all of my best friends are in different countries right now, and they are all writing in blogs about their adventures. coming to New York and attending Columbia instead of going abroad was a decision a made a long time ago, when I was in a different place in my life and had different goals. Now, all I want is to be in a foreign land. Why? Because all of I've ever dreamed of growing up is living in a million different cities and countries. Because I want to connect with a different community, I want to be surrounded by completely new smells, noises, colors, textures, and scenery. I don't want to speak English. I want to explore and get lost and bike through the forest and eat fruits and vegetables that don't grow in America and experience different perspectives and values and make a million new friends and be challenged. I want to be in a place where money and careers aren't the focus. Where people find other ways to be happy, through their families and communities and culture. But I've decided to change my attitude. I'm going to have a blog about my adventures, too. I'm going to make this experience exactly what I want it to be, and I'm going to be the happiest girl in new york city :)
so here i am, listening to simon & garfunkle, a.k.a. quintessential new york city music.
I'm taking some pretty cool classes, my education class being my favorite so far. The professor is a really critical, firm, straightforward woman. Mallika & I are starting Odissi dance classes downtown this week and we've never been more excited. Indian classical dance is my heart and soul and I want to be 60 years old and still performing. After 14 years of Bharatnatyam, I'm thrilled to be trying a new style, especially alongside Mallika who is equally as passionate about it as I am. I'm also going to be mentoring high school students and hopefully teaching health education every Friday in a local high school. I want to find some sort of program where I can speak Spanish with native speakers outside of the classroom. All I need now is a yoga mat & an inexpensive cycle to pedal around on and I'm all set!
CANEKAAL & the rest of the Scripps family...know that I miss you all and think about you daily.
A few days ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Juliana, a woman who works closely with students at my school & who I had always admired from afar. Juliana has a striking presence; she emanates warmth, strength, and confidence. She passes everyone with a smile and never fails to say "Hi! How are you?" whenever she sees you. I didn't know her too well before this interview, and now I am so glad that she took the time out of her day to meet with me. Pay close attention to Juliana's insights, for they are wise, affirming, and offer a different perspective than what we usually encounter in the society and culture that we live in today.
Just to start off with, can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Where you’re from, what do you do here at Scripps?
I was born in Brazil, then moved to the US when I was young for my dad to get his PhD in Iowa. I was there for four years and then went to San Diego for my dad’s post doc, and I grew up in Encinitas for most of my life. Then in the middle of high school we went to Brazil that summer, and for my last two years of high school I moved to Virginia with my dad and went to Virginia Tech for college. I really wanted to move back to California and growing up I watched my mom have women friends all her life who were like aunts and took care of us and were good to her, and I saw Scripps students interacting in that same way and I wanted to be part of that, so here I have an RA staff, I’m hall director and SCORE (Scripps Communities of Resources and Empowerment) coordinator where I work with RA’s and students in under represented groups, and plan programs for students and serve on call so I’m there for the crises’ and meltdowns but mainly I connect with students.
Would you say that’s your favorite part?
Yeah, when I had my campus tour, the student said, “I hope to see you in the fall!” And that was so nice, I kept thinking about that. It’s beautiful, and its fun to live in a community with students where I’m not that much older and to say things I wish people had said to me when I was in college.
What are things you wish people had said to you when you were in college?
I wish people had said more than manage your time well. Being Brazilian influences this a lot, our culture in America doesn’t support people living healthy and balanced lives. I’ve always been a pretty happy person, so when I’d see people drinking for their problems I didn’t identify with them. I wish people had said that it’s good to live a healthy, happy, positive life. Here there’s a high demand for us to be perfect in every way but there aren’t enough people who say you’re good enough! Instead of “Party it up!” I wish they had said to lie in the grass and go to the pool. That doesn’t make you lazy and an under achiever, rather this is the only time in your life that you’ll have this sense of community as far as this country goes.
Would you want to move back to Brazil?
Definitely. There’s an emphasis on being happy that permeates the culture in Brazil. Here there is such an expectation of sickness. Every time I got to the doctor she wants to find something wrong with me because it’s part of our culture that kids have to grow up here with a list of allergies attached to them. We also place this emphasis on what people do, but we’re already alive we don’t have to do anything but live. However while I’d like to go back one day when I have a family, for now being American has definitely been a part of my life, so I do also recognize all the goods things.
What are other ways to remain healthy, happy and balanced?
