This Lady Says Why She Regret Plucking Her Unibrow To Get Modeling Jobs

I love my eyebrows now, but to be honest, I don’t really think of them. I was born with a unibrow, so these are just my eyebrows, you know what I mean? But I did start waxing them at a really young age, probably in sixth or seventh grade. My mom is a hairdresser, so I grew up in a salon basically my whole life. I'd be there with her after school, and the waxing woman, who’s my mom’s friend, would wax my eyebrow because I was embarrassed of it. Then in high school I just became a lot more confident, and became attracted to things that no one else had. Like with clothing, I liked to dress like no one else would — I just like the individuality of it. 

I did end up feeling, like, why didn’t I just embrace it? The real answer is that for a long time I had to pluck it for modeling. I signed with Ford Models at a young age, so it was better for modeling jobs. But it’s also been going well since I started making my brows kind of my “thing.” Bushy brows have definitely become more of a trend, too, but I’m not going to lie, some days I do want that perfect “Instagram” brow, just for a certain look. But that’s the fun thing with makeup — you can fake anything.

Life Imitates Art

I’m a painter, so makeup for me is another way of creative expression. When brands started expanding with more bold colors and textures and things like that, I was attracted to the idea of bringing those artistic aspects to my own face. I feel most like myself with makeup when I have everything in front of me and can just go crazy with the colors, no time limit, just explore. Other times, I’ll just straight-up do art on my face — something different, definitely not an everyday look.

The thing I notice about my own work and my face is that I feel like my art crosses over. I really understand how a face works, and I feel like I can draw eyes and eyebrows and lips really well because I do draw that on myself. I go to art school, so I’ve learned a lot about color theory and certain shadowing and techniques so there’s overlap there. I love coordinating my makeup to my outfit, too; it’s part of my style.


Blank Canvas

I don’t wear makeup every day. I always give my skin a break if I feel like it’s starting to get irritated, and a lot of times I go to school early in the morning so I don’t have time to do makeup. It’s a good going-out thing for me. I can’t go a day without the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow gel, though — the clear one. I’ve gone through, like, seven tubes of it. I’m a really big fan of the Glossier concealer, but I use it all over my face, more like a foundation.

My go-to look is just kind of a “no makeup” makeup look. I’ll do the concealer, bronzer, put the same bronzer in the crease, my clear brow gel, and maybe lip gloss, or just lip balm. When I go home to California, where I grew up, I wear a lot less makeup, especially because I’m usually there in the summer. But in New York, I feel like you can be anyone. You can do anything crazy and there are always events or things to go to. I’ve had a lot more fun doing makeup in New York.

Pro Tips

I love working with makeup artists on shoots. I’ve been on sets for a long time so I’ve grown up with that, and I’ve learned about so many different little tips and tricks and products. Every makeup artist is different, and everyone sees your face a different way. I think every human sees their face differently than other people do, so what I think works best on me isn’t necessarily what other people think works best on me.

The other day, a makeup artist prepped my face by just massaging coconut oil into my skin for a really dewy look, and then she was using a Tata Harper serum that she buffed into my skin with a brush. Literally the day after, I went and bought a little foundation brush to buff the Boscia face oil I use every night into my skin at home. I love picking up tricks like that — I’d never seen someone do it before, and I was like, “Oh my god, I have to do this now.”

Face Time

Putting on makeup is definitely a ritual for me. I always sit on the floor in front of my big mirror and just play with things. Sometimes I’ll turn on a show or something, but usually I play music. I’ve been listening to so much Abba lately, it’s insane. The 10 minutes right before I go to bed at night is another ritual for me. That’s the skin-care routine, and that’s a whole different deal. It’s very thorough, and I’ll put on music and light a candle. My roommate, who’s my best friend, is also obsessed with skin care, so we’ll do our routines together. It’s really cute; I love it.

I feel so empowered by makeup. It helps me overcome a lot of insecurities, like when I go through those periods and my confidence is low. It can really pull you out of a certain mood when you’re feeling down. It’s not even about wearing makeup to make me feel more beautiful. It’s just the act, just kind of sitting down and caring for your own face and being tender with yourself, then being proud of the outcome.

I Was Bullied for Being “Too Black.” Now I’m a Model.

