The Continuous Journey to Redefining The Standards Of Beauty

Hi everyone!

So if you've been following this blog you may have read my posts on how the fashion industry has made a major change by incorporating more diverse people in their work such as people with disabilities.

See Previous posts:
 2014: Changing The View On Diversity
New York Fashion Week Open It's Arms To Diversity

Well this movement is becoming even bigger now with the addition of Madeline Stuart of Australia

According to her mother,Madeline or Maddy as her family calls her,a lifestyle change to become active and healthy helped her become more confident and reach her dreams of becoming a model. 

Like most girls, Maddy had struggled with her weight, but thanks to dance, swimming and cheer leading she has lost weight and is more confident with herself.

 Other than raising her confidence Maddy also hopes her new found career will change society's look on down syndrome and look past her disability and see the beautiful person outside and in.
“People need to see how she shines, how her personality just bursts out.” her mother says.

Side Note: That swimsuit is cute! Werk it girl!


Maddy is currently looking for an agent, but I have a feeling she will find one in no time!

 Site


Another trend I am seeing is the advertising of plus size models and as a plus size girl it makes me very happy!

I've always struggled with my weight and seeing ads with skinny models didn't help with my confidence as a teen, but as I grew up I learned to love my body and curves. I know I'll probably never be a size 0 because I love to eat, but sometimes going to the mall and trying to shop can be a bit of downer when everything I like is not in my size. I have boobs, a butt, hips, thighs and might be a bit wider than other girls. And even if a certain store says it's for a plus size women it might only cover a few of the problem areas you have and it's just like "Ugh do these manufactures actually think people are all the same size? Do they not know us curvy girls like to look cute too?" 

But as of recently the media has brought models who aren't a size 0 to light and it 's making me want to embrace my curves more!

 Meet the curvaceous  women who are changing the fashion game...

Nadia Aboulhosn

She has been called the Kim Kardshian of the blogging world and has thousands of followers on her social media accounts who love her edgy street fashion shots.  She has also been featured in Vogue and has her own plus size line called Nadia Plus for the fashion website Boohoo.
 
  "Don't listen to what other people think and say about you because ultimately the way you feel about yourself is what's important"

Instagram | Blog

 Tess Holiday

Tess has had a trailblazing year by becoming the first model of her size to be signed to a major modeling agency and  this past month, she made heads turn by becoming People Magazine's covergirl. Not only is she modeling, she is also founder of the #effyourbeautystandards movement that empowers women to love themselves as they are.    

"There is no such thing as a perfect body and the hardest barrier for women to overcome is themselves,"


 Instagram | Site

Gabi Fresh

 

Gabi not only is a fashion blogger/ model she also has her own swimsuit company called Swimsuits For All. She also came up with the campaign #everyBODYisflawless by posting a lip dub of Beyonce's hit ***Flawless with fellow plus size bloggers Nadia Aboulhosn and Tess Holiday encouraging women to love their bodies no matter what shape or size they are!

"You don't have to be a certain size to claim your confidence. Fat is not a flaw. This video is dedicated to the mainstream media, to the fashion industry, to internet bullies, and to anyone else who thinks it’s their right to try to make us feel less than because of their insecurities. #everyBODYisflawless"

- See more at: http://gabifresh.com/2014/05/everybodyisflawless/#sthash.H4luiARA.dpuf

you don’t have to be a certain size to claim your flawlessness. Fat is not a flaw. This video is dedicated to the mainstream media, to the fashion industry, to internet bullies, and to anyone else who thinks it’s their right to try to make us feel less than because of their insecurities. #everyBODYisflawless
- See more at: http://gabifresh.com/2014/05/everybodyisflawless/#sthash.H4luiARA.dpuf

you don’t have to be a certain size to claim your flawlessness. Fat is not a flaw. This video is dedicated to the mainstream media, to the fashion industry, to internet bullies, and to anyone else who thinks it’s their right to try to make us feel less than because of their insecurities. #everyBODYisflawless
- See more at: http://gabifresh.com/2014/05/everybodyisflawless/#sthash.H4luiARA.dpuf

Blog | Instagram

Ashley Graham 

Back in February she made headlines by being the first plus size model to be in sports illustrated as a part of the #curvesinbikinis campaign. Ashley's modeling career started at age 12 and is most notably known for modeling lingerie for the plus size clothing company Lane Bryant. She also recently gave a TED talk about her struggle with her body image and learning to embracing her body while working in the fashion industry.