Affirming the possibility that we are created to be magnificent. We’re not supposed to be sick! I don’t get colds because I eat so much green food, unprocessed food and food from the ground. Also, finding the right kinds of friends. Here I have to make a commitment to be active, so I walk my dog, I’ve been getting into Bikram yoga, and I go to the Pilates classes at the gym. My roots are in real food, my family was a farming family, so now I only buy organic and I shop at farmers markets, and I work at farms locally, I trade produce locally, and there are a lot of fruit trees in the village. I also juice a lot, which makes eating vegetables easier!
How do you have the discipline to introduce these things into your life and stick to them?
I never drank alcohol in high school or college. I saw so much of the bad stuff in drinking and realized that there can’t be anything good enough to make that worth it, so while everyone is spending their money on that I had all this extra money for organic produce and massages! My priorities in my life have always been to be happy, I love art and color and travel, so the discipline comes from the fact that I don’t go out to eat that much because it’s not healthy, I don’t spend my money on alcohol, so I’m able to shift and do the other stuff. Also, find friends that have common interests. There’s a community and you have to find them.
Can you tell me a little but more about what art means to you?
I’ve always been a creative person. I think that’s why I’ve been able to enjoy being a raw vegan because food is a creative process. And in Brazil there are colors there that you wouldn’t even know existed. When I was young I was so shy I would express myself through color, my mom would let me paint walls in the house and everyone would say it looked like a different country. The world is pretty so I take so many pictures, I love art so I like to absorb it wherever I can see it.
Where did you travel when you took that year off after college?
I went to Mexico, Brazil, and Vietnam for a month and a half. My best friend and his family invited me to go for Christmas. I had never been to a country that had been through a war like that, and though we saw a lot of remnants of the war it was one of the happier countries I’d ever been to. It made me really aware of life. I found myself appreciating and photographing everything. I was just so happy to be alive.
So do you save up all your money for traveling, food, enjoying life?
I don’t like rich countries, I like poor countries because I like where people’s priorities are. When people don’t have money they find other ways to be happy.
How did you find confidence in yourself?
It took a long time, but it was just spending time with myself. When I moved to Virginia I didn’t know anyone, not even really my dad, so I spent a lot of time by myself. We are all really unique but we don’t spend enough time to get to know ourselves, and then we get to college there’s always people around you.
What do you think makes someone a beautiful person?
I’m a big believer in people’s energies. We’ve gotten so far away from this concept that beauty takes work, and it does because it takes work with yourself, but we are consumed with quick fixes whether that’s the lap band, makeup, Invisalign, all these things that are detrimental to our health and the environment. I look for an ability to just be happy with what you have and own it and like it. It’s a personal commitment to be in a good place with your self. I also believe in sunshine—if you’re out in the sun for 20 minutes, you just look better and healthier.
What is your beauty routine? Do you use only natural products?
Yes, all of that crap goes into your body when it’s on your skin. However I definitely went through a phase where I had it all, I didn’t growing up so when I could I collected it obsessively. But I saw the faults in that and now I am simple and just use Dr. Bronner’s soap for everything, and cacao butter or coconut oil for my skin and hair. It’s just so much waste and plastic bottles and crap and chemicals and they test on animals, and its nice to have a bathroom without stuff. And I don’t use deodorant anymore—I don’t smell, because if you’re not putting animal products and chemicals from processed foods into your body it won’t produce toxins and excrete smells. It’s good to get to know your body and know what you really smell like without perfume and deodorant. It’s hard to love yourself if you’re too busy masking it. You get to a place where you’re tired of fighting yourself.
What are some of your favorite things, such as book to read, color, place...
I love the book The God of Small Things, I love that book and read that book so many times, I don’t know her but I feel that she appreciates the things in life that I appreciate, she never lost her childlike spirit and I feel like I never lost mine. The other thing is that I’ve always had an aversion to saying my favorites because then people don’t let you grow if you change your mind. But I usually like bright colors, and dark purple is my favorite right now. I love beaches, I have an aversion to cold places and cry when it’s cold, so anywhere outside where the sun is shining.
Do you wear sunscreen?
No, never. If I’m outside for a long time I’ll wear a hat or cover up but I don’t believe in rubbing chemicals into my skin.
I just went through my blog again, re-reading a few of the interviews. I came across these words from Emi & they made me so thrilled and excited for life, for the ways in which we all can grow throughout our lives and why we live in the first place. I wanted to repost them for everybody to take a second look at.