In March, Nyakim Gatwech, a Minnesota-based Sudanese model, was sitting in an Uber on her way to a job interview in St. Paul when her driver, who she describes as a “light-skinned black man,” asked if she’d ever consider bleaching her much-darker-toned skin for $10,000.

“He said, ‘Wow, you’re dark,’” Gatwech says. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, I know.’ [Laughs]…I can tell when somebody has never seen a Sudanese person before, somebody as dark as me.”

When this happened, Gatwech, now 24, recently had gotten attention for her part in a photo series called “Different Melanin,” which depicted herself with three other models of varying shades of brown skin. She posted another picture with other Sudanese friends a few days later and shared her Uber story in the caption. She was surprised to see that image gain even more traction and supportive comments than the first viral snap.

“I’m used to people asking the stupidest questions ever [about my skin],” she says, adding that she didn’t find the driver’s comment unusual. “I was so surprised that people were moved by [this story].”

Seeing those reactions inspired Gatwech to share more about her highs and lows of self-acceptance online. In so doing, the part-time school teacher, part-time model has grown her Instagram page from 20,000 followers to more than 300,000 and has booked professional gigs ranging from local magazine covers to national campaigns for brands like Aldo. Here, she opens up about being bullied as a child and why she doesn’t let the trolls get to her.

How did you react to your driver’s question about whether you’d bleach your skin?

I just laughed. I wanted to know why he thought I should. He said because life would be easier for me. It would be easier for me to be in a relationship, or guys would be more attracted to me if I was lighter. If I was going to a job interview, I would get the job opportunities because I’m lighter. I just said, “[Even if] being lighter would make my life easier, I’d rather take the [hard] road.”

Did you ever consider bleaching your skin in the past?

At one point, I did consider it. When I came to America from a refugee camp in Africa [at age 14], I lived in Buffalo, New York. I would cry myself to sleep after being bullied [about my skin]. There are so many beautiful dark-skinned Sudanese women who bleach their skin. My own sister did it. But when I told her I wanted to [after living in America for a few months], she told me no. She said, “You would not just be bleaching your skin, you would be bleaching your mind. I did it and I regret it. I’m not going to let my daughter do it, or you — nobody.”

What was your vision of America like when you arrived at age 14?

Oh, it was going to be like heaven. Living in a refugee camp [in Africa meant] sleeping in tents, not knowing where your dinner is coming from, not drinking clean water. America is education, food, hospitals, not feeling like your child will pass away because there’s no medical care. [But] you come here and realize you have to work hard for everything. Yeah, it’s not as heavenly as it seems, as it was made out to be back home. But at the end of the day, America is a really great country if you make it.

ABBY SILVERMAN | GETTY

Why were you in the refugee camp to begin with?

My family is from Sudan. My mother fled before I was even born, because there was a war. Soldiers would come and shoot the whole village, machine gun everybody down. She had to make her way with her children on foot to Ethiopia [to our first refugee camp], and she lost my older sister — she passed away along the way. We were there until the U.N. left that camp. After that, we moved to a refugee camp in Kenya, where finally we were accepted into the United States.

Were you ever in danger inside the refugee camp?

Rebels would try to rob us, and my mother would take all of us in one room, hold us, and lie on top of us to protect us. My brother has a scar — he got attacked with a long knife [by rebels] while he was in the room with my sister and me. My mother was just crying, screaming, and the neighbors came, and finally the rebels left.

You haven’t always received positive reactions to your skin tone. You mentioned you were bullied by classmates when you moved to Buffalo, New York.

They would say, you know, I’m too black, my skin is too dark. They’d be like, “You don’t take showers. That’s why your skin is dirt.” Or, “Smile so we can see you, Nyakim. We can’t see you.” And then, in class, for example, the teacher would ask a question and say, “Oh, Nyakim, can you answer that?” A kid would say, “Who are you talking to? We can’t see her. She’s not here.” The whole class would start laughing, and I would just cry. The kid who would say that would go to the principal, or [he] would get in trouble. But the whole class was feeling what this kid was saying.

What were you thinking at the time?

I just kept to myself. I was like, “These people don’t accept me.” I was already having trouble with the language barrier and learning English to communicate with my teachers. I had always wanted to be a model, but after that I thought, “These kids think I’m ugly. I don’t see myself on social media, or TV, or in the magazines. I don’t think I’m meant to be a model.” I pushed that thought out of my head.

