VIVA GLAM Anniversary Issue 2019

viva glam magazine

Anniversary Issue 2019

By Katarina Van Derham

Fantasy Issue

VIVA GLAM SUPERMODEL

$19.99 US Fantasy Issue

Nicoleta Vaculov

Fantasy Issue 2019 1

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by

Katarina Van Derham www.GlamourGarden.com

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BEAUTY UNDER ™ YO U R I N F LU E N C E BH Cosmetics is rooted in the fact that every single person is unique and in control of their own beauty destiny. We create products inspired by the people who use them, whether you’re a makeup novice or a professional MUA. Our cosmetics are always affordable, always high-quality, and always cruelty-free, so you never miss a chance to express what makes you, you.

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#BH COSMETICS | BHCosmetics.com

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Editor-in-Chief Katarina Van Derham Managing Editor Malorie Mackey Beauty Contributor Noha Abuhadra Katarina Van Derham Malorie Mackey Ricardo Ferrise Fashion Contributor Ivana Shteriova Karaniku Malorie Mackey Payam Arzani Wellness Contributor Maria Dolores Garcia Malorie Mackey Interview Contributor Malorie Mackey Travel Contributor Candace Kita Malorie Mackey Lifestyle Contributor Myster Blu Graphic Department Gabriela Mohrova Director of Print Advertising Oskar Rivera of Rivera Productions Copyright Š2019 KVD Brand, Inc., VIVA GLAM Ž is a registered trademark owned by KVD Brand, Inc. All rights reserved. VIVA GLAM is published annually

by KVD Brand, Inc., 4821 Lankershim Blvd, F-345 North Hollywood, CA 91601. vivaglammagazine.com Fantasy Issue, 2019. Issue 14. ISSN 2332-5933 6

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VIVA GLAM magazine 10. Editor’s Letter 12. Malorie’s Letter

Beauty

16. Katarina’s Cruelty-Free

Picks of 2019 18. 4 Golden Rules for Perfect Skin 20. A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Conceal Dark Circles Like a Pro 24. How You Can Best Take Care of Your Lashes 26. Bardomania Continues 30. Queen, upgrade your vanity!

34. How to Decide Which Length of Hair Extensions is Right For You 36. Must-Have Hair Products for Every Glam Girl 38. Treat Your Hair to the Best Products with Davroe 40. Ursula Andress 60’s Hair Tutorial

Fashion

56. Desert Romance 66. How to Measure Your Bra Size 70. Cover Feature 76. VIVA GLAM’s Favorite Black Luxury Handbags 78. Fashion Ambitious

Wellness

84. Things to Think About When Going 42. How to Wear Boho Chic on a Diet 46. Casual Style Tips Every Woman Should 86. 5 Popular Myths About Nutrition Know 88. Have You Missed These Hidden 50. America Saved Me

Animal Sources in Your Food?

90. The Best California Treats to Indulge in Without Feeling Guilty

Interview

92. Three CBD Products Every

Woman Should Carry in Her Purse 96. Two Latinas are Paving the Way

by Creating Unique Content

108. The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire Breathes New Life into the Fantasies of the Past

Travel

110. How to Bring More Travel 100. A Man From El Salvador Sets the

and Adventure into Your Life 112. The Three Most Magical Castles in Ireland

Trend for Los Angeles 104. Model Spotlight: Alejandra Rich

Events

106. Spectra Steals the Show at Coachella

116. Experience the History and Lore

of the Winchester Mystery House 120. Top Romantic Proposal Spots in Europe 122. Tips to Help You Choose the Best Wedding Location

Lifestyle

126. Being an Independent Woman in 2019 128. New Day, New Chance

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Women’s Fantasy You might see the cover of this issue and easily assume this is a men’s fantasy VIVA GLAM edition because of our stunning cover model Nicoleta Vaculov. That is not the case. Being in the entertainment and beauty industries for many years, I have learned that women fantasize about looking like other beautiful women just as much as men fantasize about beautiful women. In fact, doing makeup in Hollywood, the majority of my makeup clients would come to me with a picture of another woman, model, or celebrity and want to look like them.

In my experiences, I learned that women want to be the best versions of themselves. I also learned that most women fantasize about being beautiful and sexy for THEMSELVES, not necessarily for men. Unfortunately, many women are afraid to show their sensuality because not everyone in society always approves of it. Or women are simply too insecure, and perhaps even judgmental, to appreciate and compliment another woman’s beauty.

So, with this issue, I want to encourage you to accept who you are and to embrace your beauty. I want to empower women to not be afraid to shine and to be the best version of themselves that they have always fantasized about. Feeling beautiful- believe it or notmakes someone a better person. They tend to judge less and become more accepting and less likely to be jealous of others. That is a true side effect of being happy with oneself.

So, I hope by flipping through these pages you will dive a bit deeper into the fantasy world and get inspired in all areas of your life. Not just beauty. Because life is about way more than that.

Katarina Van Derham Editor-in-Chief Fantasy Issue 2019 11

Malorie’s Letter

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Fantasy

is all around us whether or not we choose to see it. We all have fantasies; we all dream of fantasy worlds, and as a genre, fantasy is more popular now than ever before. With A Song of Ice and Fire, one of the greatest book series in my opinion, being turned into the show Game of Thrones and creating a cultural phenomenon with ratings hitting well-over 10 million views per new episode, it’s hard to believe that people wouldn’t be interested in the genre of fantasy now-a-days.

In fact, in 2018, 2,545 babies were names Arya, 560 were named Khaleesi (let’s be fair- due in part to many who watch and enjoy the show not understanding that Khaleesi wasn’t actually Daenerys’ name, but still…) 547 were named Jaime, and 434 were named Yara thanks to Game of Thrones.

So, it’s pretty safe to say that the want for fantasy is real, and it is absolutely in style. It was clearly on the minds of the 19 million people who tuned in to watch the longawaited finale episode of Game of Thrones.