"Talking to women from other countries about women’s issues was powerful. It also showed me an inner strength that was beyond my grasping before I had traveled there and there’s nothing cooler than knowing the extent of your own personal strength."
Thank you for these words, Emi, & for being one of the coolest ladies I've encountered! :)
& here's a picture of Chloe Sevigny, because she's 100% herself and that's awesome.
Here's the thing, Teen Vogue. I love you. I am interning for you & I will forever be thankful for this incredible, dream come true opportunity. You've inspired me since your inception. I love how you give teenagers the credit to be savvy, knowledgeable, creative, and conscious of fashion's history. And you usually do a really great job of making young girls feel great about themselves. Your covers in the past year have been racially diverse (i.e. there were women of African descent on your cover, including a pregnant teenager), your DIY and street style photos and articles are creatively juicy, and you always strive to include articles about issues affecting teenagers such as online hazing, drug and alcohol use, eating disorders, sexual health, and relationships. You’ve let the magazine grow Anna Wintour style by featuring celebrities on the cover since it’s inception, with the occasional exception of Gemma Ward and Chanel Iman. And while Karlie Kloss’s cover looks great, the article inside is what really disappointed me.
Printing an article about the model on the cover of a teen magazine in which she is praised, lauded, and perfected in every aspect is not going to be good for any young girl’s self esteem. Models already appear perfect in magazines and notoriously set the standards of beauty in our society today. Featuring one on the cover is a throwback to the history of magazines in the first place, that is to say, it’s totally fine. But when that model becomes the perfect human being as per her own quotes and quotes about her, she no longer becomes a healthy role model for anybody, boy or girl, young or old. In this article, Kloss is described to have perfect grades, study backstage as opposed to smoking cigarettes with other models, bake cookies for the staff backstage, be your average girl from the Midwest, and also be versatile and exuberant in her professional career, all at the age of seventeen. And while this may all be true, and props to you Karlie for living life they way you want to, it also cannot be the whole story.
What I am asking is that Teen Vogue be more conscious of their impact on the self-esteem of the young women who are reading their magazine. Now, I am older and stronger in myself, and articles and features such as these wouldn’t affect me. However, when I first started reading Teen Vogue, they certainly would. I don’t look like the models that are featured, and I am not perfect. I look up to Diane von Furstenberg, Grace Coddington, and Diana Vreeland, women who have been through immense hardship, are not your average beauty, and yet positively shimmer with their brilliance and radiance. Please feature real young women, Teen Vogue. The truth is what moves people and inspires, not a depiction of a young girl who is not only already considered physically perfect, but also perfect in every other way, too. Nobody is perfect, and a real role model is one who exemplifies their strength in overcoming challenges and personal imperfection. I’m not saying Kloss hasn’t been through anything in her life, no doubt she has, but it would be beneficial to the young women readers to learn about that side of her, too, as opposed to all of the ways in which she is the perfect seventeen year old. Ultimately, models are a clothes hanger; they sell the item, they are photogenic, they fit the popular look. Their hours are long and tiring, their work is hard and it is necessary to the industry, however it should not be idolized and the models themselves shouldn’t be either.
Hi, everybody! I haven't posted in a while, but my admiration of the beauty in people around me, such as my friend Kristina, who is pictured above, inspired me to get started writing about it again. Kristina is an adorable girl whose style I have always admired from afar until I finally got a chance to meet her when we both found out we'd have the same internship at Teen Vogue this summer! We bonded over our excitement to be in NYC, our love of Le Pain Quotidien, and, of course, our obsession with fashion. Kristina is sensationally kind, caring, and humble. Though she is Danish and German, she grew up in Hong Kong and went to school in Canada. Now, she attends college in LA with me :) Here is what she had to say when I interviewed her!
So, you’re about to start your fashion career with your first internship at Teen Vogue. What are you most excited about and what has inspired you to begin a career in fashion?
What I’m most excited about is just to be in fashion. Just to live it, breath it, be a part of that world. You usually see it in movies, documentaries, and magazines, but now its my chance! It’s my chance to be a part of it. Since the moment I’ve looked at magazines, or been in stores and seen images I’ve always wanted to be a part of it, and just be influenced by it, help them, be a part of it. There’s such an art in fashion that it changes all the time and its so much fun and there’s always something new and it never stops, and that’s why I want to be a part of it.
I completely understand that! What are your staple wardrobe items?