“I felt free once I knew I wasn’t going to fit the narrow mould that society wanted me to fit in. I was never going to be perfect enough in an industry that defines perfection from the outside in and that's okay! Rolls, curves, cellulite, I love every part of me!”


Instagram | Site

Denise  Bidot

 Denise is the newest model to make waves in the media by being a part of the new campaign Beachbody Not Sorry for Gabi Fresh's company Swimsuitsforall  in which the sultry ads shows her in a bathing suit untouched which sadly is very rare in the media. The campaign aims for women to be confident with their "imperfections" and stop apologizing for them.

“I agreed to be part of this campaign because it’s about sharing your story with others and opening up the conversation about beauty,”

Instagram | Site

 I have to say is ladies keep doing what you're doing and keep flaunting it, us curvy girls appreciate!

And in the words of Beyonce herself...

-Lupita

1 year blogaversary!

I can't believe it's been a year already!

I just wanted to write a quick post and say thank you to all who have read and followed me on this blog!

I really appreciate the positive feedback and all the kind words that have been said and also to anyone who has shared my posts as well!

Looking back over the past year I've grown a bit of confidence since starting this blog because I was too hesitant to even start writing and I'd never thought I'd get so much positive comments, especially sharing parts of my personal life such as my disability.

This blog has become a fun passion of mine and I've enjoyed making posts for all of you for you to read :)

I promise I have more to come in the next year and I hope you continue to keep reading!

So here's to the next year!

Anxiety and depression awareness week!

In honor of this week I've decided to share my personal experiences with both these mental illnesses because feel this is very important to talk about and I haven't spoken about it publicly, but for the past couple of years they've been part of my life.

Just because someone doesn't look like they have a mental illness and it may not show on the surface, but it doesn't mean they don't have it and it's something I  and many people strive with on a daily basis and that's the thing about these illnesses you may not know a person has it until it may be too late. 

Like any other illness some people may show signs, some may not. This epidemic is effecting more teens and adults than ever before. 

Many things can trigger these illnesses:

• Stress 
• Family issues 
• Sudden loss of someone close to you
• Relationship issues

In recent years I have been dealing with both these illnesses and I have felt how it can change a persons state of mind and the physical toll it can have on the body.

First I'd like to give a little back story on how I found out I had depression.

For one thing the loss of my dad was a big factor. The weeks after were a blur, he passed away on July so obviously the weeks after  were close to the start of school, so I kind of had that to distract me. I also was suggested to see a grief couselor  and join in an in-school support group and that helped a little.

Then Summer came around and I noticed a change in me, I'd get these bouts of sadness and disinterest in things I wanted to do and feel horrible.

But it was just the beginning because two years later I graduated high school and took a gap year from going to college because of some stuff and in that year my depression increased.

It was a rough time where I didn't do anything, but sleep and stay in bed all day not even bothering to eat or do things I liked to do, all that was just gone.

The real scary part when I was struggling, I'd go into this dark place where I questioned if staying alive and living was worth it, that I actually did think that hurting my self in hopes  that just ending it all would be the answer to everything that was happening at the time.

 It was those voices in the back of my head telling me I'd be better off doing it. It was very scary not having control of my own thoughts and feelings that I thought I'd never be as happy and normal again.

But luckily I was medically diagnosed and put on anti-depressants for over two years and I've progressed a lot, but even so I still have my bad days.

 When I told some of my close friends about my depression some were understanding, but there are some that just don't understand the concept. I feel that people, especially teenagers should know more about the signs and realize they aren't the only ones who suffer from it and that there are ways to treat it so they can have a better life.

 Depression isn't something you can just get rid of. There are many treatments and ways you can help subside it, but it is something you have to live with everyday and even with those treatments you can still slip into it every once in while so you need to do your part to overcome it and take control.

Statistics  show that depression:

• Effects 1 in 10 Americans and 131 million people around the world
•  70% of adolescents have depression by the age of 18
• 14% are adults
•  Women are more prone to depression then men, suffering from post postpartum depression after having a child.
•  10% show symptoms, but are left untreated 
• 60-80% of all cases can be treatable 
• About 50% of people get  properly diagnosed by a doctor
• 2/3 of people with depression commit suicide 

 Signs of depression are:

• You feel hopeless
• Loss of concentration
•  You feel numb of all the the feelings and emotions 
• Having negative thoughts you can't control
• Loss of appetite or over eating
• Can't sleep or over sleep
• Disinterest in doing things you enjoy 
• Thoughts of suicide (This is a major sign that you need to seek medical attention right away)

 Now I'd like to share my experience with anxiety and panic attacks.