I began reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series twelve years ago, and I’ve longed to not only be a part of a fantasy realm such as that, but also to be able to create one of my own- to create something people can love that will help them escape their everyday lives. (My production company is even called Fantasy Forge Films.)

To me, fantasy is manifesting travel, adventure, and experiencing the world. Fantasy is being able to play at the Renaissance Faire with friends and get enthralled in a thrilling tale in any media. Fantasy is spending a Saturday reading all about Dunk and Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Fantasy is getting lost in your enchanting boho chic outfit and daydreaming about castles.

With this issue, I hope we deliver that fantasy feeling to you. May you feel inspired as you read through each section of this magazine, and may it connect you deeper to your own fantasies.

Enjoy!

Malorie Managing Mackey Editor

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We Love our SOCIAL MEDIA!

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Download the Digital Version of

VIVA GLAM Magazine on Issuu.com

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Bali Body Shimmering Body Oil, $30 This luxe, hydrating body oil has a hint of bronze color to help you shine like it’s summer all year long. It is fast-drying, lightweight, and provides a naturallooking bronze sheen. It can be found on us.balibodyco.com.

CoverGirl Full Spectrum So Saturated Eyeshadow Palette in Zodiac, $10 The CoverGirl Full Spectrum line is incredible, as it looks beautiful on women of any skin tone. The So Saturated Eyeshadow Palette comes with 8 beautiful, highly pigmented shades from more subtle to extremely dramatic hues. It is available at Target.

Katarina’s Cruelty-Free n Derham a V a in r ta a K vegaLASH Volumizing Mascara by Vegamour, $25 The formula of this mascara contains ingredients that naturally curl and lift your lashes.

It’s a favorite of mine because the mascara is infused with a serum that helps to create longer, fuller lashes long after you wear it. And, of course, it’s vegan and cruelty-free!

It is available on vegamour.com.

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Picks of 2019 The vegan lifestyle is pretty much taking over the world. Plant-based living is not only good for people, but it’s also good for animals and the environment. With times changing so quickly, it’s getting harder and harder to find brands that aren’t crueltyfree, as well. With so many new brands launching every week, it’s hard to keep up with all the fabulous products.

Here are ten of my favorite crueltyfree products that I chose to feature in this issue. You can always find more of my favorite picks on www.vivaglammagazine.com.

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Starlight Highlighter

by Makeup Geek, $20 The super-smooth and highly pigmented formula of the Starlight Highlighter is what makes it such a great highlighter and a favorite of mine. It is available at Target.

FACEatelier Ultra Foundation Pro, $36 The FACEatelier Ultra Foundation Pro is one of my favorites because it doesn’t need a primer- the primer is built into the foundation.

And it’s sophisticated, long-lasting, and comes in the perfect shade for any skin tone. It is available on www.faceatelier.com.

Bianca Synthetic Eyelashes by Scott Barnes, $18 I am in love with the Bianca Synthetic Eyelashes by Scott Barnes. I usually don’t like synthetic materials in false eyelashes because the bands become too thick, but these ultra-glam synthetic lashes don’t have that problem. They are pretty, feminine, and fluffy. You can find them on scottbarnes.com.

Dream Big Volume Volumizing Super Powder by Marc Anthony True Professionals, $10 This product lifts your roots to help give your hair extreme texture and fullness, and its results happen instantaneously. I love it because the formula is super lightweight and long-lasting. It is available on amazon.com.

Tru-Green Organics Cocoa & Shea Body & Face Butter, $50 This is still a favorite here at VIVA GLAM Magazine after years of us using it for ourselves and during photoshoots, and I highly recommend it. It has no chemicals or preservatives, and it is cold-pressed. It is available on tru-greenorganics.com.

Blushing in Bali by BH Cosmetics, $16 I love this palette by BH Cosmetics because it is inspired by exotic islands. It’s a great palette to use to create a natural flush to your cheeks and your face. You can find it on www.bhcosmetics.com.

emerginC Peach Toner, $31 I like this product because it contains chamomile, which is known to heal skin inflammation. It is a light, fresh toner that gently soothes and tones skin. It is available on emerginc.com.

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The 4 Golden Rules

for Perfect Skin 18

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Beauty

Want to have porcelain skin?

Yes, please! Everyone wants to have perfect skin for that ultimate boost of confidence. Having perfect skin also means wearing less makeup - a win/win!

Here are some of the golden rules that you should NOT break if you want to make your skin look radiant every day.

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.Beauty Morning Ritual

The first thing is to remember that you should always wash your face in order to remove any dirt or grease that has accumulated during the night. After you do this, you can use your favorite moisturizer or serum according to your skin type.

Follow up your moisturizer with your favorite sunscreen. The UV rays affect your skin and, even if it is not instantly visible, the damage is revealed over time. Finally, you can opt for clean makeup products, ones that won’t clog your pores. You can also opt for a BB or CC cream if you’re looking for a lighter base.

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.More Drink Water

We know how difficult it is to make this an established rule in your routine, but if you manage to do it throughout the day, it will be much easier to accomplish it. Tip: Drink a glass in the morning, one throughout the day, and another before dinner. If you do not like simple water, you can add slices of fruit to your water so you have an infusion of flavor.

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.Beauty Evening Ritual

Just washing off your makeup is not enough; make sure you use a face wash to remove any remaining makeup on your face. Follow it up with your favorite toner, serum, eye cream, and night cream. This will allow your skin to breathe, rehydrate, and heal overnight. We recommend using the Sea Cucumber Collagen Regeneration Serum from Baché de Mar. Its formula uses a first-of-its-kind combination of the latest anti-aging cosmeceutical ingredients, so it maximizes your skin’s health while also fighting the signs of aging.

. Eat Healthy

A healthy diet is essential in order to have beautiful skin. Try your best to avoid any refined sugars and processed flours, since these food items make your skin lose luminosity.

Always plan to eat balanced meals and remember to ingest many fruits and vegetables.

This sounds easy - the reality is that it can be - but often the routine of everyday life can be overwhelming, and you end up missing the few steps that can make all the difference. If you want to keep your eye on the mark, don’t forget that every single one of these golden rules are known to be quite effective, so you’ll have a reward in the form of glowing skin for years to come!