Anything that’s gray. Gray goes with everything, be it a gray cardigan, t-shirt, pants, it goes with everything.
You have grey pants?
Yes, just grey jeans. Anything grey and a pair of ballet flat shoes and a white tshirt.
What is your favorite white t-shirt?
A vneck tshirt from American apparel.
Can you count how many you have in your wardrobe?
Before I stained them and they’re not useable anymore, I had 3 vneck shirts and like 4 white tank tops, some from American Apparel and Aritzia.
Ok. You’ve lived and traveled all aournd the world. What would you say are your favorite places?
That’s a hard answer because each one is so different. I’m going to say Hong Kong is my favorite place on earth, but if I’d ever move back there is a different question. Vancouver is next, because it's so easy going and the people are so kind! Then comes New York and that is where I want to live. It’s been my dream since grade ten, the first time I ever went there it has satisfied everything I ever thought it was going to be the moment I stepped off the plane. Amazing places like Italy, Asian places like Bhutan and Mongolia... the people there are stunning and the cultures are crazy and amazing. And Europe in general is great. Any place can be beautiful and cultural and really interesting, it's just what you make out of your own trip.
So what would you say you like to do when you’re in a new place?
I don’t like to stay in the hotel. I have to get out there and go look around. Why are you there?? Get a guide book, try local restaurants, just go walk around, once you walk around you can discover the craziest things. Take photos!
Any travel packing tips?
I always over pack, I am always over weight. I always think I need everything! Basics, you need jeans, t-shirts, a pair of good walking shoes—flats that don’t give you blisters—a pair of Converse or Tom’s shoes, flip flops…depends where you’re going. Basics, don’t over pack, and just one nice outfit. I say this, but I make the same mistake every time!
Tell me a little bit about how you think about body image, healthy eating and exercise.
Ok I definitely think there has to be a balance between exercise and eating. Healthy eating is so essential to life. Body image is such an iffy topic and its sad in social norms and media norms, bcing skinny is NOT the best thing, its really about self confidence and if you can show that through who you are then that’s the best thing, you shouldn’t be worried about who you are or what people think about you. It’s so sad though these days, hopefully people are better than we think they are media wise—and things like that.
I hear that you have a kind of intense exercise schedule! Can you tell me about it?
It’s not that intense, but I exercised so much in high school. Just to wake me up I get up at 6:45 or 7 am and go do the elliptical for thirty minutes, then I go to breakfast, and the feeling after breakfast is amazing. Then I go in the evening to do weights, or go on the treadmill, and then I do yoga. Its so calming and it takes you out of this crazy stressful world sometimes. I also really like Pilates!
What are your favorite things to eat?
BREAD. Toasted, sandwich…
So Le Pain is your heaven!
Pastries, croissants, cakes, Indian food, rice, ice cream, fruit—mango. I miss mango. They don’t have it here! Anything that looks good, except raisins and mushrooms.
Coffee or tea?
Coffee! No, tea. I don’t know they’re both so good!
Ok, let's try this. What is your favorite in each category?
Latte with whole milk, not skim. Tea category: Coconut Chai, all the way.
Meet Adrienne. The top picture is what she looks like now, and the bottom is from her modeling days. Adrienne is the environmental chair of our college, loves doing yoga and drinking Yogi tea, and is interested in working with Indigenous people and social movements in the United States, Mexico, and Bolivia. She is also infinitely caring and giving and is one of the best friends I've ever had. She was kind enough to take a few minutes to talk to me about the beauty in her life.
When do you feel most beautiful?
When I’m at home in my pajamas and I haven’t showered in three days and I’m laying in my parents bed with my brother and sister. Or right after I wake up from a nap.
How do you define beauty?
Things that are not the norm. Unique things that aren’t what people think of as typical beauty. I also think a lot of sad things are really beautiful. Like photographs of sad people who are suffering, and I think it’s beautiful that they can feel all of that and have all of those emotions.I think that girls today think that being beautiful is about wearing makeup and making yourself look attractive, but people need to take a second look at that because there are people who have beautiful faces and bodies, but their outer beauty is not all that counts.
Who are the most beautiful people you know and why?