Did the bullying continue when you moved to Minnesota later that year?

I’d walk into the grocery store, and people would stare at me. I could hear people saying under their breath, “Oh my God, she’s so black. Is that even normal?” [To meet friends,] I tried joining sports — track and field. [My teammates would] say, “Are we going to be able to even see her when it’s her turn to pass the relay stick?” I quit track. I just kept to myself.

How do you react to online haters?

The negative reactions or comments don’t affect me as much now — some of them I laugh at. But there are some that go deep and bring me down for a little bit. Some people say I get followers because people feel bad for me, not because I’m actually beautiful. They say I’m the dumbest person ever. But there are millions more people who think I’m beautiful and give me positive feedback.

Do you think these comments have gotten more or less numerous since Donald Trump took office?

Since he gained power, there have been more and more comments like that. More people are like, “I can be racist. I can say whatever I want to say.”

There have been some events recently, like the Charlottesville riot, where KKK members and white nationalists seem to have been given more of a voice. What’s your message to people who think like they do?

We’re all human. There’s no need to divide ourselves. There’s no need to think that one person is better than others. People like that are lacking self-love as well. If you don’t accept who you are, you hate other people. You take the anger, there’s something inside you, you try to take that out on other people. We’re all Americans — we’re in this amazing nation together.

ABBY SILVERMAN | GETTY

There have been a lot of sexual harassment accusations in the modeling industry recently. Has that ever happened to you or to someone you know?

I’m not in [the heart of] the industry. I’m in Minnesota, so I fly to New York once in a while when I get a gig there. Thank God, I haven’t experienced it ever, and I’m not sure what I’d do if I did. But I hear about it, I read about it. I know [the sister of] a Sudanese model who disappeared for two days after a photo shoot. She was sexually assaulted by the director. She wasn’t missing-missing – she was just so ashamed by what had happened. You know, you are in bikinis, lingerie in front of a man, you have to pray the photographer you are working with is not lusting over you or looking at you a certain way. You can tell the difference between [professionals and non-professionals] — when they look at you they see something more than you doing your job.

Has anyone reached out to you to tell you how your story has inspired them?

The most positive reaction ever is [a young girl] telling me, “I’m proud to be the darkest girl in the room — because of you, I started to love myself.” I never imagined that somebody would feel like they’ve accepted who they are and love who they are because of something I did. That’s my main goal, if loving myself and talking about it is helping people, I want to keep doing that. That’s important.

Fitness Model Sarah Stage Still Has Six-Pack Abs In Her 8 Months Pregnancy

Sarah Stage doesn’t have to worry about losing the baby weight. At eight months pregnant, the fit model has six-pack abs and doesn’t appear to have gained an ounce.

The 33-year-old showed off her mind-blowing body in an Instagram posted on Tuesday, August 15. In the clip, Stage, who is due in October, performs squats, side-planks and other moves while her son, James Hunter, 2, plays nearby.

But the purpose of the video was to blast commenters for saying she shouldn’t be working out.

Sarah Stage at 7 months pregnant. Courtesy Sarah Stage/Instagram

“Since I’ve announced my second pregnancy, I’ve had certain ‘Instagram medical experts’ tell me what I should and shouldn’t do,” she wrote to her 2.3 million followers. “While I find some of the comments hilarious, I choose to only listen to my OBGYN and of course I also listen to MY body. If something feels off, I don’t do it! I always do what’s best for my growing baby and put him first.”

The stunning 5-foot-8 brunette went on to explain that the only reason she’s working out is for the health benefits. “There are some people who assume that since I am exercising while pregnant, that I’m obsessed with how I ‘look,’” she shared. “But in fact I’m obsessed with maintaining a healthy lifestyle that will give my baby and myself the best possible quality of life.”

Stage announced her pregnancy on June 16 with a picture that showcased her flat tummy. One month later, she broke the news to Us Weekly that she and her husband, Kris, are expecting another son. “I’ve heard two boys is easy,” she told Us at the time. “I’m excited.”

The L.A.-based mom has been chronicling her tiny bump on social media. Earlier this month, she Instagrammed a picture of herself at 7 months pregnant in a green bikini, leaving her fans baffled. “WTH? Um, 7 months pregnant? I don’t look like that even when I’m NOT pregnant,” wrote one person. Added another: “How is this possible?”