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A Step-By-Step Guide

on How to Conceal Dark Circles Like A Pro

Do you always look weary, tired, and sleep-deprived? Girls with dark circles get it. Under-eye bags, puffiness, dark spots, and what not!

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Well, if you take in too much stress and don’t take enough time to sleep, the chances are quite high that you will get dark circles. While a few of you might have gotten them from your relatives, no matter how much you try, they just won’t go away.

But, thanks to the makeup industry and their amazing products that help you to get rid of those irritating dark circles, we have a complete step-bystep guide that will teach you to conceal your dark circles as well as prevent them.

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What Are Dark Circles?

People who don’t get much sleep, are always tired, and rub their eyes frequently tend to develop dull and pale eyes. The lack of sleep causes dark tissues and cells beneath your eyes to show up, causing purplish, greenish, or yellowish spots.

Sometimes, it can even cause fluid to build underneath your eyes which results in puffy eyes. While we can always prevent dark circles and even cure them by improving our lifestyle, there’s not much that you can do (except for concealing them) if it’s hereditary.

knowledge to accomplish this. Here is a step-by-step guide that you can follow to achieve that 10/10 look.

Start by Cleansing

Well, we don’t think that we have to tell you the benefits of cleansing before applying makeup. We mean, come on, who would like to work on an untidy canvas?

Wash your face thoroughly with your favorite cleanser or face wash. Don’t be too harsh while doing this. The gentler, the better.

Once done, pat dry. Don’t rub your towel over your skin. Always pat dry.

Apply Moisturizer How Do You Conceal Your Dark Circles?

There are thousands of makeup products available on the market that can conceal your dark circles flawlessly, but it takes the right technique and a little bit of

The next step is to apply moisturizer over your face. Use your regular moisturizer and apply it gently. You can use an undereye cream for your dark circles, eyelids, an inner corner of your eyes, as well.

You can stick to your regular face moisturizer if it doesn’t burn your eyes.

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Prep Your Eyes

Now is the time to bring your primer into the picture.

First, there are separate primers for face and eyes.

We recommend that you invest in both.

Apply the face primer all over your face and the eye primer on the inner corners, under-eyes, and on the eyelids. If you have dry skin, go for the one that has moisturizer in it. If you have oily skin, opt for a matte one, while people with dull skin can use an illuminating primer.

You can use your fingers to massage the primer into your skin or you can even use a foundation brush to blend it.

Apply Foundation

The next step is to apply your foundation.

Be accurate when choosing the right shade of foundation for yourself, as even being one shade off from your color can spoil your overall look.

Apply the foundation using your fingers, a beauty blender, or a foundation brush. We recommend using the StansOut Beauty Sponge to apply your foundation, as it helps to give a seamless, airbrushed finish to your complexion. Plus, the shape of the sponge was designed to apply your makeup evenly in every crevice and surface of your

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face. More importantly, water is optional with this sponge! You should be sure to give it a try.

Color Correctors

A few of us have prominent dark circles that even show up after concealing, and here is when one needs color correctors. They balance out the discoloration of your face and make it easier to hide them.

Whether you are using a color corrector or not, you must figure out the right shade of concealer and corrector. One wrong shade can throw out your makeup ruthlessly.

How to Pick Your Concealer

The second most important trick – choosing the right shade of concealer for yourself. It’s not true that dark circles are always black, as a few of us might have them in brown, olive, green, or even pale yellowish colors. Hence, how can you expect a single color to work for everyone?

You must have studied the color wheel in your school days in of your art classes.

Every color in the wheel complements the one that lies exactly opposite it. For instance, red lies in front of green, which means that you can use green-colored concealer to hide redness.

Similarly, bluish-green dark circles can be covered using a reddish-orange concealer,

purplish dark circles with yellowishorange concealer, and so on. Once you have figured out the shade of your dark circles, picking up the right concealer gets a lot easier.

Applying Your Concealer

Apply the concealer in a dotted fashion under your eyes, inside the corner of your eyes, on your eyelids, and on any other affected areas over your face. Dab the dots gently using your fingers, and don’t blend.

You must not blend your concealer, as it might cause dark circles to show up more prominently. We recommend using stick concealers as they have a creamier and more blend-able formula that camouflages your irregularities perfectly.

However, avoid sharing the stick with someone else or if you have oily skin as it might have germs on it that can cause skin allergies or acne breakouts.

Setting Your Concealer

The next step is to use a big fan brush to dab loose powder or compact powder over your concealer to make it longlasting while adding full coverage to your face.

And, you are done! These were the basic steps that you need to follow while concealing your dark circles. Plus, there are a few more expert tips and tricks that can help you master the art of concealing.

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Beauty

How You Can Best Take Care of Your Lashes

By Noha Abuhadra

There’s only so much f course, mascara can do. We Makeup is truly a there’s always life saver. Sure, it’s try and try to find fun to play around the standby of false lashes, with, and we’re the perfect one, and but who has generally obsessed. the time to mess about with sure, they can work But, what we love them and be left with a sticky most about it has amazingly, but they can mess on their lash line? It’s a to be its ability to hard life out there for those of only work with what have our back. us not blessed with naturally Whatever we’re amazing lashes. It can be not happy with they’re given.

O

tough.

Blessings aside, most of us just don’t take the time and effort to properly take care of our lashes. We may have a great set to begin with, but with time we wear them out ‘til we’re left with very little to work with. Instead of trying to find the perfect mascara to cover things up- why not go back to square one? Your mascara will only look as good as your lashes are…

Why You Need to Take Care of Your Lashes 24

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on our face, it can mask or improve- seriously appreciated. But sometimes we treat it as a crutch, and we should spend more time focusing on the root cause of the problem.

As with anything on our face, eyelashes require care and attention. Treating them terribly is only going to hurt you by showing it on your face. Whether you suffer from short stubby lashes or lashes falling out- it’s important to take the extra steps to care for your eyelashes and keep them in the best condition possible.

