All posts by Maya Regan

I recently watched a documentary called Chasing Beauty: Is Beauty Worth the Cost? Made in 2013 by Brent Huff, this film examines how complex the world of professional modeling can be for girls and boys trying to make it into the modelling industry. Behind the beautiful and inspiring covers of Vogue and Glamour hides the topic of discussion that has been avoided until the last decade and uncensored stories of what models endure and sacrifice in order to become a supermodel. Through interviews with professionals within the industry, including supermodels, photographers, agents, designers, plastic surgeons, make-up artists and psychologists, the documentary uncovers body image issues and the psychological effects that possess young men and women. The demanding nature of the industry and the often-occurring unattainable physical requirements for the profession as well as the morality surrounding the world of modelling is highlighted and emphasises the need for us to analyse whether beauty is worth the the consequences to obtain it.

The film began with a startling statistic that captures and exposes the seriousness of the psychological mind-set in which young girls live.

25% of young American women would rather win America’s Next Top Model than win the Nobel Peace Prize.

The documentary signified how the meaning of beauty is so corrupted by following aspiring models who constantly faced rejection. By repeatedly being told they don’t look right or they are the wrong size implies to young girls that they are not beautiful enough and leads to body image issues and the psychological effects that are life threatening. The film revealed some depressing information about how girls survive the industry and desperately attempt to become supermodels. Some girls lived their lives only consuming coffee and smoking cigarettes. One agent commented on how she knew if girls had bulimia when she saw them eating vanilla ice-cream, because other models had told her that it stops the burning when they follow with purging.

A lot of documentaries and films have dealt with this issue on beauty in today’s industry but this documentary deals with the idea of beauty in a broader sense in a specific field. It allows the audience to understand what it looks like to live as a model who always has to look good and be in shape in order to keep their job. In doing so it reveals the shocking reality of how difficult it is to make it in this industry. Simultaneously, this film also gives attention to how hard work and motivation makes you stand out amongst all of the other pretty faces.

After watching this thought provoking documentary, I found myself questioning the real meaning of beauty. This documentary really makes you think about what it means to be beautiful as a human being and how a definition of a beauty has been limited to a body image and physical appearance. It’s an informative and factual documentary that truly shows the ugly side of being pretty.

My skin care regime is an extremely valuable time for myself. As well as it being time for me to relax and apply luxurious products to my skin, it is also time to really look after my skin. Your skin is a vital organ in your body and acts as a protective layer so it is important that we look after it. For the majority of my teenage life, I have struggled so much with my skin. My skin began to break out pretty much at the beginning of secondary school and I am still using treatment for it. Not only have I experienced break outs for the past five-six years of my life, but I also have combination skin so I have to manage oily and dry skin. I also feel like my skin is very translucent; by this I mean that every imperfection is extremely visible because I have fairly open pores and redness around sensitive areas. I can’t wait for the summer each year so that the sun can really help to extract the excess oils from my skin to help minimalise my break outs and balance out the colour of my skin so that I feel confident to wear as little make-up as possible. Over the years I have tried out loads of different skin care products to help my skin. Lots of people don’t see the point in spending lots of money on these types of products, but personally I feel that it is important to find the right type of product for your individual skin and usually the better the product the more expensive it is. I have had experiences with drug-store products that have irritated my skin and caused visible damage so I feel very justified to explore higher quality products that are more trustworthy for my sensitive skin.

Cleansing

Cleansing is such an important part of your skin care regime, especially if you wear make-up each day because you need to ensure that you have removed all of the dirt and bacteria that clogs up your pours to let your breathe. One of my favourite products is the Liz Earle cleanse and polish. This product contains natural active ingredients including Beeswax, Eucalyptus Essential Oil, Cocoa Butter, Chamomile Essential Oil/Extract and Rosemary Essential Oil/Extract. This product is perfect for any skin type and is so gentle on the skin. For when I am feeling lazy, I use make-up wipes by Garnier. Usually I use two at a time to really make sure that everything has been cleaned from my skin. Another product I am using at the moment is the Rodical bee venom cleansing balm. This ingredient is a natural skin protectant that soothes, hyrdrates and conditions. It also offers anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral benefits making it helpful in treating skin irritation. Another cleansing balm I love is the Emma Hardie moringa cleansing balm. It quite literally melts on your skin as you massage it around your face and not only helps to re-hydrate the skin, but it also uses moringa seed extract, wild sea fennel and vitamin E, to minimise the appearance of open pores, while orange, neroli and mandarin oils work hard to rejuvenate and revitalise. After I have cleansed, I pour a few drops of the garnier toning rose water to make my skin feel fresh and awake.