Probably my mom and Patsy, who is like my second mom who raised me. My mom because she didn’t have an easy childhood, and growing up never had any self confidence. And then she met my dad and she saw that someone else thought that she was really special, and she just became more confident and saw all of these qualities in herself that were great and special and started to realize her potential and has now grown into this woman who has all of these friends. We tease her that she’s the mayor of Santa Monica because everyone knows her. She does her own thing and does what she loves. Also, she gave up having a career and a life for a long time because there were four of us, and that wasn’t easy because my dad was traveling a lot and she was home with all of us. And she has sacrificed so much in her life to be a good mom and to be there for us no matter what.
Patsy just because she’s Patsy. She’s like my mom. And she taught me a lot. I see her as this incredible woman, I can’t pinpoint why. She left her kids behind in Trinidad, which is really hard for someone to do, so that she could send money home so her kids could have better opportunities. It wasn’t easy for her to not see her family and be in the situations that she was in, and she still has this incredible outlook on life.
What is something you always put on when you need to be ready in five minutes?
Lavender body oil. And the necklace that I wear all the time and never take off.
What are your favorite beauty products?
Crabtree and Evelyn night cream, Everyday organics body oil, Stockholm FACE eyeliner. Every time I go to New York I get a new one and treat myself. Auric blends Egyptian musk and rose perfume oil.
How do you feel about food and exercise?
I love food a lot. If I’m in the mood I’m a fan of exercise. I think it’s important for a healthy lifestyle, but I also just haven’t come to the realization yet that I don’t have the metabolism of a six year old so it’s hard to motivate myself to exercise.
What are your favorite clothing or accessories items?
I’m really into high-waist shorts right now. I love huge dresses made in Guatemala with embroidery all over them and big t-shirts that are so worn out that they are see through and really soft. And of course my Havaiana’s and my Chucks. But if I had to choose an article of clothing to wear every single day I would choose this nighty that my mom used to wear when she was pregnant with us that I have at home with holes and little black bows every where.
Where are your favorite places to shop?
The Rose Bowl flea market. The Gershenhorn sister’s closet (her childhood friends). The Co-Op and the Farmers market.
What are your favorite things to eat?
I love sweet potato tempura rolls, Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz ice cream, my mom’s tomato basil frittata, matzoh brie, my mom’s matzoh ball soup, white fish salad even though I’m vegetarian, brie cheese and baguettes, Celestial Seasonings raspberry zinger tea, Bay City sandwiches from Santa Monica, fresh mozzarella, my mom’s berry cobbler, cheese cake, cheese enchiladas, roti and channa, and curried mango and pumpkin.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Understanding other people’s perspectives on what’s beautiful, how the world functions, on life, on death, on family.
What are your favorite colors?
Brown and lime green. Sea foam green, aquamarine, black.
How do you make yourself feel better when you have a bad day?
Take a nap, take a bath, drink some tea, read some Sandra Cisneros poems or write my own poetry or do some form of art.
Favorite book/ music/ movie?
Favorite book is The House on Mango Street. Music is Nick Drake, Norah Jones, Brazilian music, and world music CDs. And my brother’s friend Max makes really good mixes. “One Fine Day” is my favorite movie of all time.
What’s the best piece of advice you were ever given?
To be myself and to not worry about what other people think, because as long as you are happy with who you and you are comfortable then that’s all that really matters. My mom used to say to us “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Another good piece of advice is what my sister told me in high school. She said never look at yourself in a car window or a building with glass because it shows that you are confident with who you are and don’t always have to check how you look.
What do you think makes someone a beautiful person?
Being confident in who they are and in their beliefs. Being strong enough to stand up for those beliefs even when they might not be the majority. Someone who is willing to sacrifice a little bit of themselves for the betterment of others. Someone who sees value in other people, cultures, and ways of thinking and viewing the world.Someone who’s funny and makes me laugh.
This is Emi. She grew up in San Francisco, is one of the most individual and confident people I know, learns a new sport every semester, and loves dancing. Our friend Adrienne likes to say she is a tiny person with a BIG attitude. Emi took some time to talk to me about what inspires her, her personal style, and what's she's most excited about in life.
When do you feel most beautiful?
The times I felt most beautiful was when I hadn’t showered for a good 4 or 5 days, and had been camping. I was covered in ten different layers of sweat, dirt, and grime. In Africa. I turned on this gnarly shower, and I turn and look into this mirror and said “Hot damn, I’m fine!” It was a combination of getting back into touch with my body and feelings and not looking at myself in the mirror for a really long time. IT is so easy for me to get caught up in the routine of blow drying my bangs in the morning and putting moisturizer on that you loose what is truly great about yourself in the every day rush of things. So when I looked into the mirror and saw how beautiful I was after that camping excursion I realized how energizing and amazing it was, and that’s when I felt the most beautiful.