Here are some of the ways we’ve found you can have your lashes back!

Remove with Care

The most common reason for loss of lashes or frail lashes is how you remove your makeup. You often just want to get it off your face efficiently, so you end up rubbing and tugging at your eyelashes to rub that mascara away. STOP NOW! Not only is harsh tugging going to cause wrinkles and signs of aging, but it’s too rough on your lashes.

You need to remove your eye makeup gently, using light motions with your fingers rather than a harsh wipe. That’s why we find the best way to remove your eye makeup is with a cleansing oil or balm.

Using your fingers gently and rubbing the oil/balm into your lashes isn’t only going to keep them in better condition, but it also removes the makeup much faster!

DIY It!

There really isn’t a beauty ailment that doesn’t come with its own DIY recipe to cure it, and lashes are no exception. While there are countless lash growth serums on the market, we find that making your own concoction

works much better!

All you need to do is take equal parts of avocado oil, castor oil and coconut oil and mix them into a container! Just apply this mixture onto your lashes every night and you’ll notice the results within weeks! This mixture is going to deeply condition your eyelashes to keep them healthy, but it also allows them to grow dramatically- we swear by it!

Prime Time

We’ve all heard of primers. We often use them on our skin or even on our eyelids.

Well, this trick is all about priming your lashes! There are hundreds of mascara primers on the market, and it’s about time you invested in one!

Mascara primers act as a barrier between your lashes and your mascara. As with most makeup products, mascara obviously isn’t the best for your eyelashes. So, why not create a barrier to avoid as much damage as you can? That way, you don’t have to cut back on your mascara. A big bonus is that mascara primers actually work to amplify length and volume- so you’ll get better instant results, as well!

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The Differences Between Brigitte Bardot’s Looks Throughout 3 Decades

Brigitte

Bardot was the most photographed woman in the world during the 1950s and 1960s. Journalists wrote about her, and young women imitated her look. Even the Barbie doll, which was launched in March 1959, was inspired by the German doll, Lilli, which was inspired by Bardot. We are now in 2019, and women STILL imitate her look; fashion designers look for models resembling her, and the world doesn’t

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seem to get enough of the B.B. style. So, why is Brigitte Bardot such an important persona in the fashion world? Because she is the inventor of the untamed style which, back then, was contrasting with the short, controlled fashion favored by other stars.

B.B. didn’t imitate anyone and, in that time, she represented modernity. She is imitated by many women today who have not seen even one of her films.

Last year I shot 3 videos for our YouTube

channel to demonstrate the different looks Brigitte Bardot was known for throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s. I noticed that many viewers lacked the knowledge of B.B.’s different styles, as they didn’t think some of these looks, especially the 60s and the 70s, were her looks. I have studied Brigitte Bardot’s beauty for many years, so I decided to explain all of it in this article.

1950s

The majority of people remember Brigitte Bardot for her most iconic look, which was her 50s look. The former ballerina and model started to act in the early 1950s and became an international star in 1957 for her role in the controversial movie And God Created Woman.

For her role of Juliette, she bleached her hair to evoke the natural sun-kissed look of the beaches of St. Tropez in France where the film was shot. However, it also signaled film-star glamour. That placed Bardot halfway between the earthy sexiness of European stars and the Hollywood Glamour of Monroe. Media all over the world quickly distributed her first photos shot by Sam Lévin, and those became iconic and her signature sensual look.

In the 1950s, Brigitte Bardot wore her bangs short and her hair wavy. Often, she would pin it half up and half down with a lot of tease. She wasn’t afraid to shine. In fact, with her fun and bubbly personality, she brought a lot of light (and fantasy) to many people, especially soldiers in the postwar era. Her makeup look consisted of a winged eyeliner and nicely framed pouty lips. In the late 50s, she made her hair bigger by fluffing, backcombing and piling it up on her head. From this developed what she called choucroute, which literally means sauerkraut. This is probably the most famous updo of all time.

1960s

In the 1960s, Brigitte went from being a sex kitten to a sex goddess. Her career got a bit stagnate, so she took her expression of sensuality a notch higher. She invented what we know today as the smokey eye. Her eye makeup became much heavier, and she would wear her hair long, more straight with a middle part, but still with lots of volume.

One of the reasons why her photos are

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so iconic is also the fact that during this era, while stars like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor would pose with their heads slightly turned into the camera, Bardot would face the camera head on. This full-frontal gaze enhanced the boldness of Bardot’s presence. These photos fixed her image forever as an ideal of carefree, youthful beauty.

She also had a very different approach to fashion. She didn’t care to wear high-end designers, which reminded her of “old”.

She would look for new, upcoming, fresh designers to wear and kept her style simple and easy to imitate.

1970s

In the 1970s, Brigitte wore her hair long and straight and closer to her natural color. In this decade, she also adopted a hairstyle similar to the one she wore in The Bear and the Doll, where she played Felicia. It’s a loose chignon, sometimes decorated with flowers and with tumbling, romantic locks. In the 70s, B.B. left the movie industry and decided to dedicate the rest of her life to helping animals. She continued to use eye makeup and lipstick, but at this point, she used less eyeshadow and 28

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drew only thin eyeliner in her upper and lower waterline. Her eyebrows were thin and overplucked.

While in my videos I focused on Bardot’s makeup, her hair was a key component of the look that would be so widely imitated.

Its blondness, length and looseness were a part of the beauty revolution. It has remained an indicator of her modernity and sexual desire.

Her charisma has paved her an unchallenged position as an object of endless fascination in pop culture. Her cultural significance can be seen in the sheer volume of imitations in terms of clothes, makeup and hairstyles, which turned her into one of the biggest influencers of all time.

xo

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Qupgrade ueenyour, vanity!

Model: AdĂŠl Sadovskiy 30

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ham

By Katarina Van Der

If you’re a queen or at least a fairy princess, you might still be searching for your dream vanity. In today’s modern world where creativity starts to disappear and craftsmanship is fading away, there are still a few artists left who come from a different world.

