04 ON THE COVER 06 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 08 HOMETOWN HEROES 12 MUSIC FEATURE - MICHAEL ROSAS 18 MUSIC ARTICLE - THE SOUND OF SWEAT 20 26 BEAUTY - CONTOUR LIKE A PRO 28 BEAUTY- DANGEROUS LIP 30 48 FASHION EDITORIAL - IN THE CITY. IN THE SEA 62 FASHION EDITORIAL - INTO THE SUN 74 80 FASHION ARTICLE - BLACK WIDOW 92 BEAUTY- PARABEN FREE THE WAY TO BE? 94 HOROSCOPE 96 IN THE NEXT ISSUE...
MUSIC FEATURE - CYMBALS EAT GUITARS
COVER CELEBRITY EDITORIAL - ASHLYNN YENNIE
FASHION EDITORIAL - ...GOING THE WAY OF THE BUFFALO
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This issue has been really awesome to put together. It has also been super stressful cause sometimes we have to depend on bands, musicians, PR -companies, clothing manufacturers, makeup artists, hair stylists, models, etc. etc. This month had some speedbumps but they all worked out and we have a completly awesome issue for you. Seems like every issue is my new favorite. This month’s cover is the beautiful and talented Ashlynn Yennie who’s taking film and television by storm. She’s been on television shows on NBC, several feature and indie films, and she also writes. She’s mostly well known for her rolls in the cult horror films ‘The Human Centipede 1 & 2’ which to many are almost unwatchable. Which makes being around her something special. She’s a complete sweetheart. She’s down to earth and not at all what you’d think of a “scream queen”. Her new films show another dramatic and funny side to her. When I shot the editorial spread for her our whole team was just having a blast. We cracked jokes with Ashlynn’s long term boyfriend Michael, and we just enjoyed dressing Ashlynn up and doing what we love and that’s making beautiful pictures. This isn’t my first time having the pleasure of shooting Ashlynn. I shot her previously for the cover of a good friend’s magazine called “Bridget Marie” and that’s how we originally met. She’s so easy to work with and my camera loves her! I have a feeling one way or another we’ll have Ashlynn back. She’s just too much fun to hang out with. Also this month we have someone special to me and that’s singer/ songwriter Michael Rosas. I’ve loved his previous band (Smile) for a long time and I caught a solo show he played at a local Long Beach bar called The Prospector. His music is the type that really grabs you. It’s so beautifuly well writen and the world just needs to hear it. I know his first EP is free online. You need to check it out. Also we have Corey Manske back with a brilliant article on learning a phsycial instrument vs. computer, and we have a few amazing fashion editorials and articles. We’re very happy with the way this issue turned out. This might be our largest issue to date! Next month we’re going to start doing music reviews! So musicians, send us your music! We’ll be reviewing bands from large major labels to indie bands self releasing stuff.. and our review process will blow your mind. It’s something fun and unique. - Paul Rivera Editor in Chief, Pastorale Magazine My favorite time of year is here! The month of October finds us in fall, Halloween and my birthday. I’m very jealous of the ones that get to see the leaves changing across the world. Please enjoy them in my honor. This issue was great to add in little bits of beauty horror stories and haunts. Gorgeous witchy women, and moody fashion editorials in tow. Also had the ultimate pleasure of meeting and working with actress Ashlynn Yennie in a dream house location. Phew did September fly by, but excited to share this fun month’s tricks and treats. - Sasha Goldenberger Fashion & Beauty Director, Pastorale Magazine
ATTN: BANDS AND MUSICIANS WE ARE GOING TO START DOING MUSIC/ ALBUM REVIEWS IN A VERY FUN WAY. IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE REVIEWED, SEND TO INFO@PASTORALEMAGAZINE.COM
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publisher PAULIFORNIA
editor in chief PAUL RIVERA
managing editor JACKIE SUEHR
fashion & beauty director SASHA GOLDENBERGER
music director PAUL RIVERA
creative director PAUL RIVERA
editorial contributors COREY MANSKE, VERONICA CHANEL, JACKIE SUEHR, LEWIS EVERSON, RICKIE BOCANEGRA, ALISHA L BAIJOUNAS
illustration contributors BEN MATSUYA
photographic contributors MARK SACRO, PAULIFORNIA, ASHLEY BAIRD, WILLOW GREEN
Pastorale is an online-only magazine, produced with the intent to unify music, fashion and lifestyle into a congruent publication. As individuals, we all possess a variety of diverse tastes; it is our purpose to mirror these variances and to incite reflection and intellect. We are not a men’s magazine. We are not a women’s magazine. We are a human magazine. Our articles are not fluff. We aspire to produce an experience for our readers, to compel thought provoking opinions and to inspire creativity in all. Collaboration is what makes this special. We are you.
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STORY BY LEWIS EVERSON PHOTO BY PAULIFORNIA Let’s face it. Not everyone vapes. In fact very few people do in comparison to those who don’t. Meg and her brand Vape Goddess aren’t in it for the big money. They’re actually in it to lose customers. Yes, this is a funny concept but it will make more sense after you read our conversation below. So those of you who don’t vape keep reading, and you’ll understand why this month’s “Hometown Hero” Meg is well deserved. Meg Strouse is the owner of Vape Goddess, a vape brand with a purpose. Meg and her team hand pour, mix and assemble her vape juices with flavors like: Green Tea & Honeysuckle, Raspberry Citrus Creme’, Tangerine Menthol, and Cookies & Milk. In an industry that to some is controversial, we get a real understanding how the vape industry isn’t just a new way to smoke or maintain a nicotine habit indoors, it’s a very real, very meaningful reason for existing.
Pastorale: How did you get started with Vape Goddess? Meg Strouse: I started getting into the vape industry with Drake’s Vapes, and with the owner Kevin Drake. We started that line and it was doing really well. I just noticed that nothing on the market was in the vein of my current aesthetic. Some of the labeling and the branding has skulls, morbid things like gas masks and really weird things like references to bombs and super destructive things. It wasn’t at all appealing to me. I decided to start Vape Goddess with a different overall look that’s artsy and more feminine and playful and not so “grrrrr”.
Pastorale: Yeah that seems kinda odd for something you’re putting in your body. Meg: Yeah. I think it’s weird. I wanted to just stick with something beautiful, pretty, artsy and something that’s positive. What we’re doing is extremely positive for the community. Helping people stop bad habits and enjoy life and be healthy. I don’t know how that pertains to grenades and bombs. I want to keep my brand positive with the illustrations and overall look.
Pastorale: You have an art nouveau artistic styling on your labels, and then each flavor has an illustration based on your photography. Tell us a little about that. Meg: I’m a photographer by trade. It’s obvious that I should utilize my skills if I’m starting a business. With every flavor I want to have a different model represent it in a positive way. There’s a lot of import car show mentalities in this industry. A lot of advertising is with scantily clad women in not so lovely poses - women as objects. It’s not very welcoming to a female demographic at all. I wanted to produce something completely opposite. I wanted to portray females in a positive way, not objectifying them. I wanted to utilize super creative people I surround myself with hair and makeup and illustrations. I wanted it all to be a cohesive look and everything goes together. It’s positive and it’s sexy. You can be sexy with an attitude and your confidence and fully clothed. Sexy doesn’t mean naked. Sexy doesn’t mean put your finger in your mouth and show your butt. It’s all a mentality. I wanted to be able to show people that you can be sexy just the way you are. You don’t have to be these Hooters babes or these car show Nicki Minaj models. I just wanted it to be a positive way for people to portray females. We need more of that. Our flavors speak for themselves... they’re unique and both women and men enjoy them.