What do you find beautiful in other people?
I associate beauty with self-confidence and rocking your own style. I always notice people’s eyes, lips, and teeth. With boys and girls, people who have their own swagger and confidence are beautiful. I really like natural looks for the ladies. And foundation detracts from everyone’s beauty. I am a firm believer in no foundation. There’s a huge difference between self confident and cocky, and cocky is gross.
How do you make yourself feel better after having a bad day?
Dive into bed and watch the L word or any other T.V. show. I love watching T.V. in my bed all by myself with my little Christmas lights turned on in my room. I call my mom four times a day and would definitely call her. If it’s been a really bad day then I’ll go for a run, or exercise in general just makes a bad day better.
How do you feel about eating, exercise, and body image?
I think the topic of body image is infinitely complicated. It makes me really deeply sad when I think about my peers and women growing up in this day and age where there is so much negative energy around food and exercise and body image and I think it’s a really tragic thing that affects more people that I’d like to think about. I was lucky that my best girlfriends in high school loved food and had great body image -I think they’re rock stars.
How do you see your own body image?
I’m a curvy lady and I love my boobs and my butt. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not affected by body image shit. I think that I like to feel really healthy and in tune with my body so when I’m not exercising or eating right I just feel out of sorts and icky.
Tell me about your personal style.
I love black. I love tights and little black dresses. I have a blue sweatshirt that I always wear inside out. I love black leggings and I hate jeans. I just bought these black leather boots that have a little bit of a heel. I wear them all the time, day and night. Just last weekend I was wearing them with some black leggings and a long sleeved black shirt and two girls told me that the look was very sleek and sexy (I was very flattered!!). I also love BIG gold hoops. I used to wear a bear tooth on a gold chain but sadly, it broke so I can’t take it out anymore.
What’s your go-to look when you need to look good in a hurry?
Black tights and a little black dress. And mascara and eyeliner. And big gold hoops.
What’s your philosophy on makeup?
Foundation is silly. I think that a little can go a long way. I love eyeliner. My philosophy is never too much, always a little less than you think. And I don’t believe in blush.
Why?
It scares me…little clown cheeks.
What are the most inspiring places that you’ve been and why?
Mongolia because I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to visit a country that is still half nomadic and it blew my mind. Not being able to communicate with anyone for days at a time was really scary but when I got there it was really mind blowing to see how humanity can cross so many different obstacles and how language is largely insignificant in the matter of communication when you get down to the crux of things. Africa is my second place. I was traveling with a group of all women in a very patriarchal society studying women’s issues. Africa showed me a generosity that I hadn’t encounterd in the united states. I also met a lot of inspiring women who were doing a lot of awesome things. I studied female genital mutilation which is still an ongoing practice in a lot of places in Africa. Talking to women from other countries about women’s issues was powerful. It also showed me an inner strength that was beyond my grasping before I had traveled there and there’s nothing cooler than knowing the extent of your own personal strength.
Where do you love to shop?
The mission of San Francisco. My girlfriends and I used to go to the thrift stores in the mission. I love Vintage by the Pound on Valencia. American Apparel makes my favorite little black dress and leggings. The thrift stores all have these sections just for rhinestones and sparkly things and I cannot get enough. It has turned into a really big problem.
Do you wear perfume? If so, do you believe in a signature scent or changing it up based on your mood?
Yes, and I believe on changing it up based on your moods. Origins Ginger is my every day perfume. It’s not overpowering but you can get little whiffs of it and it’s down to earth but sultry. If I am feeling a little friskier but it’s still day time I go with Marc Jacobs, and I keep the roll on in my back pack for a perk up. If I’m going up and I’m feeling really sexy I go with my Paul Smith Rose and I get a ton of compliments on it.
What are your favorite beauty products?
My most favorite beauty product for all eternity is Pomega 5 face moisturizer. Its so expensive, 60$ per container, but its 100% natural and it makes your face feel absolutely incredible. My other favorites are Jane Iredale black eyeliner and mascara, both all natural, a little pricier but they go on really smoothly and easily and it doesn’t pull your eye, and isn’t bad for your skin or eyes. I just bought my very first lipstick: Laura Mercier, Pink Champagne. And Burt’s Bees above all else. The peppermint chapstick. And I’m not happy unless my toenails are painted bright pink and I have my toe rings on.
