Modeling & Acting 101 - A Model/Actor's Diary

Stretch marks...ugh. No one likes them and if you are a model or want to become one, this may seem like a huge setback to your goals. However, if you know about stretch marks and how to handle them, having these unsightly marks doesn't have to be detrimental to your modeling career. Unfortunately, there are many myths and so-called "miracle treatments" that promise to get rid of your stretch marks forever. Before you invest any time or money, it's important to know the real deal. You don't have to be overweight or pregnant to get stretch marks: This is a common misconception. The skinniest of people can still develop stretch marks and it affects both men and women, although women are more likely to suffer from it than their male counterparts. Stretch marks occur when the skin is stretched over time. This happens not only during pregnancy (which results in stretch marks on the stomach and breasts), but also during growth spurts and even weight lifters that bu...

Just wanted to share two of the photos I was able to get from Mocha Bride Magazine. These are from the second shoot we did. I can't wait to see the rest!

Jam Wrote: Hello! I too was interested in submitting a photo to Jet Magazine for Beauty of the week. Do you have to use a famous photographer? My hair is natural, would it be a good idea to keep it that way for the photos I submit? Thanks and congrats for your photo shoot with Jet! Hey, Jam, and thanks for the kind words, very much appreciated! To answer your question, no, you do not have to work with a famous photographer in order to be considered for Beauty of the Week. As long as you work with a professional photographer that knows what he/she is doing, you will be good to go. If you love your hair natural and can rock it, then by all means, do so! JET likes to showcase different types of women and wants them all to have their own style so if you know you look good with your natural hair, then definitely wear it that way in your photo. Good luck and let me know if you make it--I always love to hear success stories from others! =)

So it was sometime around 7:30AM last Monday when I got a phone call from a number I didn’t recognize. Being the businesswoman I am, I decided to take the call. It turned out to be Sandra, one of the cool folks from Mocha Bride Magazine . As I struggled to remain awake (haha), she told me that a model cancelled on their shoot last minute and wanted to know if it was possible for me to fill in for her. When I asked what time I needed to be there, she replied, “As soon as you can get here.” Needless to say, I took the quickest shower of my life! But it was a welcome change to most Monday mornings. I got ready, grabbed what I could (I was visiting my parents so I wasn’t at home with all my stuff), got directions and headed to Oakland for another bridal shoot. When I pulled up I couldn’t believe my eyes…the mansion was amazing. I don’t even want to call it a mansion—it was more like an estate or something! There was a huge gate and I let myself in through a side glass door that was p...

deep beneath the tides wrote: Hey, I also tried out for this cycle. I'm a model mentor and started out as a goth/fetish model. Cheers to the little girls ^_~ Anyhow, do you know when they are casting this thing? I haven't heard a thing from the show as of yet, and at least a "no" would even be better than just not knowing. Keep up all the awesome work! i love your blog. xoxo Joy p.s. Good luck! Hey, Joy! I definitely wish you luck as well! From what I know, they will be making the callbacks sometime in late April. According to the rules and regs, people will be contacted for either the semi-final or final rounds (it is up to the producers whether they want to have semi-finals and then finals or if they will just cast right away and do a finals round), one week before being required to be on the show and move into the model house. That should put production for the new cycle around early May and should last until June or early July. While it's probably too much to ...

Anonymous Wrote: Thanks so much for answering my question! I'm sorry one more please (sorry I'm being a bother), when does a model's shoe size become a problem? When she exceeds a size 9, 10, or 11? The thing about being tall is that usually the shoe size is big as well. While this may be inconvenient, it isn't so detrimental to the point where it would really negatively affect your modeling career. Almost all tall models have larger feet, so this is something that agencies and clients are already accustomed to dealing with. But if you happen to have an out of the ordinary shoe size, this is something you would talk about to your agent. If you are searching for an agency, then don't bring so much attention to it. List your shoe size honestly and leave it up to the agency to decide whether it's something that can be worked around or not. There are many agencies out there so chances are you'll find at least one that won't mind your big feet. Just know that...

Anonymous Wrote: so why is it that fit models can't be tall. I am 5'11" and have never been able to do fit modeling because of my height. Isn't there somewhere that needs tall people to try on clothes? The thing about this type of fit modeling is that the clothes that are being tried on are for regular consumer sale in stores, and are not tailored for runway models or the runway itself. Fit models are used for the purpose of trying on clothes that will ultimately end up on an actual, average person. The sample sizes tend to be different and more realistic than those of garments used by high fashion designers. While fashion and runway models with your height and measurements tend to try on garments made by high fashion designers, fit models are wearing clothes from companies such as Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic. Needless to say, the two types of clothing are completely different and targeted towards a different audience. I'm sure there are some clients that ma...