Pastorale: We were talking earlier and you mentioned health and that’s another reason you started doing this is because you wanted to help people quit smoking. Meg: Right .Our number one goal is just to help people live healthier lives and put down the cigarette and be able to live and run and breathe and not have all these horrible detrimental diseases. I’ve watched cigarettes deteriorate people close to me and it’s just so sad. My mom has a skin disease from smoking. She’s been smoking since she was 16. She has trouble walking and getting up. It’s all cigarette related because of all the chemicals and the rat poison and the horrible 8 | PASTORALE | OCTOBER 2014
things they put inside those things. Inhaling smoke in general is not good for you. Not to mention cigarettes leading to lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema. You’ve seen all the commercials on TV with those people. It’s just horrible the way this is legal, it’s insane to me. Being able to make, create and put out a product that can help save people from all of these horrible things is totally for me. Sure I’m paying my bills and all of that other stuff. I could pay my bills doing other things, but I think my whole life’s purpose is just to help people. Being so personal with my mom and all of her issues, it’s a personal fight to take as many people as possible and make them healthier.
Pastorale: So you’ve actually helped people quit smoking? Meg: Yeah, I’m from the Midwest and I was born in a corn field pretty much. They’re a little behind on everything out there. All the music and all the trends and the diet … everything is different out there. In efforts to get my mom to quit cigarettes, I went home and I had a little workshop for her and a few of her lady friends. I showed them how to put the liquid in the e-cigarette and how to set it up, how to charge a battery and all that good stuff. This one lady in particular, she took a liking to one of the Drake’s flavors. It was an anise flavor so it was black licorice-y. She really, really, really liked it. Eventually she completely quit smoking cigarettes. I just learned a month ago that she’s not even vaping anymore. She weaned herself down to zero nicotine and now she doesn’t vape or smoke. Everybody says, “You just want people to vape your product and you want children to use it blah blah blah. You want to get new people.” It’s not that at all. We want to take people who are struggling and get them to a better place. I lost a customer but it was in the best possible way! If I keep losing customers that way, it would all be worth it. That’s why I’m doing it.
Pastorale: So your goal is to lose customers? Haha… Sounds like a good business model. Meg: It’s not a great business plan, but people can still vape without nicotine if they want.
Pastorale: THIS is why you’re our “Hometown Hero” it’s really cool that in your business model - that’s a goal. Meg: It’s a compassionate goal.
Pastorale: Absolutely. Is there nicotine in the vape juices? Meg: Yes. There’s different levels of nicotine milligrams. You can get it with zero, so there’s no nicotine at all. It’s just like water vapor that’s flavored nicely, just so if you still feel the need to smoke but you don’t even need the nicotine anymore, you’ve got that. Then it goes- there’s a three, six, 12, 18, even 24 milligrams is the highest. There’s a lot of nicotine in it. I believe a cigarette contains about 13mg - 23mg of nicotine. In addition to all the chemicals and the fact you’re inhaling smoke. Inhaling smoke, of any kind is not going to be good for you. It could be a frickin’ bonfire. If you’re inhaling that smoke, you’re inhaling all these combustible chemicals. With water vapor, it’s just heating up a liquid which turns into a vapor it’s just the water and the flavoring. Even say with, marijuana it has a better effect health-wise on your ailments as vapor than if you smoke it. Anytime you light something on fire, there’s always going to be something that’s not positive for your body.
If you vape or are trying to quit smoking check out Vape Goddess at http://vapegoddess.net and https://www.facebook.com/VapeGoddess
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For some of you Michael Rosas isn’t an unfamiliar name. He’s been making music with Southern California as his backdrop in bands Smile, Satisfaction and Flying Sparks for years, but the great thing about what Michael Rosas is doing now is that he’s taking what he has learned and he is thoughtfully providing the listener with what we call here at Pastorale Magazine - some REALLY good music. We know your tastes in music vary because we are you and our tastes vary too! What Michael Rosas is offering up these days seems like a new beginning, and honestly I am a sucker for those. Michael took some time to talk with us about his EP ‘Singer of Songs’ and shared a bit about his history and where he is headed to next.
Pastorale Magazine: When I found out that this interview was going to be in Costa Mesa, I thought it was kind of interesting. It kind of brings us back to where maybe things started for you, at least in the sense of Orange County, but more locally Costa Mesa and its music scene. Can you share a little bit of your history here with our readers? Michael Rosas: I started playing in bands shortly before I moved to Costa Mesa, but it was like punk rock bands and whatnot. I never felt like anything that I was doing fit into a particular scene. There were a lot of music scenes that were happening around that time, like in Seattle, San Francisco or Chicago and I didn’t feel it here in California. I started to see kind of a music scene developing in San Diego so I got it in my head that I wanted to move to San Diego. The first band that I sang in was called Smile and I was trying to convince the guys that we had to move to San Diego because that’s where the scene was. Otherwise we were just going to be spinning our wheels here in Orange County. It wasn’t until we started getting invited to play shows in Costa Mesa at a place called Our House that I started to feel like there was a scene developing, at least a scene that we fit into. That was that, and then ended up moving here shortly after that. It just kind of became the hub of my musical and social life from that point moving forward. It was right at the time when a lot of venues were starting to crop up in the area and a lot of bands. There were a lot of bands that were from San Diego that were coming to play Costa Mesa regularly.
Pastorale: To tie up the past a little bit, last year you did some reunion shows with Smile, correct? What was the motivation for doing those? Michael Rosas: We really hadn’t thought much about getting the band back together to do a reunion at all. I don’t know if there was a motivation. It just seemed like maybe Aaron, our bass player, was the one that was sort of pushing it along and Scott and I didn’t really fight it. We didn’t think it was a bad idea by any means, but we just thought okay, I guess now is as good a time as any. Or maybe because we’re feeling it right now, this is the only time that it’s going to happen so let’s just do it right now!
Pastorale: Did you enjoy it? Michael Rosas: Oh, it was great, yeah. It was a really good experience. My style of singing and playing has changed so much since then, and it was a little hard for me to get back into that kind of like yelling. Not yelling, but then I didn’t really sing the way that I sing now. It was hard to find a place where I could still make it sound like that old band, but not sound like an older dude that’s trying to sound like a 21-year-old dude.
Pastorale: You’re leading right into where I’m going next which is basically that grittier sound that you were known for as far as vocals
go - it has now shifted into what I would say is kind of a folky almost country sound sometimes. Was that always lurking there, that change? Michael Rosas: I’m not really sure. I don’t think that I really started - I don’t think that I became a good singer until maybe in the last 5 years. I think that I was a pretty decent vocalist for a band that was able to make a sound that fit the songs and fit the sound of the band and everything. It was honest. Sometimes when I look back, I feel like I was putting on a voice that wasn’t mine, but I didn’t know what my voice was. It’s not like I was really turning my back on who I really was or anything back then. It was just like okay, this is what the music sounds like so this is what I’m going to sound like. More recently, the way that I sing now, is just the way that I can’t imagine any other way of singing. It’s just - that’s just the way that I sing. I don’t think about it and it comes naturally, and I’m really happy about that because it’s one less thing to think about. Back when I used to play in Smile, and even Satisfaction, I used to get stressed out a lot more about whether or not it was going to sound good and was I going to be able to sing.