Their vision carries on the history, charm and mystique of the past.

One of those artists is Kateryna Udovychenko whose beautiful mind creates the most glamorous home accessories that transform your home into a dream world.

She uses the decoupage technique she fell in love with in her workshop for arts and crafts.

Kateryna, your work is out of this world! What inspires you and which eras are your favorite to draw inspiration from?

Thank you very much for your sensitivity to my art! Oh, inspiration is my everything!

It’s like an engine for a car – if it works well, you can go around the world and back. If not, there is only mindless drudgery available to you. My work, in most cases, reflects my mood, and my mood is driven by an understanding that people appreciate and need what I do.

Sometimes, a color combination or a tone can start the engine of my inspiration and imagination.

My inspiration is drawn from different sources, often by a combination of them, but ultimately the roots go to the sense of what I do and for whom I do it.

My favorite eras to draw inspiration from would definitely be the rococo and baroque eras! To me, items from that time

are full of charm and beauty. In my work, I apply some ornamental elements of that era. However, pure/true replication of the rococo style is not my way. While I do appreciate that era, my true nature is modern. The work I create reflects my own idea of what beauty and harmony is.

When did this passion of yours start?

Back in 2012, I was working as a legal adviser and was too far away from arts and crafts. To be honest, I had no energy left after stressful workdays.

One day I realized that part of my life shouldn’t continue anymore. I wanted to enjoy what I did. I wanted to see a physical result from my efforts (not just paper agreements, corporate law consultations, and abstract knowledge). I wanted to bring

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as much beauty as I could into this world.

So, that new direction appeared to be more important to me. We live only one life with this body, and it’s our obligation to do the most with what we can using our heads and our hands to make ourselves and others happy, and, finally, make this world better. I believed this was more important than making money.

I was driven by those ideas when I decided to visit some crafting master classes “to try something new”. The first class was on scrapbooking, and then I went to a decoupage class. The decoupage class really impressed me. I learned that using an ordinary kitchen napkin with a print on it could be used to make an exclusive piece of home décor- a box, a key holder, a vase, a piece of furniture and so on! Any kind of base/shape/primary part – wood, glass, plastic, or even metal – is suitable for that. And that finally won my heart. I decided to go deep, as much as it was possible, in discovering this technique.

Do you remember what the first item you made was?

The first decoupage item I made was in a studio in a master class. It was a small jewelry box with red roses on the top. I still keep it with me. During the first couple of years of my decoupage practice, I made very primitive works, which I can hardly call beautiful now. It was no wonder as I was new to the craft. Also, I preferred to study by myself, so the studying process went slower than normal.

You seem to also be an amazing photographer. Would you consider yourself an artist overall?

Yes, it all goes together. Currently, it’s not enough to be a specialist in one area to be able to transfer your ideas to the world (unless you have a lot of money to hire a team of professionals). Decoupage craftswomen used to joke that we are like a one-woman army; in addition to producing our works, it is necessary to be a good photographer, a copywriter, 32

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a PR specialist, a marketer, a web site developer, a social-media specialist, a clientcommunication specialist, an entrepreneur, an accountant, and a packer all in one.

The more specialties you master, the more chances you have to sell your crafts. That’s why I had to learn photography and even cinematography in order to make video tutorials by myself. However, video editing and Photoshop are still beyond my capacity.

Doyoufeelthatpeopletodayappreciate history and craftsmanship?

That depends on the country and culture.

In my country (Ukraine, Eastern Europe) handmade products are not highly appreciated. There is a thought that anyone can make handmade items, thus, this job is not worth paying someone to do. Of course, there are some areas of craftsmanship that are popular there.

Decoupage is not one of those.

As for history, I would say that nowadays society is not concerned with history.

What do you hope your products bring into women’s lives?

Any handmade product contains the warmth of its creator’s hands and heart. I always keep that in mind while decorating my work and try to think positively at that time. But what is more important, in my opinion, is that my products make a woman feel SPECIAL and UNIQUE. Why? Handmade items like mine are usually made uniquely with only one copy; sometimes they are made to meet a client’s customizations in regard to color, design, size, household use, etc. This means that by buying handmade, you have become the sole owner of something unique – isn’t that true evidence of your individuality?

What is one item you really hope to make one day?

The reason I adore both decoupage and

decorating is that these skills give you the tools to make almost any item/thing you can imagine. The only constraint I have is my own imagination. However, there is one thing beyond my capacity in this area: I really hope that one day decoupaged items (and hopefully my own work) will be recognized as art.

What type of woman do you have in mind when you design your products?

My clients are women that feel like queens and thus need items fit for a queen. I help them to create that environment even if my jewelry box or mini-cabinet is the first item in their royal collection.

In addition, almost all of my boxes are completely unique, as I alone create the designs, and I won’t replicate them (except in rare cases). That is one more reason you have to feel like a queen.

So, why not to upgrade your vanity with one of my boxes?

With Kateryna’s products, you can now transform your living space into a dream world! You can find these products on www.facebook.com/dekupagelle and www.instagram.com/dekupagelle Fantasy Issue 2019 33

How to Decide Which Length of Hair Extensions is

Right for You

By Malorie Mackey 34

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Beauty

How to Measure Your Hair for Hair Extensions, by Cashmere Hair

W

hen shopping for hair extensions, it is very important to get the right length. If you get extensions that are too short for your current hair length, it won’t look right. So, we are going to show you how to measure your hair to figure out what length of extensions you will need.

To start, you will need a ruler or a tape measure. Ideally, a tape measure would be better as it’s more flexible and easier to work with. Put the end of the tape measure up to your earlobe, and measure down from the bottom of your earlobe to the end of your hair. The number of inches you measure is a good indicator of what length of extension you should purchase.

Here are a few helpful hints for measuring

by Cashmere Hair: • If your hair is curly, don’t pull it straight when measuring. Measure it as it naturally falls, as that length of extension will fit more closely with how your hair sits naturally.