Exfoliating

My skin becomes dry quite quickly around my nose and under eye area. The dead skin cells surface frequently if my skin is dehydrated and doesn’t have enough moisture in it. I exfoliate my skin around three times a week with the Oskia micro exfoliating balm. This product is incredible; it has tiny grains that do not irritate or damage my skin yet it works perfectly. When mixed with water, the balm transforms into a soft milk that effortlessly removes grime and unclogs pores, rinsing away to leave skin feeling revived and fresh. It also stimulates collagen production.

Moisturising

To help reduce the dry areas of my skin, I moisturise twice a day. It is also important to moisturise after exfoliating to ensure moisture is put back into the skin. At the moment I use the Simple replenishing rich moisturiser. I have also recently become interested in clay masks; lots of beauty bloggers are currently promoting them. I thought I would try this moisturising clay mask that I got in New York last week from Sephora.

Hydration and serums

When my skin feels dull and tired, I like to use a serum to re-energise and refresh it. After I have cleansed and moisturised I add some Caudalie brightening and hydrating serums. I also like to use vitamin oils as they are amazing nutrients for the skin. I had a tester for the Kat Burki Retin-C treatment complex which work by promoting skin cell turnover, allowing for new cell growth. I also love this Nude rescue oil. It helps to repair and refine texture for satiny, flawless skin. Some people think that if you apply oil to oily skin that it will just make you more oily, however the opposite happens. Oil molecules are attracted to each other so when you apply this oil to your skin, it extracts the un-wanted oils from your skin.

Priming

For people like myself whose skin becomes shiny and oily throughout the day, priming is a must. I use the Emma Hardie protect and prime which moisturises, primes and protects your skin from the sun. It smells divine and is light weight, non-greasy and contains a unique light diffusing formulation to help prime the skin and even out the complexion, and blur the appearance of fine lines and pores. I also use the Laura Mercier hydrating primer for my dry skin. As well as helping dehydrated skin, this non-comedogenic formula also contains vitamins A, C and E that act as antioxidants to protect against the harmful, aging effects of the environment. I also like to use the Thisworks primer because it plumps the skin and I like to have a dewy feel to my skin. If I want to wear a primer that adds instant glow, I use the Becca Backlight primer. Backlighting acts as an instant filter, creating a diffused, soft-focused radiance that blurs imperfections and allows your complexion to catch light in the most gorgeous way.

Break outs

Over the years I have tried out numerous products to help treat my break outs. I have been prescribed plenty of creams and solutions by my doctor, all of which never really helped that much. Although my skin is so much better, I am still not comfortable enough to go out make-up-less. I am mostly left with scarring and marks from my break outs which is what bothers me the most. For when I get blemishes, I dip a cotton bud into the Malin and Goetez sulfur paste and it does a really good job at preventing the spot from developing. For scarring, I use lemon juice as it is a natural bleaching agent and it also has some mild exfoliating properties due to its acidic nature. I also like to use honey because it is naturally antibacterial and full of antioxidants. I have been trying out this brightening serum by Sunday Riley which targets dark spots and discolourations.

Night time

At night I repeat all of the morning steps where I cleanse and moisturise. Sometimes I add a mask. I usually apply the Ren wake wonderful night time facial because it rejuvenates and brightens up my skin for the morning. The AHA lactic and glycolic acids combine to exfoliate the skin texture and promote natural cell rejuvenation, while also working on uneven cell pigmentation. The glycogen, magnesium and omega oils act to energize and revitalize in a subtle massage process. The sodium lactate gently raises the skin’s pH to attract water and promote hydration. To help me feel calm and relaxed when going to sleep, I spray the Thisworks lavender spray over my pillow and duvet. Sleep is vital for mind and body. I also use the stress check on my pulse points which works as a soothing rescue remedy wellness product that helps relax the senses and ease breathing. Rescue remedy is also good for relaxation and calming.