Pastorale: To the listener it sounds like you are just being you now. Let’s talk about your 4-song EP ‘Singer of Songs’, was it self-released? Michael Rosas: That EP came together in sort of a haphazard way. The last band that I was playing in, Satisfaction, before I started a new band called Flying Sparks, I was playing with two brothers, Matthew and James Fletcher. Matthew playing keyboards, James playing drums, and when Satisfaction broke up, we weren’t really sure what we were going to do at that point. We broke up because our bass player left the band and I was hesitant to get a new bass player before. I thought it might be a good opportunity to stop, take a breath and figure out if that was still the style of music I wanted to continue playing. I thought well, I was at the point where I thought whatever project I start, or whatever I decide to do from that point moving forward, I would like it to be something that I would be comfortable doing for another decade or two. I didn’t want to continue a sound where maybe as I get older I just don’t connect with it anymore or anything like that. I took some time to just kind of write songs with no … we weren’t really imagining that it would be a band necessarily. We didn’t know, so we just started doing stuff. Anyway, we had a bunch of songs. We decided to start a new band. It was called Flying Sparks. We weren’t together for very long, but that EP was sort of the last thing that we did together as a band, but then we broke up. So I released that as my first EP because that sound was basically what I decided that I wanted to do going forward.
Pastorale: Where was it recorded? Michael Rosas: It was recorded a few places, but mostly at a studio in Westminster I think, called Secret Ninja, and it’s gone now. Beautiful studio. I couldn’t believe that studio was there. It was just such a wonderful place. I looked into the possibility of doing some more recording there, and it was long gone. Then we did some extra stuff. We did some strings at a studio in L.A. on a song called ‘My Lover Keeps Me Warm’. Actually, the quartet that played on that, the night before, had just played on the Academy Awards show. Then a couple other little studios in town.
Pastorale: As far as the music itself, the songs now seem to be a bit more… the word that I had used to describe them was confidential. Meaning, they seem more personal in nature, but almost like you’re sharing a little bit of a secret with us, almost sweet in nature is what I think of it. Do you look at it like that? Do you think that you’re making a bigger personal connection with the listener now, especially with OCTOBER 2014 | PASTORALE | 15
everything that you’ve just described about the change in your vocals and kind of finding a place that works for you? Michael Rosas: Yeah, definitely. It’s really nice to hear that. When I was making the music, writing the songs and recording them, even after I had released them, I didn’t really see it that way. After I had some time to get away from it and just step away, and to get feedback from friends and other musicians and people who were starting to hear it, I started to realize that was the case. There’s a big difference between the music I’m making now and the music I’ve made in the past in that sense. I see that now. There’s a huge line, not just in the lyrical content, but just in the overall, there’s more of a human kind of element to it I think which I really like. I think all it really comes down to is the fact that I’m just trying to simplify. I don’t know if it’s just that I’m inherently lazy, or something, but I feel like I’ve realized that the less I try, the easier it is to do good things, so the less that I slave over writing a good song. I still work hard at it and everything. It’s not like it just happens…
Pastorale: Can you tell our readers a little bit more about what your process is; being a writer of songs? Michael Rosas: Really, what usually comes to me first is a melody and I will just sit and play the melody around in my head. The way that the melody comes is just any old time of day. I don’t ever really sit down with the sole purpose of writing songs. Little ideas come, and I think that’s just one way that’s pretty common with a lot of musicians. Other songwriters will have their song writing time and that works for them, but that’s a disaster for me. Anytime I sit and say okay, today I’m going to be writing songs, or tonight or whatever it doesn’t work for me. Everything’s crap that I do at that moment. Really, it’s more like I just have to hear things and then when I say okay, I like that idea and I have enough of it just bouncing around in my head now that I’m going to commit to it. I’m going to pick up a guitar or sit at a piano and just figure it out. It’s almost more like I learned the song as opposed to writing the song. Does that make sense? It’s kind of like if you heard somebody else’s song and then you just sit and listen to it, and you’re holding a guitar like how does that go? That’s kind of what I do. It’s like oh, it’s already written. It’s just there, so now I just have to learn it.
Pastorale: Explain the difference between the first time you got on a stage with a guitar and sang in front of other people, and what happens now when you do that. Michael Rosas: The first time I got on stage with the guitar, I wasn’t the singer so it was a little bit easier. We were playing hard core punk. I was in this punk band in high school and it didn’t really matter much to me. The first time that I got on stage with a guitar as the singer, I was terrified. It wasn’t even just the first time, it was the second time, the third time. It was probably like the first three years, four maybe, just getting on stage. I had a really hard time with that.
Pastorale: Stage fright? Or…. Michael Rosas: Maybe not stage fright so much as just not being able to be present in the moment. I was just in my head too much, thinking about everything. I’m like thinking about the silliest things, just distracting myself from the music. I was thinking about everything except what I should have been thinking about which was just making a connection with the audience and playing. 16 | PASTORALE | OCTOBER 2014
Thankfully, I was able to just do it and the kind of music that I was playing at the time didn’t always require this solid connection between me and the audience. It was a nice time, the 90s, where bands could be totally disconnected on stage and people totally liked it. You’re just loud, fuzzy and you’re looking down at the floor and people are like, yeah, it’s fucking genius. You know what I mean? Good for that, but inside I was thinking like oh shit, where do my feet go? Oh, my voice cracked, like all kinds of shit like that. Even just like, oh God, that shirt that the bass player’s wearing is kind of weird looking. I wonder if people are thinking we’re lame. All sorts of shit like that. It’s embarrassing, but it’s the kind of shit you think of.
Pastorale: It’s real life! Michael Rosas: Now, I feel probably most comfortable on stage playing and singing for people. It’s probably the most comfortable place I can be in life. Now, I never feel that type of anxiety that I described in the past I don’t really ever feel that now in my life, or it’s rare, but I’ll feel more uncomfortable standing in line for a coffee than I feel on stage. On stage I just feel like I can just be myself and just do whatever.
Pastorale: So do you have a band now? A permanent group of people that are with you and performing songs, and have you performed them live in front of an audience? Michael Rosas: I don’t have a permanent band now, but that’s intentional. I did. We haven’t played a live show with the band yet. The closest I’ve come so far is I just recently did two live performances of songs with the band in the studio.
Pastorale: Are these the videos that were made at The Compound (a studio in Signal Hill)? Michael Rosas: Right, and put those online. That was sort of the first step for me just to get comfortable performing this music with the band, a different band. I had played those songs with Matt and James from Satisfaction and Flying Sparks. Those guys were also in Smile. I’ve played with them for so long, we’ve become such great friends, that I really needed to draw a line for myself just playing with different musicians just so that I could show and kind of prove to myself that I could make this music on my own, just with my vision entirely and that it would be okay. That’s what that was, and now I’m planning on playing shows, for the most part, with a band. I don’t know who will be in the band. Just whoever’s available. I mean I definitely love those musicians that I played with in those videos, but they have other things going on. Most of them are in really great bands on their own as well, so what I’m going to do is just kind of figure out who’s available when I have a show and put a band together. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be fine. I won’t go up and play if it’s not going to be fine.
