After debuting the BEAUTYfull project with the forever-young Mrs. T on aging beauty and following up with the insightful Sidrah Laldin on western and inner beauty, I am so excited to share the third post in the BEAUTYfull™ series with the free-spirited Maad*Moiselle on diversity in casting and expanding notions of Gen Y beauty.
BEHIND THE CONCEPT: What is BEAUTYfull™
Spread beauty. It’s the diva way.™ It’s our mission. And our goal in spreading beauty, the diva way, is that it reaches everyone. It is inclusive, not exclusive. We believe beauty comes in all ages, races, genders, features, sizes, shapes, body types… in all the unique elements that form each of our unique whole. There is a FULL spectrum of BEAUTY and we all exist in it. With our own personal experiences, stories and voices. And with that thought, originated the concept of BEAUTYfull™. It is just the beginning. But…. This is the future of beauty. THIS IS BEAUTYfull™. And we celebrate it on DIVAlicious.NYC.
Please meet our third subject…. Miss Maad*Moiselle.
Special note: All photography by Stephania Stanley. Concept and makeup/ wardrobe styling by Lauren Cosenza. Shot in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
THE THIRD SUBJECT: Maad*Moiselle
Our third subject is Maad*Moiselle, and she is a model, DJ and singer. Maad started off as a dancer and says dancing served as an outlet that led to her experimenting with the arts and exploring her creativity. Maad is originally from Washington Heights, NY and currently resides in Brooklyn.
I first met Maad when she was recommended by the venue to DJ my wedding party. (We hired her!) I then found out she was a model and really liked how her look was equally soft and strong. Plus she’s got good vibes on lock. I told her about the project and how I’d love her perspective on castings and diversity in the business and her beauty regimen and more. And she was totally on board…
THE INTERVIEW: Maad and her thoughts on diversity in castings, catcalling, confidence and Facetune.
Who was your first beauty icon?
My first beauty icon from my memory is my mother. My mother is still a stylist to this day and she’s been the one that’s guided me into different parts of fashion and is always telling me of the trends. She’s been really good like that! Awesome mother!
Who are your current beauty icons?
I tend to pull from the 70s a lot. Bianca Jagger. Diana Ross. Glam and glossy. I’m all for big curls and waves, 100 percent, and in regards to makeup, I’m all about glossy lids. This is my new obsession.
How would you describe society’s perfect woman today in terms of what is predominantly served up by advertising, Hollywood, fashion, media and other image industries?
These days there is an attempt to break the status quo. Now you see, like, the Lane Bryant ads on the sides of the buses, these really voluptuous girls. It used to be this super skinny girl, blonde hair and we kind of still are in that… Fashion week for instance, you have 20 of the same blonde skinny girls, with 1 asian girl, 1 black girl, 1 African girl. I think there are attempts to break the mold but we have some ways to go. But we are on the right track. Which I think is awesome.
Because there are fewer spots [for the non-blonde, non-super-skinny girls], does that ever breed competition among those they are now trying to include? So instead of celebrating each other, does it ever becomes competitive?
I can say for sure that the American Black Girl — we don’t get as much work as the European Black Girl or the girl from London or the girl from Africa. I think they generalize us as commercial. For the most part, I think it’s a European look that they like.
During fashion week, there’s tension. Agencies are sending you to like 8 castings in a day. You’re running all over town – uptown, downtown, Soho, Brooklyn. It’s just an exhausting week but it’s rewarding. I wouldn’t say it’s cattiness. I’ve never personally experienced that. If there is, I don’t pay attention to it.
I did a show for Max Gengos, his presentation, and it was so diverse. Me and a couple of the other girls were like, this is amazing. He did a great casting, like, just an awesome casting. You literally had different races, heights, sizes. It was just… beautiful.
What about magazine covers and commercials, when you were growing up? Did you see parts of yourself reflected? And if not, did you notice it or was it just normal?
As I was younger, it was just normal [to not be reflected]. As I got older, I mean, you start to see it really is just one type of specific audience that they might be catering to.
But any covers now, there are so many ethnicities across the board. You can go to the magazine stand and see there is diversity.
It’s nice to see change throughout everything. Even down to the Cheerios commercials with interracial couples. The model with vitiligo. Us as a generation, just people in general, are aware. And we get to see it changing and that’s cool.
People might assume if you’re a model you feel confident and beautiful all the time. You have a desirable look. You’re getting paid for the way you look. But I work with a lot of talent. And behind the scenes, some days talent comes to set ready to slay it. Other days, people have an insecure moment or they’re not feeling their best or they’re bloated or just had a fight with their boyfriend so their eyes are puffy. What makes you feel beautiful? And for any times that you don’t feel beautiful, what would be the cause of that? Or do you always feel beautiful?
OH NO, I have my days for sure.
Everyone has days where they don’t want to get out of bed… but they have to. I always try to smile. That’s the main thing.
I am obsessed with getting my hair done. Like, hair and eyebrows for me…. even if I have no makeup on… I need to have my eyebrows done and I have to have my hair done. That always makes me feel better.
There’s a lipstick by MAC called Kinda Sexy that I LOVE. Even if I put that on with a bit of mascara, I feel awesome.