What are you most excited about in life?
Traveling the world, whatever that may mean in my future. I’m very excited. Also I think it would be very cool to have a family one day and wake up next to the same person every morning. I also can’t wait to hang out with my mom and dad when I’m older. I think they’re the coolest people on the planet.
Meet Camille. She's 19, loves the Dalai Lama, does the New York Times crossword puzzle every day without fail, & is currently learning German. She recently transferred to my all women's college in Southern California from Indiana University, and has met more boys here in the past two months than any of us who have already been here for a year. Camille took a few minutes to talk to me about what she considers beautiful. Here's what she had to say...
What does beauty mean to you? It’s one of those concepts that is to each his own. Everyone has a different concept of beauty. That’s why its so fun to sit with a group of people and to hear someone say "I think _____ is so beautiful" and have others just not get it. For some, beauty’s on the outside, or inside, or both. There’s striking beauty, then beauty that only comes through once you’ve only really gotten to know someone,and then the beauty that develops…
What makes you feel beautiful? I think being comfortable. I was going to say happy, but then there have been times where I haven’t been extremely happy but I’ve felt beautiful anyway. And there are some things that are so sad but are so beautiful. It' s a balance. Beauty is an asymetrical balance. If it’s completely balanced symmetrically then it's just there and it's uniform. But beauty to me is not uniformity. It’s so much more.
What is beauty? It’s holistic. It’s on the outside and the inside, but it’s a complete understanding of the self. It’s how all of your parts work together, how the parts are combined and offset each other. They don’t balance eachother but keep rubbing off on each other and playing off each other. It’s never complete. It’s not perfection. The word beauty itself is an imperfection.
How do you feel about makeup? It’s an absolutely amazing tool to accentuate your features,but that’s all it should do. It shouldn’t cover you up or completely change you. My philosophy is that I’m never going to wear makeup where I’m unrecognizable when I have it on or when I have it off. I don't want to look different when I'm not wearing makeup. Makeup should be all about you, not about who other people want you to be.
What makes you feel beautiful? Love. Being confident. Yes, love, because if you love yourself and have love for other people and if other people love you too you just feel beautiful. Also, a person in love is more beautiful than they’ve veer been. They’re all over just look and feel better. It’s that extra glow.
How do you make yourself feel better after having a bad day? Either talking to someone or just sitting down with a cup of tea and being by myself. Usually it’s some sort of escape, like reading the Dalai Lama’s books or the New York Times, or doing the crossword puzzle! That’s my zen. It’s usually mind things more than physical things.
Who’s the most beautiful person you know and why? It’s a 3 way tie between my mom, my brother, and my best friend. I think they’re all beautiful people. It’s the love thing. I feel like all three of them have such good balance and they balance me. They’re anchors.They’re really comfortable with their person and we’re comfortable in our relationships. It’s just a really good balance. We offset each other, bump up against each other, make each other stronger. Whenever I talked about any of them I talk about how beautiful they are!
Do you wear perfume? Do you believe in a signature scent or changing it up based on your mood? I had this perfume that I loved and it was MY SCENT. I wore it all the time. It was Calvin Klein One Summer. I found it in Chicago, but it’s a summer only limited edition! My mom ordered it for me from Hawaii for Christmas and it was the best thing in the world, I wore it all the time. And then this guy confessed his love for me and commented on my “special smell” that he couldn’t just get over. So now I can’t wear it anymore cause now I think of him! So I am on the hunt. And I’m trying but I just can’t wear anything else! Not only has he ruined half of my favorite songs, but my favorite scent too.
How do you feel about boys and beauty? Men and women are both attracted to feminine features. Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom have such feminine features! If a guy isn’t afraid to say “she’s beautiful”instead of “hot ass” and also to really appreciate their own concept of beauty, then you know they're a keeper. That’s one thing about my brother that I love. We’ll be watching MTV and my brother will see the before pictures on MADE and talk about how beautiful the girl is. Before they put all that makeup on her he saw her beauty. It takes courage in the culture that we have today for a guy to say a person who isn’t conventionally beautiful IS beautiful to them.
What are your favorite beauty products? They’re so simple! I like plain blue Chapstick moisturizer,or Smith’s minted Rosebud Salve. Bare Escentuals is my staple. I just like the simple stuff. I love being tan in the summer and just swiping on some mascara! I love nail polish. Also, egg white and lanolin soap. It’s Swedish and it’s the best in the world!