Some of you may not know this but both of these things are a side effect of depression, well I didn't know that either until I experienced it for myself about a two years ago.

First of all I'd like to point out that I am a very anxious person as it is, but this magnified my anxiousness.

I first experienced my first bout of a panic and anxiety attack in school right after I'd come out of my adviser's office trying to map out what classes and credits I needed to get my degree (I was set to major in journalism and communications) and after he wrote it out and explained to me what exactly I needed to do. I left and I looked at it and realized I needed to take about 3 math classes and I had already dropped one class because I just couldn't handle it (math is a struggle with me ever since I was young) and now I needed to take 3 when I couldn't even do the simplest level.

Suddenly my mind was racing and I started over thinking everything!

"What am I going to do?
"I can't do this!"
"I'm never going to be able to graduate at this rate!"
" I'm never going to get anywhere like this!"

 After I called my mom to tell her she was like "It'll be fine, you can take your time, there's no rush anyway" and she was right about that, but my brain was thinking otherwise.

So much that I started to feel like I couldn't breathe and rushed to the bathroom, locked myself in a stall and just broke down crying. I finally collected myself and splashed water on my face and went back to eat something, but when my friend saw me and he clearly knew something was wrong I broke down again.

But after he took me outside and gave me a little pep talk I was feeling so much better.

It was months after that first episode, that I had another one and this time it was much bigger than the first one and definitely the scariest one.

I was on vacation visiting my mom's family and there was just this one day where I didn't feel like myself, so I laid down thinking it would help, but it made it worse.

Now let me just explain something first, my mom has a pretty huge family under one roof. Everyone is buzzing around, kids are playing, there is no place to be alone and it can get pretty chaotic. Where as in my family, it's just the 3 of us in and we all pretty much have our own space if we need it.

So coming from  some peace and quiet to this noisey, chaotic place kind of overwhelmed me, which was weird because I had been there two years prior with no problem at all, but I knew something was wrong with me.

I suddenly felt lightheaded, dizzy and I found it hard to breathe. It kind of felt like the walls were closing in on me and I needed to get out.

I told my mom I wasn't feeling well and broke down crying again. She took me outside and just let me cry and breathe and I felt so guilty that I was being this way, not being able to be with my family without freaking out, but they seemed to understand.  

Like I said before, when you have no control over what your brain and body do, it's terrifying. When having a panic or anxiety attack you can also worry and panic about having one especially when you're in public which makes it even worse. 

You worry that everyone thinks you're weird for freaking out for no apparent reason and then you start to panic when they start looking at you and ask you if your okay or need anything because you know they are just trying to help you.

It took awhile for me to get the help I needed. It wasn't until having trouble focusing in class, I was feeling restless and tired, I felt like I couldn't do the things I used to do and that would make me so anxious that I'd come home crying that at one point it went on for a week, so finally my mom suggested I talk to my doctor about it and that's when I knew I suffered from panic attacks and anxiety, so she put on anti depressants and after about a month or so I saw some improvements and I felt like myself again.

Signs of an anxiety or panic attack:

• Shortness of breath or hyperventilation
• Heart palpitations or a racing heart
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Trembling or shaking
•  Sweating
• Nausea or upset stomach
• Feeling unreal or detached from your surrounding
• Feeling dizzy, light-headed, or faint

If you or anyone you know suffers from anxiety or panic attacks here's some tips that may help:

• Try to take deep breaths.

• If you can try to separate yourself from the thing that is making you feel this way and go Somewhere quiet and if you feel better you can choose to go back if you're comfortable
• Talk to someone about it.

• If you feel like you need a little more help talk to your doctor and they may choose the best treatment for you.

If you know someone who may suffer from one:

• Try not to crowd around them (I.E asking them too many questions)
• If they want to be alone let them

They may just need to clear their head for a bit so just stand by

• Ask them if they want to be alone
• If they are comfortable enough with you they may want you to stay just for support
• Remind them to take deep breaths

Hope this post was informative and helpful!

 If your experiencing or someone you know are suffering any of these or any other mental illnesses/ disorders  and need help please contact:

Call: 800-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863 
Online help:  https://www.imalive.org/ 
For LGTBQ youth: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/


Remember you aren't alone and people are willing to help you get through this because your mental health and life matters!

-Lupita

Product Spotlight- April 2015

This  months product spotlight are actually two things!

So as a belated birthday present to myself I decided to as Donna Megale and Tom Havaford would put it "Treat yo Self!" and go to Sephora to splurge a bit!