• If you are planning on curling your extensions or making them wavy, keep in mind that will make your extensions shorter in length. So, if you are doing this, you may want to go for a longer choice than what you were initially thinking.

Say you measure your hair at exactly 18’’ long. Anything smaller than 18’’ is too short. Because your hair is already 18’’,

Rachel Koren , Owner of Ca shmere Ha

ir

go for a longer size. You see, if you choose 18’’ and your hair grows at all, then you’ve already outgrown your extensions. Plus, it won’t add any length to your hair. Because of this, it is recommended that you use 20’’ extensions. This way, when you put the extensions on the side of your hair, it’s at the same length as your natural hair, and when you clip them in the bottom, they give you more length.

So, always go longer than your natural hair! Cashmere Hair extensions come in 16’’, 18’’, and 20’’, and they do make custom sizes, as well. If you have any questions regarding measuring your hair length for Cashmere Hair extensions, be sure to reach out to them today! www.CashmereHairExtensions.com Fantasy Issue 2019 35

e v a H t s Mu s t c u d o r P r i a H Girl G m a l G y r for Eve

By Malor

ie Mackey

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To be a glam girl means to be fashionable and alluring in every aspect. This includes your wardrobe, your makeup, and, of course, your hair! It can be hard to find the right products that are cruelty-free and vegan that still work wonders. But when you do find the right hair products, it all becomes worthwhile.

Head Kandy Style Me Drama Queen Volume Powder Mist

This volume powder mist creates long-lasting volume in your hair without leaving any greasy or sticky residue. It’s perfect to pump up your hair look for an all-day effect!

A .42oz bottle is roughly $18 on HeadKandyPro.com.

LASIO HYPERSILK Volumizing Hairspray

This hairspray is infused with Keratin, helping give you smooth, soft hair while also keeping your hair resistant to humidity. It has a firm hold and can be used on wet or dry hair.

A 12oz bottle is roughly $29 on LasioInc.com.

Your

Not Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray

This texturing sea salt spray is infused with aloe and sea kelp, providing your hair with natural shine. It’s perfect for creating a natural beachy look with a light gloss.

It’s available for roughly $5.99 at Ulta Beauty, Target, Walmart, and on Amazon. com.

These are our favor cruelty-fr vegan an ite you just ee hair products d the hair ehave to try. They that ssentials are f o glam girl r every .

Luxury Botanicals Moisturizing Condish

This invigorating conditioner by 103Collection hydrates dry and brittle hair and gently conditions without drying your hair up. Naturally, it creates softness, shine, and sleekness on all hair types.

It is available around the $10 price point at 103collection.com.

The Full Entourage

by Head Kandy

The Full Entourage curling iron set by Head Kandy creates smooth curls that stay styled for days at a time. This interchangeable styling set eliminates frizz and heats up in less than 60 seconds, so it’s quick and easy!

It is available for around $150 on HeadKandyPro.com.

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Davroe

is not only 100% vegan, but their products are also cruelty-free, and the popular brand replaces all the chemicals and unnecessary “nasties” found in most commercial hair products with natural, plant-based and ecofriendly ingredients. In fact, Davroe’s mission is to “provide the purest, most gentle hair care products to make you look and feel beautiful.” Who wouldn’t get behind that mission?

Sulfates are one of the most common ingredients found in shampoos, but did you know that the only reason sulfates are in your hair products is to lather? They’re what make the bubbles when you scrub your head.

Davroe realized the sulfates weren’t serving

any positive purpose to you, so they chose not to use any harsh sulphates, including sodium, ammonium, or myreth. Davroe also won’t use parabens or petrochemicals, as they can irritate your scalp and strip your hair color.

This decision makes Davroe better for colortreated hair than any other product line. So, if you have color treated hair and you are not using Davroe products, you should really think about making the switch.

Though Davroe is Australian-made and owned, the popular brand is rapidly spreading its product world-wide. Models sporting Davroe products in their hair rocked the runway at this past New York Fashion Week, stealing the eyes of fashion moguls everywhere. Now that you know a little more about Davroe, we are going to show you our favorite Davroe products!

Treat Your Hair to the Best Products

with Davroe

Davroe pure and gentle hair care is a vegan-friendly line that we absolutely love here at VIVA GLAM Magazine.

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Beauty Ends Repair Leave-In Treatment

This ends repair cream is applied on wet or dry hair from the middle of your hair down to the ends. You apply it once, and you’re done! It is an incredible product, as it prevents split ends, reduces fly-aways, and leaves your hair feeling soft and looking shiny. It even protects hair from the sun’s harmful rays. It is absolutely a favorite here at VIVA GLAM Magazine.

Thermaprotect

This spray is used on your hair to protect against damage while heat styling.

You spray thermaprotect onto your wet hair before blow drying it, and it helps prevent the damage that blow drying does to your hair. It serves as maximum heat protection for all your styling tools. It’s easy and lightweight.

Murray River Sea Salt Spray

Here at VIVA GLAM, we are all about beach waves. This product allows you to style your hair with the perfect beach waves- no beach required. Simply spray this in your hair as you are styling it, and it brings out a natural body in your hair and enhances your waves for an effortless, beachy texture. All you have to do is spray the product in, and it does all the work.

Voluminous Spray

We love “root pumps” here at VIVA GLAM. To achieve that big, VIVA GLAM hair, we require some product to be applied to the roots in order to tease them to achieve that perfect volume. We found that the Voluminous Spray by Davroe is perfect for that. Simply apply it to your roots and begin teasing. And, this product is alcohol free!

There you have it. We are big fans of Davroe products, and we bet you can see why. We hope that you will give them a try and begin your all-natural hair care journey today.

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Holley Wolfe Ferrise, Model p by Ka

icardo ham, Hair by R tarina Van Der

Ursula Andress

edman, Makeu

60’s Hair Tutorial

aO Photo by Kristin

By Malorie Mackey

So, we thought it would be fun to have celebrity stylist Ricardo Ferrise recreate one of Ursula’s signature hair looks on our model Holley Wolfe. Ricardo Ferrise is a hair and makeup artist best known for working with celebrity clients such as Katy Perry. Most recently, Ricardo was a competitor on the latest season of ‘American Beauty Star’ hosted by Ashley Graham.