Pastorale: So who are your influences now? Michael Rosas: I think simply put, I have this sort of permanent foundation of the music that I grew up listening to and most of that is sort of the mainstream new wave and punk from the 80s. Not going too deep into punk and everything. I was just a kid, I didn’t really know what punk was, but I loved Devo. They were kind of more new wave pop or whatever. My first concert was the Ramones. I loved them. Black Flag. Then Missing Persons was one of my favorite bands, Oingo Boingo. I’ve got all of that. I loved this band called the Surf Punks from L.A. They were sort of like a novelty themed punk band, they were like surfer guys and everything, but their music was genius I think. There’s that, and I can never get away from that. Even if I’m writing a song that’s sort of folky or something, I’m always looking for that art damaged angle, or some sort of bend I can put on it that comes from that quirkiness. Then right now - but it’s been kind of a long time now, maybe a couple years, for some reason, I’m locked in on 1965. I have no idea why, but it’s like The Beach Boys’ “Today!”, Peter, Paul & Mary’s “A Song Will Rise”, The Beatles’ “Help” and “Rubber Soul”, The Byrds’ “Turn! Turn! Turn!” - That’s right now.
Pastorale: How do our readers find your current 4-song EP ‘Singer of Songs’ right now? Michael Rosas: The easiest way is just to go to www.michaelrosas.com, and it’s there for free. You can download/stream it!
Yes, you heard the man – for free! Do yourself a favor and download ‘Singer of Songs’ from www.michaelrosas.com. The EP is also available for purchase (that’s how I got my hands on it for just under $4) on iTunes, and keep your eye out for new things from Michael Rosas. Live shows, new videos, full-length album we hope; whatever he has in store we think you will most definitely want to be a part of it.
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I’m sure we all agree that buying expensive shoes and running 26.2 miles on a treadmill doesn’t make you a marathon runner. Landing a 747 in a flight simulator doesn’t make you an experienced airline pilot either. Well, making music on a computer doesn’t exactly make you a musician. Don’t get me wrong. It takes skill to do it, but you’re not an actual musician unless you can replicate your music with some kind of traditional musical instrument. According to a popular theory, it takes 10,000 hours of effective practice to become an expert at anything. Honestly, if you spent all those hours trying to master ways of manipulating sounds on a computer you may be an expert, but you’re still not a musician. However, you are a creative force that should be commended and recognized. Let’s face it; you’re an artist and a bona fide computer whiz with perseverance because it takes a great deal of dedication to spend 10,000 hoursdoing anything! Seriously, keep doing what you’re doing. Continue to do what you love. Just be carefulwhat you call it. Sure, the runner on a treadmill can log the same mileage as someone finishing a marathon but they’re truly missing the most important parts of the experience. Hey, I’ve got a ton of respect for those of you that can crank that long on a treadmill. I couldn’t hang for more than thirty minutes. And anybody that could spend more than ninety seconds in a flight simulator is a stud. It would take a half-day to clean up all the vomit if I tried. See where I’m going with all this? When it comes to art, I believe that passion is one of the most important components we emotionally connect with. It’s one of my favorite things to hear in music and as listeners, we all unconsciously identify something that resonates inside us. Sometimes it’s as simple as a lyrical passage or a dynamic melody. Other times it’s almost undefinable, as if it is magically intertwined somewhere within the music. Either way, it’s unmistakably there. Some folks think that connection can be manufactured and I strongly disagree. They’ve established careers by spending their time and money to mimic the real thing. There is a fundamental difference between actual musical instruments being played in a collective, organic setting and simulated musical instruments being sampled in an often isolated, sterile setting. Basically that’s the difference between two people talking in-person versus two people texting. Let that sink in for a moment. Sure the same information can be exchanged, but there is no way to convey emotion without body language, facial expressions or other forms of non-verbal communication. Those tiny nuances take interaction to the next level. As they say: The devil’s in the details. The dictionary defines nuance as a very subtle difference or variation in expression, color or tone. Slight variations and inconsistencies heard in many organic musical performances are widely identified as the imperfections that make them truly special. One thing that makes art come to life is imperfection. There are books and online forums dedicated to discussing the imperfections found in everything from Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine
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Chapel to Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous piece, the Mona Lisa. It’s safe to say that neither work of art would be the same without those nuances. To me, there’s a noticeable attempt at perfection in most computer-based music. Every centimeter has been scrubbed with a toothbrush then vacuumsealed in identical rectangles. The audio is quantized, equalized and optimized. The sounds have been digitally engineered to be crystalline, the exact opposite or anything in between. Red can sound like blue and blue can sound like yellow plaid. Thanks to moderntechnology, passion is now optional. That’s fucked. Listen to any of your favorite music, regardless of genre from any past decade and I bet you can hear the sound of sweat. Passion wasn’t optional for James Brown or Led Zeppelin or Nirvana or Pearl Jam. You can hear the effort in Blink 182, Anthrax and Heart. You can’t run a computer program to replicate David Bowie, John Mayer or Slipknot. There’s no software-based songwriting algorithm a computer could use to duplicate Metallica, Brad Paisley or Fleetwood Mac. We could fill the rest of the pages in this magazine with examples. Ever since passion, nuance and imperfections became optional we’ve been subjected to more music devoid of any long lasting emotional connection. The ripple effect of that finds iconic people like Gene Simmons in the media spotlight officially declaring the death of rock and roll music. When you consider the Billboard Top 25, the majority of performances on televised musical award shows, the top iTunes albums and the top iTunes singles...he raises a pretty valid point. As I write this, there’s literally only ONE rock band mentioned on the iTunes front page and that’s primarily because this little band formed in 1976 from Dublin, Ireland has an impressive catalog of past material that simply bubbled with passion. With songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “With or Without You” there’s no denying U2 knows a thing or two about the relationship between passion and music. Hint: it’s not optional. Why do we call highly specialized computer programmers musicians? I’m offended by that. Piano lessons started for me in first grade and continued until drum lessons began in eighth grade. I went to college on a music scholarship and I have spent nearly every week of my life in rehearsals of some kind since 1989. Does that make me biased? Yes, but that’s not the point. I included those tidbits because they illustrate one version of a musician’s actual path. Every once in a while, I pass milestones on my journey to reach and then eclipse 10,000 hours. At this point I don’t know how many hours I’ve amassed. Maybe I’m half way there. Maybe I’m not. Either way, thanks to passion, my quest will never end. Anyone who has created music on a computer with an equal number of dedicated hours should still be classified as something other than a musician in my opinion. I say that with respect in the same spirit as: the marathon runner wouldn’t want the treadmill guy to consider himself a marathon runner too, the airline pilot would not award a wings pin to the guy stepping out of the flight simulator and the talented texter would never be referred to as a conversationalist.