First thing I bought was Benefit's Rockitude Lips and Cheek set in rose gold! ($28)

Now I have been loving the rose gold trend for a while now and this kit did not disappoint!

What caught my eye obviously was the packaging because if you can't tell already I love pink.

Also love that it comes in like a jewelry box, with a mirror included and it's portable so you can take it anywhere!

Once you open it, it will include:

 Benefit's lip and cheek tint and high beam highlighter

Blush in the color Rockature

Rockature  lipgloss

 All you have to do is follow the instructions and steps that are numbered, and you have your look for spring and Summer!

Also worn with Bella Pierre Eye shimmer in Celebration, Maybelline Butterfly mascara and Boutique kohl eyeliner

 I actually love that the lip tint also works as a cheek tint and it's very pigmented so a little goes a long way!

The second thing I purchased is something I've been wanting for a while now and that's the Beauty Blender. ($20)

It's probably the most I spent on a beauty tool, but I kept hearing it was the holy grail of beauty products, so I was like what the hell I'm going to treat myself today!

And I have to say it's the best decision I've ever made!

It's light weight and very easy to use.

I love that you don't need to use a lot of product on it and it will give you an effortless look rather than a cakey feel.

(left)Before foundation (right) After foundation using beauty blender

All you have to do is put your favorite liquid foundation (I find it easier to dab the foundation directly on m my face) and use the beauty blender and  just swiftly dab it (using the bottom side) around your face and for the smaller places, use the pointed side (this is also good for concealer).



Overall, I'm very happy with my purchases and I hope you found this helpful!

-Lupita

New York Fashion Week Open It's Arms To Diversity

Back about two months ago I wrote a post called 2014: Changing The View On Disability all about how some parts of the entertainment industry were letting people with different disabilities be apart of their campaigns and breaking the stereotype and assumptions of what people may have had about what a person with an impairment can and can't do.

Well I'm happy to say that in 2015 we are still continuing that fact!

It all started when American Horror Story actress Jamie Brewer was announced to be the first model with down syndrome to walk the run way at the biggest week in fashion in New York.

Brewer walked for designer Carrie Hammer as part of her "Role Models, Not Runway Models" show.

The initiative of the show was to empower working women, no matter how diverse the are.

Another person who wants to make a change in the entertainment industry is  Katie Driscol founder of Changing The Face Of Beauty, the foundation campaigns how beautiful people are and helps to include everyone in advertising no matter what they look like.

 Her only daughter Grace has autism and any mother knows having a little girl means playing dress up and that's when Driscol, a photographer created her blog 5 Boys and 1 Girl Make 6 which features Grace modeling for her mom. With the help of social media she began to post pictures of her daughter and reached out to vendors in hopes to use her daughter in their advertisements. That's when she decided to make a difference for her daughter and others like her.

"We're a society that's all about inclusion for children, but when you look at imagery, you almost never see children with disabilities of any kind." Driscol told People Magazine.

The main reason she started this campaign to bring awareness that people with disabilities are more then their diagnosis.

And recently she and Grace joined Jamie to be apart of Carrie Hammer's show at New York Fashion Week.

Katie Driscol, her daughter Grace, with Actress Jamie Brewer and designer Carrie Hammer

But that wasn't the only show that was incorporating diversity, Antonio Uzi’s show included many people with disabilities.

  

The show titled "FLT Moda Loving You" had a partnership with an Italian research foundation for Spinal Cord injuries.

There is also a model with a rare skin condition named Winnie Harlow.

 Harlow, who's real name is Chantelle Young-Brown has vitiligo, a skin condition that is responsible for killing skin cells that cause skin pigmentation. 

 She may seem familiar because she has been featured in the 21st cycle Tyra Banks' wildly popular modeling competition show "America's Next Top Model".

 She didn't win the show, but that didn't stop her from quitting her modeling dream and breaking the view of how a model should look and it was recently announced that she has landed 2 major campaigns for Diesel's new Spring/Summer 2015 campaign and in Spanish brand Desigual's 'Say Something Nice' campaign.

Harlow on the runway for Desigual at New York Fashion Week.

Diesel's Spring/Summer 2015 ad.

 Both campaigns promote diversity and positivity.



I'm so glad that these high profile fashion companies are realizing that there are more types of people out there than what has been put out into the world as the ideal look a person should have. 

Only time will tell how far this will go, but it's a start...

-Lupita 

Product spotlight: Ipsy monthly glam bag

I just wanted to make a quick post about this makeup subscription that I absolutely love and has provided me with products that I use constantly. 