How to Get the Look

Ursula Andress is a beauty who is best known for her role as bond girl Honey Ryder in the James Bond film, “Dr. No.” Not only was she a famous actress, but she was also a model and a sex symbol in the 1960s. Ursula was known for both her beauty and her ability to “play it cool.”

To get this look as Ricardo does it, you will need a hair faux or “wiglet”. This is basically a chunkier extension piece to add to the top of your head during one of the steps. To see an example of the wiglet used, head over to vivaglammagazine.com to watch our full video tutorial.

Step 1: Section Top

Grab the hair at the top of your head and separate it from your hair underneath and at the sides of your head.

Step 2: Twist and Clip 40

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Step 4:

Step 5: Step 6:

Step 7:

Step 8: Step 9:

Step 10:

Step 11:

Step 12:

Hair by Ricardo Ferrise, Model Holley Wolfe

Step 3:

it out of the way. Then, tie the teased top hair into a ponytail on the top of the head.

Ricardo did this to create something easy for the “wiglet” to sit on. Because the hair is teased, it will easily attach.

Attach the “Wiglet” Now, attach the “wiglet.” It has a little comb-like top that he secures into the teased hair over the ponytail and after the sectioned hair at the front. Though it is hooked in, be sure to pin it to make it extra secure.

Blend Hair Over “Wiglet” Take the front piece that you sectioned off, and brush and blend it over the “wiglet”. Tease and spray the hair, making sure all of your front pieces hide where you put in the hair piece.

Perfect the Look Ursula’s signature hair look wasn’t clearly parted, so we are going for a look with all the front hair spreading back. Now’s your time to brush and perfect that look, adding your personal touches to it.

If you would prefer to part it, you can play with that here. And there you have it!

Photo by Kristina Oedman, Makeup by Katarina Van Derham,

Take the top section that you have separated, twist it, and clip it up on the top of your head.

We recommend using Croc Clips from Head Kandy. They are a personal favorite of ours.

You can find them on HeadKandyPro.com.

Hairspray and Tease the Remaining Layers Hairspray and tease the remaining hair that you didn’t put in your top section.

Curl and Pin After you have teased the sides and bottom of your hair, curl and pin them. We recommend using the HOT TOOLS Professional Gold Marcel Iron/Wand for long lasting results. When you pin the hair, make sure it goes slightly backwards and down in the two big sections on the sides and down in the back. Now the bottom of your hair is done!

Use Dry Shampoo Take the top section of hair that you separated and apply dry shampoo to it to lift the roots. Our favorite dry shampoo to use is the Head Kandy Wanna Be Dry Shampoo.

Section, Curl, and Spray Section, curl, and hairspray the top section, curling it backwards and away from the face. While using hairspray for this look, we recommend that you give Davroe’s Complete Aerosol Hairspray a try. This hairspray will hold your style much longer than most.

Remove Curl Pins Once your hair is completely cooled off, remove the pins and allow the hair to fall freely.

Tease Tease all of your hair one additional time.

Pull Back and Tie In preparation for attaching a “wiglet” at the top of the head, section off hair at the front top of your head and pin it forward to keep

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How to Wear Boho-Chic Fashion One of the most spectacular and feminine styles that exists is the boho (or bohemian) one.

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Fashion Originally, the etymology of the word goes to the land of Bohemia, having been located on the territory of the presentday Czech Republic. Longing for freedom and yearning to break all the accepted rules and dogmatic stereotypes of the world surrounding them, the carriers of this ideology created a very specific and, indeed, unique style, serving as an irreplaceable source of inspiration even nowadays. If you also long to be a bohemian goddess, make sure you know all the rules and style tips on how to wear the boho-chic fashion trend!

The Main Elements of Boho Style

In this section, we will speak about several traits that the bohemian style is known for, among which are: • The use of natural fabrics like linen, velvet, chiffon, silk, cotton, etc.

• Multi-layered textures.

• Comfort in everything, especially regarding shoes, which are traditionally made with small platforms or wedges.

• A lavish amount of accessories, including bracelets, sunglasses, necklaces, belts, earrings, pearls or jewels, bands, headbands etc.

Natural tones and colors.

This immediately implies the absence of neon shades.

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• Natural tones and colors. This immediately implies the absence of neon shades.

• The existence of floral patterns, checks, ethnic-inspired prints, eclectic hints and avant-garde style accents.

• High-waisted designs, flare finishes, fringes, big accessories, lace, maxi skirts, variously textured pieces, knitted details, etc.

You shouldn’t include more than four shades of color if the garments you pick are already catchy and made of some attention-grabbing materials or textures.

You may instead use tones like black, gray, beige, or brown as key options, spicing them up with golden, purple, red or Bordeaux shades.

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The Basic Types of Boho-Chic Style

The main trend of boho looks may be divided into three groups: • For the classy boho style, details like mohair, velvet, and knitwear, often complemented with jacquard design prints, are typical.

• For more romantic looks, the application of soft and weightless fabrics like chiffon and lace are used.

• The final option is the boho hippie style, encompassing the characteristics of the hippie style and merging them with the boho ideology. The outcome of this is the use of lavish and bright colors matched with girly and romantic vibes.

Where to Wear Boho There are many occasions to sport your boho style: Walks Boho is simply perfect for walks with your family or friends, since it’s comfy and cute at the same time. The garments do not limit your movements and don’t act as factors for you to get tired quicker. This makes it ideal for shopping, too.

Workplace Boho can easily be interpreted into classic looks, as well. That’s why it is also recommended to wear it to work. Consider the fact that a smaller amount of shiny details and the use of more muted shades are preferable in a professional environment.

Home Finally, you can also wear the boho trend at home, since this will become a universal and extremely suitable way of having chic looks everywhere, including your home!

