Face Model in the making!
Near the end of October 2017, I saw an advertisement for face models by Eye Candy Makeup via email. Its opening line was: “Always wanted to be a model? Here’s your chance.” It stated that they were searching for face models for an upcoming beauty campaign and were accepting an open range of models with no experience. The idea played in my mind for a bit and at the last few minutes of the deadline, I walked in wearing a black camisole and jeans and was quickly led to the Makeup Artist’s (mua) chair. Was I nervous? Definitely! I didn’t know what to expect and I hadn’t ever thought about being a model but I also thought: “Why not try it?”. The mua complimented me on my skin and liked that I was rocking my natural hair which was a good confidence booster. After a few quick flashes, the moment was over. I walked out feeling exhilarated! Like, did I just do that??? Wow! This may seem like a small moment for some but I hadn’t ever tried modeling and the thought of putting myself in front of a camera was often something I shied away from, so this was certainly a personal small victory that I was celebrating.
Several months passed and without any further information from the company, I didn’t think about it and continued with life as usual. In November 2018, a girl friend exclaimed: “Why hadn’t I told her that I was in a beauty campaign?” I paused and was confused for a moment until I remembered the model photo shoot and a smile slowly adorned my face. She had seen the commercial for the Eye Candy’s ‘Know your Shade’ campaign during the ZNS news break and was surprised to see my face flashing across the screen. Eye Candy confirmed that the commercial aired exclusively on ZNS, inclusive of the local news time slot (check it out). I couldn’t believe it. I later received photos from friends and family of the poster at Eye Candy’s store of all the models and went to visit it in person. Excited at seeing how much it had unfolded and those who liked and supported seeing a more extroverted side of me. I also received compensation for participating which was a copy of the photo selected for the campaign. It is a photo I look at with pride.
Lesson of the story: You can do it! Don’t listen to the small voice in your head that’s saying that you can’t and dare to step out of your comfort zone. I ended the year as a face model and it felt pretty good. Who would’ve thought? The poster and photo served as a reminder of who I became when I went outside my own perception and dared to take a chance on myself.
Life is simply too short not to do something random or perceived as scary, as you never know what win is waiting on the other side. Imagine where or who you could be next week, month or year, if you took a chance on you.