I sometimes get questions on where I get  make up from and this is it..

The Ipsy Glam Bag is a monthly subscription that is very affordable at $10 a month. The bag comes with 5 types of beauty products ranging from make up, accessories, hair care and skin care from either big name brands to smaller businesses.

The January 2015 Glam Bag

I came across this when I saw a beauty guru on youtube mention it and as I did my research I learned that Michelle Phan one of the top beauty gurus on the internet was apart of it so I had to see what it was about!

Now I have been subscribed to this for a year and I haven't been disappointed in the products they have sent me.

One of things I love is that most of the products are full sized rather than just a sample, like other subscriptions I've tried and they come in practical bag that you can use in your every day life!

Since it is monthly, they have themes for the bags and different designs so no bag is the same.

So when you sign up on their website they will have like a quiz for you to take on your skin tone,eye and skin color, what your style is and your overall experience with using beauty products.

 Once you finish the quiz it will send you an e-mail that puts you on a waiting list (this may take up to 10 days)  or if you know someone who already is subscribed you can use their invitation link for easy access.
The awesome thing is you can try it out and if you aren't satisfied with it you can stop your subscription at any time.

Lucky for you, I'm going to give you an invitation link so you can try it out! CLICK HERE

Hope you guys enjoyed this post and I'll see you soon!

-Lupita

2014: The Year Of Changing The View On Disability

Now most of you probably have read my post My Life With A Disability and I got a lot of great feedback on it but I have to say  2014 really made me feel very empowered to embrace my disability and think that I can do things way beyond what people's expectations may be.

It all started back in January when Diesel released an ad campaign "We Are Connected" with it's first disabled model named Jillian Mercado.

 Jillian has muscular dystrophy and is bound to a wheelchair, but that didn't stop her from following her dreams of being  in the fashion world.

 She's actually been in the modeling world for quiet some time building her resume in fashion, interning at Allure Magazine, even attending New York's Fashion Institute Of Technology where she studied merchandising. After graduating from FIT she went on to cover New York's Fashion Week for PMc Magazine and even started her own fashion blog under the name Manufactured 1987.

She was very aware of how hard it is even for a normal person to go into an industry that is known to make you or break you, but her determination and love for fashion made her willing to try break into the very high profile and critical industry and turn it on it's head.

"I knew I was throwing myself into the fire when I wanted to work in fashion, I work equally as hard as everyone else does in this industry, and my chair doesn't give me permission to slack off. My passion is equal to yours -- I just come with a chair that moves."

But  Jilian isn't the only one trying to break the view on disability in fashion, a group of  Russian designers,  Daria Razumihina, Sabina Gorelik, Dmitriy Neu, Masha Sharoeva, Albina Bikbulatova, Oksana Livencova, Miguel Angelo Fernandes Carvalho and Christine Wolf came together to design clothes specifically for people with disabilities and use only models with disabilities to showcase their designs at Russia's Fashion Week.

 

The show is called Models Without Borders and is aimed to increase the awareness of people with disabilities and impairments in the fashion industry.

 

'Of course we don't want this to be a one off, lets see permanent disabled models, in every aspect of fashion! 


In November the high store chain target featured a toddler with Autism, which is a first for the store.


Other aspects of the entertainment industry have opened up to people with disabilities into the mainstream and the latest is British-Latvian Pop singer and model Viktoria Modesta.

Modesta's left leg was damaged at birth and at the age of 20 made the difficult decision to amputate it to make it easier for her to be able to improve her mobility.

 Back in December Channel 4, a British network launched #bornrisky which was a campaign to promote her music video for a song titled, Prototype.

  The video showcases her impairment in a modern and artistic way that helps change the way people look at someone with an impairment on a daily basis.

She treats her amputeeism as empowering, as part of her artistic expression which can thrill and influence - not an accident of nature which demands sympathy. She defies being categorized and makes us re –think meaning of the word ‘disabled’. --Excerpt from her website

What I like about the video besides the artistic view is that before the video begins it starts with the line "Forget what you know about disability" because it does just that, once the video is over you forget that she even has one because of the way it's shot and choreographed and rather in awe of what she can do.

As many young girls growing up, I always had a dream of being a popstar (even though I can't sing to save my life) or a model, but I never saw someone like me up on the runway, an ad or on TV and I'd feel silly even to think someone like me could ever do those things. It's taken a while, but I am so glad the perception of people with disabilities is slowly changing in the mainstream of today's generation.


It's only the beginning and I am hoping it will continue on and change the world!!...

-Lupita