Kidnapped Model Who In Italy Was Seen Shopping With Her Alleged Captor

The alleged kidnapping of British model Chloe Ayling in Italy has become more complicated after it was revealed that she was seen shopping with her alleged captor during the period she was supposedly being held hostage.

Ayling's Italian attorney, Francesco Pesce, told reporters that the 20-year-old woman feared for her life and went on the shopping trip after deciding it would be better to cooperate with her captor.




"She thought the best idea was to go along with it and be nice to her captor," Pesce told the BBC. "He told her he wanted to release her somehow and some time."

Ayling originally told Italian police that she had traveled to Italy for what she assumed was a photo shoot, but was then kidnapped, drugged, and hidden in a suitcase to be sold online to the highest bidder, authorities said.

She was released on July 17 after her captors discovered she had a two-year-old child, she told police. She was dropped off at the British consulate in Milan, where a suspect was arrested.

Ayling broke down on the second day of questioning after Italian authorities showed her a statement from a salesperson who said she had sold the model shoes while she was with the suspect on the day before she was released, according to court documents obtained by the Associated Press.

According to the documents, Ayling said through tears that she didn't have a "reasonable explanation" for going shopping with the suspect, but had considered it a possible way to escape.

Ayling said she went to an apartment in Italy where she believed the scheduled photo shoot would take place, but instead was attacked by multiple men and drugged, before being put in a suitcase and tossed in the back of a car, police said.

“I think I lost consciousness," she said in a statement given to the Telegraph. "When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I’m in now. I realized I was in the boot of a car, with my wrists and ankles tied and my mouth taped. I was inside a bag, with only a small hole that allowed me to breathe.”



Antonio Calanni / AP
She was allegedly taken to a remote home in rural Italy by three or four men, who tied her hands and feet to a chest of drawers inside the residence.

Shortly after she was dropped off the consulate, Lukasz Pawel Herba, a Polish citizen and British resident, was arrested and charged with kidnapping to extort money and falsifying documents.

Police also said Herba told Ayling that her captors were part of a group called the "Black Death," and that they would auction her off on the Dark Web. Police said the group also asked Ayling's modeling agency to pay a $300,000 ransom.

Police said they are looking for four other accomplices, the AP reported.

"I have been through a terrifying experience," Ayling said in a prepared statement after she returned to the United Kingdom on Sunday. "I feared for my life second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour."

Ayling told police she first met the suspect while she was in Paris for a modeling job in April, and that he paid her cab fare at the airport after canceling a modeling job, saying his camera was broken and sending her back home.

Herba told police that he canceled the Paris job after he realized a group of Romanians intended to kidnap Ayling. He said the Romanians gave him $649,000 to rent properties around Europe. He said he initially believed that the properties would be used to store clothes, but was later brought into the kidnapping scheme when he needed money to pay for his treatment for leukemia.

Police in Milan expressed doubt about his story, and said he provided no evidence to confirm his cancer diagnosis.

Herba also claimed he did not participate in Ayling's kidnapping, but instead came to her rescue when he saw her pictures for the online auction. He told police that she was free to leave after the Romanians abandoned the property, but that she choose to stay, according to the court documents obtained by the AP.

Ayling did tell police that after a couple of days of captivity, Herba untied her handcuffs and that they slept in the same double bed, but he did not assault her, according to the court documents. She said she did not leave because Herba told her "Black Death" members were watching.

Court documents claim that Herba told Ayling that top members of "Black Death" were upset to discover she had a son. He said he had paid part of her ransom, and that she would have to pay the remaining $50,000 upon her release. He also said Black Death had other conditions for her release, such as not speaking ill of the group, according to the filings.

Ayling's lawyer said the ordeal has left the model traumatized, and that she is cooperating with officials in Italy, Poland, and the UK.

700lb Model Is On A Weight Gain Plan And She Is Been Fed Via A Funnel (VIDEO)

Most people’s body goals entail dieting and hitting the gym, but Monica Riley has some different goals in mind.

The morbidly obese 27-year-old plans to gain weight, rather than lose, and has an ultimate goal of becoming the fattest woman in the world at 1,000 pounds.

Monica wants to be so big that she will be bed-bound, which her “feeder” boyfriend Sid Riley doesn’t mind as he spends his days cooking and funnel-feeding her through a tube.