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Having just released their third full-length album ‘LOSE’, and gearing up to spend more time on the road, the members of Cymbals Eat Guitars are no strangers to how this all works. Joseph D’Agostino (guitar and lead vocals), Andrew Dole (drums), Matt Whipple (bass and vocals), and Brian Hamilton (keyboards and vocals) go about living their regular lives until it’s time to throw their gear into a van and tour. Formed in New York in 2007 by high school buddies D’Agostino and former drummer Matthew Miller, and named after a Lou Reed quote expressing his want for less cymbals in the earlier Velvet Underground albums because “cymbals eat guitars”, the band has begun to embark on their current tour in support of their recent release. Don’t let the mention of Lou Reed or The Velvet Underground mislead you into thinking that Cymbals Eat Guitars sound anything like either. The band have mastered a heavy, fuzz-filled sound that is loud and unafraid, all while D’Agostino’s voice swims triumphantly above. The band’s new release remains true to this heavy sound right from the opening song ‘Jackson’ and naturally pulls back a bit with ‘Child Bride’ and ‘Laramie’ into a spacey sound that isn’t replicated by any other band you will hear today. Cymbals Eat Guitars is reminiscent of the 90’s shoe-gazing rock that I filled my cells with for many formative years, except for the amount of urgent power that they also seem to achieve. CEG’s bass player Matt Whipple took the time to answer some questions for us:
Pastorale Magazine: Congratulations on your newly released full length album titled ‘LOSE’... When did the album come out? Matt Whipple: ‘LOSE’ was released on August 26 of this year.
Pastorale Magazine: What have you (collectively) been up to since your last release ‘Lenses Alien’ in 2011? Matt Whipple: We toured ‘Lenses Alien’ for two years, as is pretty customary for a lot of bands nowadays, and in late 2013 we started work on writing ‘LOSE’ in earnest with a regular schedule of rehearsals. In between tours we all worked various jobs and lived regular lives. In fact, I think people’s minds would be blown by the regularity. We’re very regular when we’re not on tour.
Pastorale Magazine: Since CEG was formed in 2007 by founding members (and high school buddies) Joseph D’Agostino and Matthew Miller, the band line-up has changed along the way. Why is that? Matt Whipple: There is a lot of “making it work” in your life in general when you are expected to spend months at a time touring and thus not making very much money to support your non-touring life. I feel like that is the number one reason why any given band may look different from one album to the next. I don’t know any bands in circumstances similar to ours that haven’t gone through lineup changes that can be chalked up to that. It’s also why you very often see a “band’s” press photo and it’s just the one dude, because why shoot everyone if there’s no telling who will still be around in one or two more record cycles? That said, there hasn’t been a major shift in CEG in a really long time. Brian and I have each been in the band for over five years. The most recent change is that Matt Miller is not in the band anymore and has been replaced on drums by Andy Dole.
Pastorale Magazine: Have you found your sweet spot with this current line-up? Matt Whipple: Absolutely. We are touring with renewed energy and minimal personal nonsense, and obviously the record is great. It feels wonderful.
Pastorale Magazine: We agree, the album is great! What is the band’s writing process? Matt Whipple: Joe writes all of the lyrics and most of the chords but we all have moments where we contribute ideas. A song is never finished until we have spent a lot of time in a room together batting ideas around until we arrive at a version we’re all excited by.
Pastorale Magazine: In 2011 CEG found their current record label
home with Barsuk Records. Also home to such acts as: Death Cab for Cutie, Nada Surf, Phantogram and Yellow Ostrich. Barsuk seems to have found a secret formula to respecting the work of its artists. What do you guys feel that secret formula is? Matt Whipple: They take a very hands-off approach to the recording process and pretty much only deliver their thoughts on a record when it is turned into them, finished. That level of respect for the work and trust in their artists’ sensibilities seems to work just fine.
Pastorale Magazine: Your first full length album ‘Why There Are Mountains’ was self-released in 2009. Can you tell our readers about the process of making that album in contrast to the last two? Matt Whipple: ‘WTAM’ was essentially Joe’s studio project and now we’re a band in which everyone’s input is super important for the finished product.
Pastorale Magazine: ‘LOSE ‘seems to be garnishing a lot of buzz and some critical praise (Pitchfork, NPR) – how do you brace yourselves for dealing with another round of buzz when you have been there before and how is it different now? Matt Whipple: We knew we made a great record and so we had some sense of what to expect this time around. The response has been wonderful but that has been less surprising than with past records.
Pastorale Magazine: One of the “buzziest” moments so far has been the show CEG put on at the Apple Store in Soho last month…how was that? Cool experience? Matt Whipple: It was really just a promo thing we did with a very important retailer. We had a nice time and played a few songs but it wasn’t much to write about.
Pastorale Magazine: We like your honesty. I recently saw an amazing video for the song ‘Laramie’ (my personal favorite on the new album ‘LOSE’, the album version of the song is over eight minutes long) that included some stunning visuals. Who directed that video and how do you feel about the results? Matt Whipple: Milton Ladd is the director and our friend. We were thrilled to work with him and love the finished product.
Pastorale Magazine: I enjoy the hand written lyrics the band put together for the album ‘LOSE’, and I also noticed you provided listeners with a link to all the lyrics via your Facebook page. For a listener like me this is a great thing as I weigh lyrics heavily into the music I listen to. Is this the same for you? Matt Whipple: Lyrics are very important. Joe is one of the best lyricists in indie music today and people ought to know it, which is why we always include written lyrics somewhere whenever we release anything. It’s definitely something our fans appreciate.
Pastorale Magazine: Looks like lots of touring is in CEG’s future. With dates lined up from now through the end of the year. What’s touring like for the band this time around and how do you make your way around the country? Matt Whipple: We fit all of our gear and all four of us into a van, and then we drive from city to city playing shows. Not much has changed about it over the years.
Pastorale Magazine: Personally, I am looking forward to CEG’s live show in support of ‘LOSE’ because you have a multi-layered approach to songs and I can’t wait to see how this translates live with the new material. Do you feel confident that your live shows will deliver both the quiet whispers and urgent screams CEG is known for? Matt Whipple: Yes. Very confident.
Visit www.CymbalsEatGuitars.com for further information about their ongoing tour in support of the newly released full-length album ‘Lose’. Purchasing information is also available at their website.
OCTOBER 2014 | PASTORALE | 23
beauty
5 Professional Makeup Tips to Help You Achieve Your Look BY RICKIE BOCANEGRA • PHOTOS: PAULIFORNIA • MODEL: BROOKE BANMER
With Halloween just weeks away and costumes being finalized it’s time to start thinking about how to take it to the next level; so lets talk makeup! There is nothing more transforming than a great makeup application. Whether you are going for a glam look or horror, contouring your features can completely change the way you look.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating your look:
1. Contouring means to add depth or darkness. When you think of darkness
you should be thinking cool neutral tones. Stay away from warm tones that will actually bring attention to the area. So whether you’re creating a vampire goddess or day of the dead sugar skull, where you place your darkest color will be your shadow area.
2. Along with contouring you also need to think of highlighting. Highlighting is bringing out an area and using these two techniques together to create the most contrast and drama. Think of highlighting as the brightest areas of your look like the cheek bones.The lighter the color the more attention you will bring to that area. 3. Now to contour like a pro you need to know this important part…… BLEND!
BLEND! BLEND! Blending is key to the perfect contour. Unless you are a pro you may not have all the right brushes, but sponges, finger tips and even Q-tips if used properly can get the job done. Wherever you lay down your contour line there needs to be an area of focus and an area that diffuses. Once you determine that it’s time to blend. Stippling or “patting” in fast small movements will begin to diffuse and soften up your contour.
