not the algorithm.
6. The Mirror Mantra (and Taming the Moody Monster)
Some mornings you’re radiant. Other mornings, you’re a beautiful disaster. Enter: The Moody Monster. That voice that says, “You’re too old. Too late. Too much.”
But the Moody Monster isn’t the enemy. It’s contrast — and contrast is what makes light visible.
If everything was perfect, you’d never appreciate your own glow.
I learned to turn that voice into fuel. Every time it said you can’t, I made sure I did. Every time it said you’re done, I started again.
Because the glow-up isn’t about perfection — it’s about resilience.
It’s about using the mud to grow the lotus.
Repeat after me:
🌈 I am enough. Right now. As I am.
💋 My glow is not up for debate.
🔥 Too old? Too late? Too much? Perfect.
The Moody Monster can stay — but it doesn’t get the mic anymore.
7. Your Turn: Play the Vanity Game Differently
Stop asking if you’re “too vain.” Start asking if you’re visible enough.
Here’s how to play the game differently:
✨ Take the damn selfie.
✨ Dress your vibe, not your insecurities.
✨ Call out the Moody Monster.
✨ Use play as power.
✨ Glow from within.
Because vanity isn’t insanity — it’s self-awareness in a sparkly outfit.
Smile at the mirror like it’s a portal. Snap your selfie like it’s a spell.
You’re not chasing youth — you’re embodying energy.
You are not “too much” or “too late.”
You are the exact miracle the universe ordered.
✨ As Always Extra RainbOH!w Sparkles & Good Vibes OH!nly ✨🦄💦🌈
/ Angelina Mi Lajki
💌 If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs this reminder today.
Follow Level Up Your Selfie on Spotify & Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode,
and come hang out with me on Instagram @angelina.milajki for daily sparkles, selfies & creative superpowers. 💖
