A biology major on track for dental school, senior Graysen McConnell also keeps busy by managing her style and beauty blog and Instagram account “a hint of gray.”

McConnell said her double passions in science and fashion make her feel like a walking oxymoron, but it has never bothered her. Fashion is something she shares with her friends, family and faith.

“I try to allow my test scores and work ethic to talk for themselves,” McConnell said. “I enjoy marrying together my two passions even though it is unconventional.”

Some forms of self-expression haven’t always come easily to McConnell — growing up she noted that she struggled with trying to fit into a “perfect mold,” or what others expected her to be. However, this crushing weight of perfectionism finally began to crack as she discovered the liberation of fashion.

“In my opinion, fashion is the free expression and visual representation of someone’s personality,” McConnell said. “To be honest, I have to remind myself that it’s OK not to be 100% put together all the time. I remind myself that I am a human who deserves to roll out of bed and go to class sometimes. The stigma has definitely been a tough one for me to overcome, but I am getting there.”

Once the new blogger started to give herself this “fashion leeway,” a new world opened in front of her. McConnell began to experiment more and started to receive feedback from her online community. However, McConnell noted that one of the best parts about her blog is being able to affect the lives of fellow believers.

“The ways that faith has intersected my blog have been the coolest part,” McConnell said. “I have been writing scripture on my hand since high school as a memorization technique. I change the verse nearly every day, and I often feature my ‘fake tattoo’ on ‘a hint of gray.’ I have received so much feedback from followers about my ‘tattoo’ and even have a small following of women who have started writing scripture on their left hand exactly like mine.”

Due to her deepening interest in fashion and positive feedback, McConnell took “a hint of gray” abroad. During the summer of 2016, McConnell and her blog jetted off to Italy to explore the country through the eyes of a fashion course that Lipscomb offered.

As for what’s currently going on over at “a hint of gray,” McConnell has been brainstorming and keeping her loyal followers engaged all summer alongside studying for the Dental Admission Test.

“I did a Addidas NMD giveaway collaboration this summer with my brother, and we have planned some more exciting things to come,” McConnell said. “Also, I will be re-launching my website this fall and will include some new features so stay tuned.”