And I’m all for my legs out. I love wearing shorts and skirts. I try not to go too short. It’s still New York. Sometimes guys will make you feel uncomfortable. A guy will always have something to say. The catcalling is annoying, SO ANNOYING.
What is your beauty regimen?
I wake up. I wash my face with Cetaphil. Then either a rose water toner or witch hazel to cleanse. Then I do the Cetaphil lotion but now that it’s getting a bit colder I do the Embryolisse – I love that stuff. It makes my skin really smooth and it’s great for applying your makeup right after.
Then for the most part, for my typical makeup, I do tinted moisturizer or foundation. A little bronzer on my cheeks. Mascara. A red lip or a pinkish nude lip – Kinda Sexy or Stone — from MAC.
But I do try to go some days without makeup.
For fragrance, I wear Le Labo. And the Narcisso Rodriguez, the black bottle.
What about fitness?
I try so hard to get into the gym. The main thing I do at the gym is the treadmill and crunches… and then I don’t know what to do anymore. My main thing is I love boxing, dancing, things like that. I like being active. For the most part, I like kickboxing, boxing, all that stuff.
How about diet and nutrition?
When you start to live on your own, and not in your parent’s house, you’re like WHAT DO I EAT?? I eat vegetables and fish… and oatmeal for breakfast. I do so much running around sometimes I honestly forget to eat. I try to keep little snacks to have.
Do you have any backstage beauty tips or tricks you can share?
I always pay attention to the makeup artist on set or backstage. Recently a makeup artist took a paint brush and kept flicking the dust from the bronzer on my face, the brush never touched my face, and the effect it had on my cheeks was amazing. It was really cool.
What are your thoughts on social media and beauty and the pressure to be perfect?
I, for sure, have done the filters and the retouching the skin. There is a bit of pressure when it comes to how you want people to see you. It’s very much like you are saying this is my life, this is what I do… but, you know, it might not be the truth all the time. I’ve posted selfies from days before. It’s not right now. No, it’s not.
But I’ve seen skin that looks plastic. The Facetune. You gotta know when to stop rubbing your finger across your face. Same with makeup. You don’t have to go hammertime. Although actually….. if you feel like wearing all that makeup, it’s a personal preference, so go for it. I get the art of it. But I think there should be a balance.
What is beautiful to you?
Confidence – no matter who you are or what you look like, people tap into that quicker than what’s on the outside.
For this post I used the products featured below. Please note this post is not sponsored. All thoughts are unbiased and my own and the subject’s own. Products were provided for editorial consideration and/or my use as a professional makeup artist. All photos are property of DIVAlicious and Stephania Stanley Photography.
BASE MAKEUP AND FIRST LOOK
For base makeup for all looks, Maad is wearing Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream in Deep with Clarins Everlasting Foundation added for subtle sculpting/contour and IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye in Deep for spot corrections. Brows are defined and locked into place with the Eylure Eyebrow Brow Palette and Eliza Brow Shaper Gel.
For the first look, eyes are lined with Maybelline MasterPrecise Eyeliner. Lips are glossed up in Lucie + Pompette Lip Batter in Can-Can.
For the second look, eyes are rimmed with Anika Glitter Eyeliner (sold in Italy). Lips are coated in Mehron Metallic Powder in Gold pre-mixed with Mehron Mixing Liquid for a molten metal effect.
THIRD LOOK
For the third look, lips are lined with Mehron LIP Liner Pencil in Darling, then topped with Avon Ultra Color Rich Lipstick in Poppy Love mixed with Velvet 59 Matte to the Max Liquid Lipstick in Gigi using a UBU Lip Brush for precision.
xoLC
Lauren Cosenza is the creator and editor-in-chief of DIVAlicious, a trusted beauty/fashion expert, an on-camera personality and spokesperson, a leading NYC-based professional makeup artist, a published contributor and writer, a brand consultant, a product junkie and an insatiable style seeker — with a former life at Cosmopolitan and Shape magazines.
Serving up style with a side of attitude, her site DIVAlicious gives women (and men) the confidence and permission to be fabulous. The site, with a goal to SPREAD BEAUTY, is filled with must-have products, pro tips and tricks, how-to DIY tutorials, makeovers, style inspiration and insider access. Topics range from beauty, fashion, culture, career, fitness, wellbeing, men’s and unisex offerings.
Stephanie Stanley (or Stephania, as her Greek family calls her) is a New York City-based advertising and editorial photographer who specializes in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. Her work can be found on ELLE, Harper’s BAZAAR, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Marie Claire, TODAY, DailyCandy, and TeenVogue. Her client list includes Levi’s, JCPenney, Clean & Clear, Microsoft, Olay, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Garnier, TRESemmé, Estée Lauder, Nexxus, GAP, Secret, and more.
Stephanie holds an MFA in Photography from Parsons and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and puppy, Ophelia, where she can be found running along Brooklyn Bridge Park and enjoying chocolate croissants from the local Italian bakery (typically in that exact order).
The interview revealed her inner confidence and a great positive attitude. She has a lot going for her.
I loved all her looks!! I think I will try the BB cream and the Clarins foundation for sure. Maybe you could suggest the shades that work for my complexion?
Yes, Maad’s super cool and was great to work with! For you, try the BB Cream in Light/Medium. For your skin I’d go with Dream Fresh and not Dream Pure. Dream Fresh will give you the right moisture and luminosity. xoLC