While the Texas native embraces her plus-size figure and even models for Super Sized Big Beautiful Woman websites, her mother worries about her weight gain and health.

Click above to watch Monica’s amazing weight gain journey.

Gisele Bündchen Still The Highest Paid Model in the World For the 14th Consecutive Year

When it concerns the modeling industry, Gisele Bündchen is ruling on a supreme! level.

Tom Brady’s breath-taking hubby may be the longtime champ when it comes to modeling paydays, but some millennials are in hot pursuit!

Forbes has released their 2016 World’s Highest-Paid Models list and surprise, surprise, Bündchen is once again the top breadwinner with a staggering $30.5 million. Incredibly, this is her 14th year as the top-earner in the industry. The 36-year-old’s success is in large part to several on-going contracts she has with brands like Pantene and Chanel.

But anyone who wants to debate the validity of Instagram models needs to look at this list’s top five, which also includes Kendall Jenner (No. 2) with $10 million and Gigi Hadid(No. 5) with $5 million. Although both were moderately famous as the children of celebs, they built their modeling brands in the social media stratosphere.

Curious who else made the cut? Head over to Forbes to see the entire list!

How You Can Be Your Own Role Model

It’s normal to have people to look up to. The people you admired helped you become the person you are today, and you used their characters to create and develop your own morals, successes, and integrity.

However, there comes a time in every woman’s life when she has to realize that looking up to others just isn’t necessary. The only person you should be looking up to is yourself. It is not an easy process, but here is some advice on how to become your own role model.

1. Be proud of who you are
Sometimes pride is a tough thing to have or get rid of if you have too much of it. You are who you are, and as long as you treat people with respect, stand up for what you believe in, avoid arrogance and love yourself wholeheartedly, you can’t go wrong.






That’s the type of person others look up to. Being that type of person not only allows you to be proud of who you are but also allows you to look up to yourself and know that you’re just as good as any other person with the same values.

2. Let others look up to you
It’s not the ultimate goal for being the best person you can be, but it’s exactly what follows when you’re able to be your own role model. Others will see you as a role model, too, which in turn will allow you to be even more confident that you’re on the right path. Being a role model to yourself is the best way to go about allowing others to see you as one.


When you allow yourself to look in the mirror with the same admiration you see when you look at your mother, best friend or even a person you’ve never met like a celebrity or your favorite Pulitzer winner, you become a force of your own.

3. You are your best role modelNo one is exactly like you, so no one else’s good decisions are going to be as good for you. When you can see yourself as the only person you need to look up to, this is when the best part of your life begins.

You make decisions not on the premise of what someone else would do, but on what you would do. If you can trust your own decisions because you based them on what you would do in similar situations without any reservations, then you’re able to be confident in every choice you make, whether it be something small like taking a day off work to rejuvenate or something big like changing careers or taking a leap in your relationship.

4. Be the best you can beA lot can be said for someone who is unapologetically themselves no matter what. When you’re trying to live your life based on your own virtues and morals, it’s important to stay true to the best version of yourself. You are the one with the power to be who you are and love that person no matter what.

Even if you’re not feeling particularly great, you must allow yourself to feel everything and make the necessary changes to get back on your feet. Relying on others to show you the way won’t help you because the only way that’s right for you is the one you choose on your own.

You don’t want to be codependent on the opinions of others. Advice is all good and well, but learn how to advise yourself. That’s why being the best you can be, from the inside out, is the best way to go. If you are the best version of yourself based on others’ opinions or actions, you’re their best version of you, not yours.

5. You are in control
When you are your own hero, so to speak, you have taken a positively dangerous amount of control over your own life and what happens to you. This is a beautiful thing because when you have control over your actions, your words, and the consequences of both, nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams. Even if the dreams are small, looking up to yourself as your own hero allows you to amass everything you’ve ever wanted.

You won’t have to worry about whether someone thinks your dreams are crazy or that you can’t accomplish them because of this or that. You’ll know full well and with all the confidence in the world that you are a hero—your own hero—and nothing can stop you.

These are just a few tips on how to become your own role model, and as you can see, there’s no one better for the job! Take a look in the mirror and repeat to yourself that you are the best person to look up to. You will feel great!

How do you view yourself? Are you your own best role model? How did you get there? Tell us this and more in the comments!