I used to love going to the shops. But something has changed as the years have gone on. I always used to spot loads of products that I fell in love with and come home to present my family with a show of what I’d bought. Now I hardly ever see things I like anymore. I put part of this down to me having outgrown previous stores I shopped in and also how my style has forever been evolving and changing over the years of my teenage journey. But even some of my favourite shops I just really struggle to find clothes that I get ‘that feeling’ about and must buy it. I find that I am far more successful at resourcing interesting clothing that appeals to me online much more than I do when I physically go to the store. I find a much wider range of products online that are easier to track down due to filters and I also find that brands put much more effort into the display of their online shopping space than their physical retail space. For example, Zara’s online website has really improved and I always scroll through their website and like their styling and presentation. However, their store is just borderline horrific to step foot in. I also constantly crave something new and distinctive. I am always getting deeply lost in my Instagram feed trying to track down brands that I’ve seen pieces of clothing on that I look at and think I want that. I love to see an item on a someone wearing it really well, in a really cool location and to fall in love with the thought and the image of myself in that location, wearing that item and living that lifestyle. My style has ranged from skull-loving fourteen-year-old to boho loving sixteen-year-old to now an eclectic look; what I think is a mix of Y2K/90s/moody/care-free with a vibrant twist when I like to get dressed up. Here are a few of the brands that I absolutely love right now and would buy pretty much every single product from if I could.

The first brand is Rat and Boa. I can’t fault the design of any of these products. Each item is so beautiful, exotic and so distinctive. “Rat & Boa was born out of a desire to create pieces that are missing from your wardrobe; attire that is wearable, eclectic, sexy and fun.”

Another favourite is Saboskirt. I love the summery vibes and would wear any of these clothes during the summer. I love the simplicity yet distinctive edge and cut of each item.

Next up is HBX. I describe this website to people as similar to ASOS, as it stocks a variation of brands, but a much more high fashion version. They stock a wide range of brands such as Alexander Wang and Fenty but also stock a lot more affordable brands that are priced at similar to, if not cheaper, high street brands such as Urban Outfitters. I love the edgy designs and the idea that these pieces of clothing can’t be bought on the high street. This provides a similar feeling to finding something vintage because you know that less people will have these clothes.

My summative project over the Christmas holidays has required me to create ideas and outcomes for a store space for the brand Doc Marten in the style of the trend ‘techno futuristic’. Having carried out contextual research of the brand, trend and the importance of the outcome to brands, I have been developing ideas of potential outcomes. From my research of the significance of store spaces to brands, I discovered that today’s consumers are finding the most convenient way to shop online. The level of purchases taking place digitally is expected to rise to by 20% by 2025. Despite the vast majority of luxury sales still taking place in physical stores, 3/4 of purchases are influenced by what customers do online. Fashion consumers constantly desire newness, which leaves questions surrounding the future of physical stores and the consequences of the digital revolution.

The Internet has become extremely good at doing what stores traditionally did. The store of the future must compete with leisure experiences in order to entice consumer attraction. This will require retailers to design dynamic, constantly changing physical spaces that give people a reason to go to and return to stores. There is a platform missing for a more meaningful, multi-sensory theatrical retail experience. Brand stores need to employ a digital forefront and understand how their stores can leverage mobiles to suit their consumers to make experience more interesting having recognised that customers are always interacting on mobile devices.

Stores also boost sales by preventing the delivery problems that cause hassle for today’s busy customers. 90% of customers say that delivery is the biggest barrier to purchase. It’s easier for brands to use a physical space to engage customers in person, to create a compelling experience and clearly communicate the benefits of what they do. Physical presence builds recognition and familiarity, brings brands to life in ways that websites or adverts cannot rival and can also help brands understand who their customers are and how best to communicate with them.

Having accumulated my research and understood possible ways in which all three elements can combine together, I have created mood boards which focus on experiential retail and provide a multi-sensory, interactive and engaging encounter. The first mood board reflects a dystopian society with cyberpunk experiences. It is based on a reaction to a future where things have gone wrong, a circumstance that the subculture ‘Punk’ emerged from – I felt that this was an interesting way to link the brand and the trend together. The second mood board is representative of the theme of Industrial hedonism. I interpreted this to reflect a consumer who is on edge of society, not afraid of being judged, celebrates self-expression and is in their own tribe. A type of experience that encompasses both the brand and the trend is music and festival culture, so I have developed an idea around the theme of music and lighting creating trances to provide a multi-sensory experience that suits both the subcultures that Doc Martens is associated with as well the the trend story. The third mood board presents the futuristic theme of time travelling and develops the idea of an experience where consumers enter a time warp and live through historical moments that helped form the foundation of subcultures that the brand is associated with. This type of consumer experience is vital in sustaining a connection between themselves and the brand and for the brand to determine their image and narrative.