4. You will find while shopping for your makeup product there are a few op-
tions like powder and crème. Both will allow you to create your look but there are a few slight differences. Crèmes are usually more pigmented-meaning you get more color, but you may find that they need to be set with a powder to keep them put. Powders will have the hold but may lack the pigment. Again, I am giving you tips to work like a pro, so my advice… use them both! Doing most of your work with your crème and building your layers with your powder.
5. Lastly, the most important thing I can tell you is practice and have fun! It’s Halloween and trust me, there will be more questionable looks out there to worry about than your contour! 26 | PASTORALE | OCTOBER 2014
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You’ve heard the hundreds of horror stories about parabens and toxins in your beauty products, and how to avoid them by buying this or that product. Maybe you’ve heard the nightmare about toxic metals found in popular brands of lipsticks? Yet another scary story about the cosmetics we use. “A Poison Kiss: The Problem with Lead in Lipstick”, a study conducted by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in 2007, where they tested 33 red lipsticks, the results showing that 61% tested positive for lead levels ranging from 0.03ppm to 0.65ppm (parts per million). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it doesn’t consider these levels to be a safety issue, and it’s true - Don’t Panic! But be aware, because in 2009 and again in 2012 the FDA conducted their own studies with both ending in even higher results. They found 400 lipsticks and lip-glosses with metal levels ranging between 0.9 to 7.19ppm, that’s 11 times higher than the 2007 study just a few years earlier! Not to mention those levels are much higher than the FDA’s approved 0.1 ppm for lead in candy. It’s true, applying lipstick once will cause no harm, but wearing lipstick everyday should raise a small concern. The average daily lipstick or lip-gloss user will apply lipstick between 2 to 14 times a day. Our lips are considered a mucus membrane, they absorb anything applied to its surface, and let’s not forgot about ingesting lipstick! (Yuck) Based off of a University of California study, between absorbing and ingesting lipstick the average daily user consumes 87 milligrams of lead and other toxic metals. Toxic metals such as Chromium, Cadmium, Manganese and Aluminum. Combine those amounts ingested with levels found in other places, for example in our drinking water, and that could add up to harmful levels! Exposure to Cadmium, which deposits into the kidney and can cause damage, could be of particular concern to people with compromised renal systems, such as people living with diabetes or undergoing kidney dialysis. Excessive intake of Chromium a carcinogenic, can be linked to stomach tumors, these are not a good price to pay for outside beauty. It can be a challenge for consumers trying to avoid these potentially toxic metals. With the exception of aluminum, these found metals are not intentionally added ingredients, but found within the pigments and base of products. Because they are not added ingredients, the FDA doesn’t require the toxic metals to be listed as an ingredient. The FDA regulates the selection of dyes manufacturers can incorporate into their beauty products, and products intended for use on mucous membranes can contain FDA-approved dyes. Lipstick and gloss manufacturers create their colors from this reduced pool of approved dyes, but still the levels of metals found are rising. Lipsticks and gloss with higher levels of lead and toxic metals can be found in darker pigments and ‘long wear’ formulas. Just to call out a few names and their parts per million levels based off of the 2012 FDA study: Maybelline Color Sensational #125 Pink Petal (7ppm), L’Oreal Color Riche #410 Volcanic (7ppm), NARS Semi Matte #1005 Red Lizard and #1009 Funny Face (5ppm), L’Oreal Color Riche #165 Tickled Pink (4ppm). For all you makeup junkies out there who love mixing and matching your makeup for uses other than originally intended for, think again about what base products and pigments might have been used to make that eye shadow or powder blush that you want to crush up and mix with Vaseline to make your own personal shade of lipstick. Take the time to consider what products, and even shades of lipstick you wear on a regular basis, and what is a safe product for you. Because until Congress updates the law regulating cosmetics (which was created in 1938), the FDA possesses no legal authority to make sure products are safe before they are sold.
BY VERONICA @PRETTYFRESHBEAUTY MAKEUP AND HAIR BY VERONICA CHANEL MODEL : MICHELE TASIEMSKI PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAULIFORNIA 28 | PASTORALE | OCTOBER 2014
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Kimono - Knot Sisters Earrings -Paradigm Design Rings - Tiffany Kunz 32 | PASTORALE | OCTOBER 2014
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Model, actress, writer, producer, entrepreneur, and self- proclaimed “small town girl” Ashlynn Yennie left a big impression on us here at Pastorale Magazine. While we knew you would appreciate Ashlynn’s gorgeous feature this month, we also thought our readers would love to learn a bit more about this independent spirit. Easily approachable and down to earth, she is as hard working as she is easy going. Ashlynn shares with us some about her journey from Wyoming to LA, her own personal style, and what role music plays in her life, but before we get to all that – let’s get the scary stuff out of the way! The name Ashlynn Yennie might be familiar to you and you just can’t quite remember where you have heard it. Outside of numerous projects since, she achieved a rapid amount of notoriety starring in the 2009 Dutch horror film ‘The Human Centipede (First Sequence)’, and its equally frightening successor 2011’s ‘The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)’. OK NOW WAIT! DON’T FREAK OUT AND STOP READING! I say that because I know that most of you have just flashed to some memorable and even notorious scenes from these cult phenomenons and may be needing a breather but here’s the thing – it’s almost Halloween and October gets to be the creepy-scary month remember!?! Ashlynn, believe it or not isn’t tired of talking about HC I and II, and even an-
swers some questions for us too. As a matter of fact she truly appreciates the recognition from those films, and furthermore she has taken the opportunity they have given and fastened a business and career where she gets to be on the creative side of the industry as well as in front of the camera. So please, visit those awesome memories in your head of those intense movies that may or may not have scared the living crap out of you like they did me, and then take a deep breath and look closely at our feature and read about a small town girl from a supportive family who is forging her way through a tough industry with a great head on her shoulders. Pastorale Magazine’s chat with Ashlynn Yennie begins in a small town and ends with all things pumpkin:
Pastorale Magazine: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Ashlynn Yennie: Originally I am from a small town in Wyoming. I have two older sisters and fantastic parents. I always knew I wanted to be an actor from the very first play I did when I was four years old. I was lucky enough to have parents that believed in me and let me dream big. (continued on page 41)
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Pastorale Magazine: LA via New York via Wyoming. Tell us the story of how you found yourself in LA. Is LA where you call home now?
Pastorale Magazine: Tell us about your writing. What projects have you worked on and will you write more in the future?
Ashlynn Yennie: LA is home now… even though NYC will always have my heart. I moved to NYC at 19 to study and pursue my dream and lived there for six years. I have been in LA for four years and I do love both cities. I actually moved to NYC to study film at the New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. I loved it and was so happy to learn from some of the best teachers in the city.
Ashlynn Yennie: I love to write and create so that is why I created my production company 2 AM ENTERTAINMENT with my biz partner Meg Schmidt. We are currently producing a music video for an artist named Myke Terry. So, I am wearing many hats at the moment.
