Model. Foodie. Nerd. Romantic.

Real Beauty

     The world we live in today is full of this false idea of "beautiful". Everywhere we look we see pictures of tall, ultra thin models that make us hate the way we look. Now yes, these women are beautiful, but the one thing I have noticed from flipping through magazines is that each of these women lacks the true meaning of beauty. Real beauty is in the heart and mind, it is the true understanding of who you are and that every single girl and women is beautiful. You can be the most beautiful women in the world, but if you lack that real, true, inner beauty then you aren't as beautiful as someone who does.

     The world sends us a message that we must change ourselves to be younger, thinner, taller, change your hair, change your clothes, and change who you are to fit in this mold of the "perfect women". This "perfect women" does not exist. To me, the most beautiful women are the mothers that sacrifice precious sleep and time to care for their children, the brave women in our armed forces sacrificing their lives everyday to keep us safe and free, and women like Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn, who were classy, modest and known for being the kindest and most charitable women.

     These women are what I like to call the "imperfect women". To me, imperfection is where true beauty lies. The imperfect women doesn't mind eating a highly sugary cake for her child's birthday, she will miss work to care for a sick child and so forth. This world needs a new women to look up to and aspire to be more like, and I think it needs to be this idea of imperfection rather than perfection.

 

"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.” -Audrey Hepburn

FALL FASHION 2011

I don't know about you, but every single year when the weather starts getting colder, and the leaves begin falling off the trees, I always get the urge to mix up my fashion after an entire Summer of wearing nothing but sundresses and breezy skirts.

Here are some of the top trends this year for Fall!

   Nina Dobrev and Lea Michelle each wearing red at the Emmy's 2011. This year, red was HUGE on the red carpet! So I definetly think it's safe to say that red is the "it" color for Fall!
   As always denim is a major trend this year, the difference? MIX IT UP! While Shay Mitchell is opting for a bold red jean with a classic tee and blazer, Victoria Justice aimed for a more edgy interpretation of the classic look, jeans and a tee shirt. As you can see both outfits are a refreshing change to the ordinary jean. So this Fall, be daring and bold!

   Whether you knot it, bow it, cord it or wind it, the neck scarf is one of the best accessories to sass up an outfit, says Josephine Newman, a Toronto fashion and lifestyle consultant.
    Now for another classic Fall trend. BOOTS. This year however, we are seeing a lot of mid-calf boots with buckles, studs, sparkle, SOMETHING. As you can see on Kate Beckinsdale, she paired her buckle boots with a cool scarf, leggings and a long shirt. But on Anna Faris she opted for a more elegant approach for an evening event. She paired her simple boots with a sleek and edgy red and black patterned dress.

As you can see by some of the trends above, this year for Fall 2011....BE BOLD.....BE ORIGNAL....Go out of your comfort zone and get those stud covered boots or those red jeans. And remember...
"Normal is overrated..." -Soul Surfer

Eating Healthy

Alright. So I know I already did a post about exercise and diet, but I decided I should do one JUST about eating healthy. Did you know that among children and teens ages 6-19, over 15% (almost 9 million) are overweight? And that another 15% are at risk of becoming over weight? Obesity and general unhealthy eating habits are legendary for America. To be frank, America is known for being fat. A study looking at American youths aged 6-17 found an increase in soft drink consumption from 1978-1998 by 56%. Not to mention that teens hit fast food restaurants much more often than they did when they were younger. This tends to be because of school, sports and work schedules overlapping meal times. And don't even get me started on school lunch. I swear I saw my pizza move once. A diet full of of unhealthy foods like pizza, cheeseburgers, fries and ice cream may lead to weight gain and long-term health problems. Now since we are teenagers going through puberty, we, in general, crave fatty foods. For example, boys increase their craving for protein rich foods (such as a triple hamburger), and girls, because of rising estrogen levels, crave sweets. So what is a a teen to do when we so constantly crave unhealthy, sugar filled foods? Start off right away with drinking MORE WATER. You should have at least 8 glasses a day. It helps regulate your metabolism and purify your body, not to mention keep your hair soft and smooth. Maintain a regular sleep pattern. This does not mean studying until midnight and then waking up at 5:00 to do some more. Doing so can lead to the development of insomnia. The average teen needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep EACH night. You can't "catch up" on a Saturday. Eat breakfast EVERY day. It really is the most important meal of the day. Now a good breakfast does not include a donut or a pop tart either. It does include fruit, eggs, milk, oatmeal, or toast (whole wheat of course :] ), and now for the two hardest of all, avoid junk food and eat healthy snacks. Think of it this way, eating that piece of cake, or that bag of M&Ms is littering your body. Anything healthy as a snack will help maintain your energy throughout the day. I know it can be extremely  hard to resist those chips at a party, or that can of soda. But I promise the minute you begin eating healthier, you will notice a difference. Now I don't know about you, but I hear all the time, "I would rather die fat and happy, than skinny and miserable". The fact of the matter is, you wouldn't be fat and happy. And eating healthy isn't about being the "perfect size" anyway. The point is keep your insides healthy so you prevent any and all health issues. Size doesn't matter, as long as you are as healthy as you can be. I say, as the "future of America" (no pressure right..) we show the world that we aren't just "fat Americans".