Pastorale Magazine: As you know, Pastorale Magazine is both a music and a fashion magazine. What role does music play in your daily life? Who are your all-time favorites, and who do you listen to currently? Ashlynn Yennie: I love music and all types. I used to see a lot of live shows down on Bleecker Street in NYC because my best girlfriend is a musician. You can find me listening to everything from oldies, French musicians like Carla Bruni, to Radiohead and the Counting Crows. I love 90’s music.
Pastorale Magazine: Some of our readers will recognize you from your well known roles in the massively popular horror movies Human Centipede I and II. It has been years since those movies were made however, there is a HUGE cult following that will remain forever (I think). Tell us your favorite parts about making those movies aaaaand your least favorite parts. Ashlynn Yennie: So many fun memories from these films. They were very grueling and demanding but also super interesting to make. They did become cult films and it’s kinda cool knowing I was a part of that. Plus, it’s the best conversation starter! Haha.
Pastorale Magazine: That’s the truth! When you realized that the first Human Centipede had catapulted into popularity were you shocked by the response? Ashlynn Yennie: I was. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with the films but reaching the level it did was a pretty amazing ride to be on.
Pastorale Magazine: Was signing up for HC II an easy decision? Or were you looking to go into other types of projects? How did you decide to move forward and say yes to HC II? Ashlynn Yennie: I said yes, right before part one had come out so I was not actually aware of the massive amounts of attention one was going to receive.
Pastorale Magazine: I think our readers will love knowing that. In HC II you play yourself (the actress that played Jenny in the first HC), kinda a cool idea.... Other than the obvious that fans of the movies know as far as the plot goes .... How was making that movie different for you? Ashlynn Yennie: Both films were completely different. Part one was very clean and we shot in this beautiful house outside Amsterdam, while part 2 was gritty and raw and we shot in this horrible warehouse in London.
Pastorale Magazine: Let’s be honest here, do you get absolutely so bored with answering HC questions? Ashlynn Yennie: It’s always fun answering questions from the film cause sometime I can’t believe I was in the films haha!
Pastorale Magazine: You have made several movies, shorts and roles on television. Tell our readers a bit about those too. Ashlynn Yennie: My most recent work includes a film called ‘FRACTURED’ with Vinny Jones and Callum Blue that came out earlier this year. It’s a film noir/ thriller. Indie Rom Com ‘THE DIVORCE PARTY’ which has been making the festival rounds this year. ‘THE SCRIBBLER’ just came out last Friday in theaters with an all-star cast and is based on a graphic novel by Dan Schaffer. I am also currently in a short film that is playing all over the world at festivals titled ‘MARKET HOURS’ it is a part of the LEXUS SHORT FILMS which are produced by the Weinstein Company. Lastly, I have a drama/crime film called ‘THE GHOST AND THE WHALE’ which will be out next year.
Pastorale Magazine: So much stuff going on – that’s awesome! What projects are you working on currently? Ashlynn Yennie: I am working on a new short with my production company, and as every actor knows auditioning all the time!
Pastorale Magazine: So let’s get down to some beauty questions... Before I do that I must say that the shoot for our cover and feature is stunning. Besides being absolutely beautiful you come across as being comfortable in your own skin.... Is that so? What’s the most important component to you feeling comfortable during shoots? Ashlynn Yennie: Well, thank you! It’s the team behind the shoot that really makes it. I am a pretty laid back person so I think that helps in being comfortable in front of the camera. That and really great lighting!
Pastorale Magazine: Everyone who worked on this shoot said that you are an absolute sweetheart and awesome person to work with. How important is it to you to remain easy going and laid back doing work in this industry? How do you accomplish that personally? Ashlynn Yennie: It’s probably one of the most important if not most important thing to remember when you are talent of set. You have this entire team of people that wants to make you look great and how horrible would that be if your talent was nasty or mean? I am just a small town girl so whenever I am asked to be a part of a shoot or an on set for a job I always remember to be gracious and feel very lucky to be where I am.
Pastorale Magazine: Ok beauty questions... You have been both blonde and brunette, which do you prefer? Ashlynn Yennie: I love both! Blonde was fun but I love my brunette hair… it just feels more like me.
Pastorale Magazine: Best beauty advice you have received, and do you actually practice it hahaha? Ashlynn Yennie: MOISTURIZE and DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE!
Pastorale Magazine: What’s your go to audition outfit? Ashlynn Yennie: I am a pretty basic girl so I find that a really amazing pair of jeans and a racerback tank with heels looks stylish but not unapproachable. The jeans are sexy, the tank says I am easy going and the heels say I can still kick your ass in my shoes!
Pastorale Magazine: I love that! How have you formed your personal style? Ashlynn Yennie: Trial and error. I now have more investment pieces whereas when I was younger I just bought whatever was trendy. Now, I buy pieces that last and that are classic.
Pastorale Magazine: Choose your foodie town New York or LA? Favorite LA meal? Ashlynn Yennie: NYC for sure. LA has great food as well… I am a sucker for Gjelina in Venice. They have this pot de butterscotch that is amazing!
Pastorale Magazine: Last and certainly not least it’s October, how do you like to celebrate Halloween? Ashlynn Yennie: Sometimes, I dress up. I have had the same flight attendant costume for years now and it never fails. People always love it! I am more a big fan of fall! It’s my favorite season and yes, I am a typical girl who goes and buys those Bath and Bodyworks candles and everything is PUMPKIN till Christmas rolls around!
See, I told you all the scary stuff was over with! After you have finished with all your deep breaths you can follow Ashlynn Yennie on Facebook at: www. facebook.com/AshlynnYennie or Twitter @ashlynnyennie and keep a look out for future work by 2 AM Entertainment. We’d also like to thank our friend Ryan Shuck for use of his beautiful home. OCTOBER 2014 | PASTORALE | 41
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Body Straps - Sean Panella Garter - Charming Hosiery - Victoria’s Secret Lace Bustier - Ottmill Heels - Zara
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Top - Nasty Gal Leather Harness - BCBG Bottoms - Coral Castillo
Top - Nasty Gal Leather Harness - BCBG Bottoms - Coral Castillo
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Dress - Black Swan Boots - Dolce Vita Earrings - Paradise Metal Art Bangles and Rings - Paradigm Design Hat - Yellow 108
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Hat - Lack of Color Dress and Sweater - Knot Sisters
Hat - Lack of Color Dress and Sweater - Knot Sisters
Hat - Lack of Color Pants and Shirt - Knot Sisters Booties - Dolce Vita
Hat - Lack of Color Pants and Shirt - Knot Sisters Booties - Dolce Vita
“A study in the 2004 Journal of Toxicology found that “…18 out of 20 breast tumors contained significant concentrations of parabens.” Study researchers added that almost all of the tumors tested originated from products applied to the skin (like deodorants, creams, or body sprays)” -“Ingredients to Avoid” list cincovidas.com
As consumers grow ingredient savvy the debate on the safety of parabens in personal hygiene and beauty products continues steadily. The great paraben panic began when scientific studies, followed by viral email news stories, reported that high concentrations of parabens in the body can cause cell mutation leading to cancer – more specifically breast cancer. Many scientific reports have since discredited parabens having any direct link to cancer requiring further study. However, the interpretation of the findings is all over the map. What is a paraben? A paraben is a preservative used in products to increase shelf life. They are widely used because they are compatible in many formulas, and provide bactericidal and fungicidal properties in products. All commercially used parabens are synthetically produced, although some are identical to naturally occurring parabens like the ones found in blueberries. Why the controversy? A very small percentage of consumers with skin allergies, specifically paraben allergies, can experience contact dermatitis or rosacea. Also, research has loosely connected parabens found in antiperspirants to the usual location of tumors in breast tissue; the upper area of the tissue nearest the armpit. The controversial ingredient has proven to mimic estrogen, and some estrogens are known to drive the growth of tumors. It is also important to note that the mutating activity of estrogen that causes cancerous tumors and estrogen production are not the same thing. In addition to scientific reporting, The American Cancer Society has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support a claim that use of cosmetics such as antiperspirants increase an individual’s risk of developing breast cancer, but went on to state that “larger studies are needed to find out what effect, if any, parabens might have on breast cancer risk”. Until research proves otherwise, it’s probably safe to say we don’t have much to worry about as far as facial cosmetics go. Body products, however, we’re going to say better safe than sorry. Sources: http://safecosmetics.org/ www.fda.gov www.cancer.org Story by Alisha L Baijounas •Model: Aslyn Kay •Photos by Paulifornia
92 | PASTORALE | OCTOBER 2014
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LIBRA (September 23 – October 22)
overemotional. There’s a whole world of joy and excitement for you out there. GUYS: Much like your fellow Aries Ladies, this month you too are EXTRA emotional, but we have to be careful cause we all know you’re very moody. Especially when you’ve had about 4 boilermakers. Whatever you do, do not punch anyone this month. Especially if some prick (Libra) flirts with your girl or your old pal is still holding that grudge (Capricorn) from a few months back. If you punch anyone you’ll regret it both socially and financially. Stop working out so much man. You don’t know your own strength.
SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)
LADIES: Persistence pays off, but not for you. Do you have to be so annoying? Seriously? There’s persistent and then there’s bugging, nagging etc. Chill out my dear cause you’re pissing off the wrong people. GUYS: Dude. You’re soooo stubborn we need a new word for stubborn! Quit being an ass. We like the old you better.
LADIES: This is the month you’ve been waiting for all year! You have several possible party weekends coming up where you can dress in your cutest and naughtiest costume. You’ve earned it. You’ve been doing that crossfit bullshit and your body is ready to be shown off. Fuck bikini season Halloween’s here! GUYS: Ease up on the self-indulgence. You’re not fooling anyone. You’re a cocky prick and might deserve to get your ass kicked this month. Tread lightly with whom you flirt with. LADIES: You’re very magnetic. You’ll be making friends left and right all month. Make sure and remember the good looking guy’s names you meet. It’ll be important later this year and you don’t want to look like a moron cause you can’t remember a simple name. Trust me it matters (wink wink). GUYS: You’re going to hit some of your personal goals this month. Your determination has really been paying off. Reward yourself. Go find yourself a Libra cause that body is banging.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 –December 21)
LADIES: Careful what you say this month. Your honesty is going to fuck shit up. Might be a good idea to pull the reigns in a bit and chill out. GUY: Ok, So you’re intelligent. We get it. Stop being an ahole and correcting people. Not only are your friends close to decapitating you so are your co-workers. Get your head out of your butt and focus on a hobby this month cause socially you’re screwed.
CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)
LADIES: Dude! (I mean Dude-et?) This is awesome... Go start a business or play the lotto or something. Use your skills to make that cheddar. You’re not going to be rich, but you’re going to love what you do. Just play it smart. GUYS: So this is odd. You’re holding a grudge against someone right? Well apparently keep doing it cause they’re fucking assholes and forgiveness isn’t in their near future. If they start shit fuck em’ up. Just don’t get arrested.
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)
GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
LADIES: Have you looked at your calendar lately? Do it really quick.... See how your month is filing up? Yes there’s some bullshit obligations you have to go to but you’re going to be surprised by how much overall fun you’re going to have. Watch your drink at all times cause the pervs are out this month. See anyone touch your friend’s drink? Kick the dude in the balls. He deserves it. Tell him Pastorale Magazine sent you. GUYS: Can you say life of the party? Seriously you’re killing it. Everyone loves you. Your wittiness is super-duper extra attractive this month. Make sure and keep your eyes out for a foxy little redhead at a party, bar or club. She’s eyeballing you hoping you buy her a drink (Dude, you’re a lucky guy, man).
CANCER (June 22 – July 22)
AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18)
LADIES: STAGE 5 CLINGER! You’ve earned yourself this nickname more than once, am I right? Now’s your chance to actually keep the fellow you’re with. Just loosen up a little. He already likes you. Let him go do stuff with the boys cause you know what? He’s actually happy to come home to you. GUYS: For a while there we were starting to think you were bi-polar cause of your mood swings, but you’ve seemed to get a grip on that (Thank goodness)! Dude keep up the good work. Good things are coming your way!
PISCES (February 19 – March 20)
LADIES: Travel is on your mind and for good reason. You’ve been working very hard and deserve a break. Think international-we see a really fucking great time in your future! GUYS: So let’s face it. You can be a wee-bit bossy. Actually ALOT bossy. So much in fact you don’t even realize it. You’re so opinionated you’re actually going to slip up badly this month. Honesty is a good thing. A very good thing, but not in your case. White lies this month are your best friend.
LADIES: Wow this is gonna be a good month. Especially with the dudes. If you’re single you and your cat are in for some fun. Regarding work, share your ideas cause they’re going to help out. Like ALOT. Don’t be shy. GUYS: Ok so this month isn’t all about you. You actually need to do something for others. Your charity and generosity counts for double this month. You’re going to affect everyone around you. Stay positive, honest and loyal. This is why we love you man. You’re a good guy. LADIES: You are such a pleasure to be around. Seriously people love you. Just be you this month. Stick to your guns and do things your way. Don’t let anyone walk all over you, cause we both know if you let them they will. GUYS: Time to man-up bro. You’ve been a doormat for far too long and as you may have noticed people are taking advantage of you especially in the work place. The great comedian of our day once said “WWJD?... He’d light the guy on fire and send him to hell”… So don’t take shit from anyone. Give it.
ARIES (March 21 – April 19)
LADIES: This month is going to be like the first time you watched ‘The Notebook’. Except you’ll be crying every other day. For some damn reason you’re EXTRA sensitive this month, get your shit together and stop being so
LEO (July 23 – August 22)
VIRGO (August 23 – September 22)
LADIES: You’re so cute. We all know it. You’re too shy for your own good. This month take a step out of your comfort zone. Say hello (out loud) to that cute guy you always run into. Don’t be afraid to make friends this month... There’s some rad opportunities for you to have a new BFF or two! GUYS: You’re always so meticulous about everything. You have everything planned out or even written in your calendar. Here’s what you need to do... Go out this month and live a little. You deserve a little time off mentally from that crazy cage you call a brain. Stop over thinking everything you dingus.
OCTOBER’S HERE. For a good time call a Scorpio.
94 | PASTORALE | OCTOBER 2014
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IN THE NEXT ISSUE...
ENYA SANDMAN MUSIC FEATURE BROODS MUSIC ARTICLE
(CAPITOL RECORDS RECORDING ARTIST )
AND (OF COURSE) ALOT MORE.
96 | PASTORALE | OCTOBER 2014
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