Sometimes Being Special Just Sucks..

Do you ever feel like running away? Just running and running and never stopping until all of your problems are gone? Let me tell you, I feel like that a lot lately. Pretty much every day. I just feel like an outsider everywhere I go. I don’t feel welcome anywhere. Anywhere except modeling, modeling makes me not only feel beautiful on the outside, but more importantly, on the inside. Far too much, we focus on how we look on the outside every day. We become obsessed with how our hair looks, if our makeup looks good. Have you ever looked in the mirror, and I mean truly looked at yourself, inside and out, and been able to say, “I’m beautiful.” It’s hard, believe me, I’m not even there yet. When I started modeling, I literally felt separated from my high school life, my friends and everything. I felt/feel as if I don’t belong. Which in a way I don’t, I don’t fit in anywhere. But isn’t that the point of life? Isn’t the whole point not to fit in? To be original and stand out? My entire life I have always wanted to fit in. I have actually cried myself to sleep at night desperately wanting that acceptance. But you know what I have realized? Sometimes you have to walk by yourself for a while, to find out who you are. Recently I have just accepted the fact that I will never fit in. I will never be perfect either. I daydream about my Prince Charming, I sing in the shower, and yes I dance around in my pajamas in the morning while trying to pick out an outfit. But guess what? Even if no one particularly likes me for me, I like me. And I like all of me. And that ‘s the whole point is the four SUCK years in high school. You are supposed to figure out who you are. And now that I know, I won’t let anyone break me down ever again. And you shouldn’t either. You are beautiful. If you can accept that, you can take on practically anything life throws at you. “You can take everything I have you can break everything I am like I’m made of glass like I’m made of paper go on and try to tear me down I will be rising from the ground like a skyscraper..”  -Demi Lovato, “Skyscraper”

Makeup

Smoky eye, 60's cat eye, natural, red lips..There are so many possibilities with makeup. And as a model, I have tried to experiment with each and every one of them. Below I have featured the 3 most popular, (In my opinion)..
  This is a dark, navy blue smoky eye. I do this one quite a bit! I love to pair it with a classic white button down and dark wash jeans. Classic :]
   This one is a brown smoky eye. I do this one literally ALL THE TIME! I love to do brown and green with it however. You apply dark brown eyeshadow to the outer lid, and then on the inner lid, I apply a sparkly jade green. It looks gorgeous with anything green :]
   This one is known as the "neutral eye". I personally don't do this one very much. But I have tried it, and it does look very nice and casual with a glossy lip and cute sundress!
  And this one, clearly is the BAM, pop of red on your lips. I have tried this one, and on me, it doesn't look great at all! But, on the right person, with the right outfit and occasion, it looks amazing! For example, you see this look a LOT on the red carpet paired with a neutral dress and minimal accessories.
Makeup is a great thing, and I love using it! It is designed to enhance your natural beauty, not to cover it up. Just remember, when testing new makeup looks, try not to look like a clown. :]

If you are unsure how to use your makeup, check out Sephora, in JC Penny in River dale. They will give you a free consultation on how to use your makeup properly.

Exercise And Diet

Being healthy and fit is a very big part of being a model. Stars Talent Studio's motto is "Being a Healthy Role Model in the Media". And in order to do so 100%, you have to eat healthy as well as exercise. I don't particularly follow a strict diet plan every day. What I try to do however, is have 3 servings of fruit and vegetables every day, and lower my intake in carbohydrates, oils and sugars. When I first decided I was going to eat healthier, I made a pact to myself that every time I craved sugar, or fast food I would eat an apple. Even if I didn't crave one, or if I had already had 3 that day. After a couple weeks of following this pact, I began to not crave sugar, oils or fast food. In fact, every time I pass a Wendy's (Which is my personal favorite fast food place!), I actually get a little sick to my stomach, because I know, if I have fast food then I have to have an apple. This may not work for everyone, but I would suggest that if you have a problem eating sugar and fast food, you should try something like this. It sure worked for me :]
Now for exercise. I have learned the hard way that you just have to use the process of elimination to find the workout routine that works for you. For me personally, I do a pilates workout video for 1/2 hour in the morning, and then at night, I do a 1/2 hour of yoga. And then if I get bored of doing that everyday, I will mix it up by jumping rope for 15 minutes (Which burns 200 calories!!) and then doing the pilates for only 15 minutes. I love pilates for me because I naturally, have huge thigh muscles, so I don't need to build muscle, I need to tone it down. And pilates is really good for that. Here is one of the poses that is included in the video I own, which is Winsor Pilates: Advanced Body Slimming.