Celebrities who love this style include Kate Moss (who is considered to be the founder of this style), Sienna Miller, the Olsen sisters, Kirsten Dunst, Nicole Richie, Mischa Barton, and Neve Campbell.

Be sure to create your own boho looks, and tag us in your photos of them.

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Casual style is one of the most important and personality-stating styles that you can opt for every day!

And in order to be flabbergasting and blindingly beautiful all the time, you just need to know the basic tips and tricks about causal style. So that’s what we are going to talk about right now. You will find below useful casual style tips for women that will polish your dayto-day street-style looks to perfection.

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Fashion

Casual Style Tips

Every Woman Should Know The History of Casual Style

Casual style has a diverse history. According to one account, it originated in the small Scottish town of Aberdeen, particularly in a football club, where everyone wore his/her name on their clothes. The founders of this club wanted to be different from the others, so they created a unique football style, characterized by pieces of certain brands.

Further, the football fans realized that the brands were not at all important, and they started concentrating on the comfort and the harmony of the pieces that were combined.

Thus, casual style was born. According to another account, the native Scandinavian people of the countryside used this style for their combinations.

Thus, knowing how to pull off causal style is a real art, and here’s how to do it.

The Features of Casual Style

Casual style features daring and unique color shades and combinations, slightly effortless design vibes, and a blend of various styles. To cut the long story short, casual style is made of all the comfortable pieces that everyone should have. One more great thing about this style is that it doesn’t require much money, and it even allows you to reuse the retro clothes of your relatives!

What this style excludes is anything that’s uniform or taken from business looks or

other subcultures. The rest is welcome.

Casual style is suitable for every woman with any type of figure, which is also very important. An example of this style can be an interesting top, some minimalistic shorts, a creative handbag, and a light scarf.

This style is practically impossible to imagine without our favorite denim pieces.

The reason is that denim is practical and comfortable. For instance, you can put on skinny jeans with a short tunic or a light blouse with romantic flare design, of course, not forgetting about the fact that this style doesn’t absolutely bear glamorous details like beads, glitter, or rhinestones.

Another great variant of the casual look is the combination of a simple gray coat topping a sassy, tight-fitting dress and flat shoes. Or else, you can combine a strict skirt with a minimalistic jacket or a blouse, or just spice up the look with a leather jacket, finishing it off with stilettos or just high heels. Multilayered and complicated ensembles are the best way to create ideal casual combinations.

Shoes and Accessories

While talking about the basic shoes that can be matched with casual style, we should again focus on the comfort and the suitability of anything you may pick. You can pick some sporty and daring converse sneakers or light sandals, moccasins, espadrilles or bright ballet flats. Still, if you can’t imagine your life without heels, the Fantasy Issue 2019 47

comfy options should be your picks.

As for the accessories that are especially suitable for casual style, we can call them the key details for the creation of the casual style.

They are the best way of adding the right accents. For instance, you can use a creative handbag of some unusual shapes or shades, catchy shoes, leather or metallic bracelets, big rings, etc. The basic principles of the casual accessories are brightness, catchiness, moderate provocativeness, and harmony of combinations for any type of garments from jeans to dresses.

The Basic Directions of Casual Style

Smart Casual

A less strict style, which can also be used for business looks, combining the details of elegant and everyday styles, is smartcasual. Giorgio Armani is believed to be the founder of this style, having shown the ways on how to add weightlessness and effortlessness to business looks. Other characteristics of this style are the garments like comfy jumpers topping strict shirts with unbuttoned tops, etc.

You can also cuff the sleeves and use a variety of accessories for complementing the looks including scarfs, earrings, or anything else, not being afraid of opting for bold color and design solutions.

1.

There are certain directions that causal style may take, and they go as follows: Street Casual

This is another popular and cool direction of casual style, which is, indeed, perfect in its thoroughness.

Here you have absolutely no boundaries or limitations and have the free choice of vibes and ways of self-expression instead.

The most important thing is not to forget about the proportions of delicacy for the effortless looks.

2.

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Sporty Casual

The overall feature of this style is close to street casual, but the existence of pieces like denim garments, especially jeans and shirts, makes it differ from streetcasual significantly.

Voluminous waistcoats, sneakers, converse shoes, knitwear, hats, and caps are all included in the basic tendencies of the looks included here.

3.

5.

Casual Chic

4.

Business Casual

This is one of the most frequently met and used directions of casual style, demonstrated by the harmony of the traditional classics and the democratic lightheartedness.

This style is characterized by the effortless elegance created by Nino Cerutti.

For the creation of this style you need simple and minimalistic pieces with sumptuous and luxurious fabrics.

Remember, comfort is just the thing that makes every lady go for this style time and time again.

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The Story of

Alena Simonova Model: Alena Simonova Photographer: Deja Jordan Hair and Makeup: Katarina Van Derham

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AMERICA SAVED ME: IF I HAD STAYED IN BELARUS, I WOULD HAVE DIED

By Malorie Mackey

Fantasy Issue 2019 51

Alena Simonova’s story is one of inspiration and perseverance. She has faced many challenges to live the life she wanted to live in the United States, a life many of us here take for granted. If she had stayed in Belarus, her story might have already ended. But today, we sat with her to discuss her journey and how coming to America saved her.

Alena’s story began when she left her abusive husband in Belarus. She married her husband when they had nothing. But over the ten years they’d been married, he gained power at his job and gained a lot of money in the process. “Money changed him,” Alena told us, “He wasn’t coming home at night and would be drunk. I lost my respect for him.” Alena knew she had to get away. She couldn’t go back with her parents because her father was an alcoholic, and he was living in a very small home with her mother despite the two of them being divorced. It wasn’t a good environment for her to escape back to.

“I decided to come to America,” she said, “I felt like I couldn’t stay in Belarus. I chose America because I am a family-oriented person, and I was looking for a man. I found an Armenian guy who lived in America, 52

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so I came out here for him. He was nice to me and helped me. I loved his family.

He wanted me to come to him, and I was surprised when I got my visa granted.”

Unfortunately, while this move was the right choice for Alena to escape the life she was trapped in in Belarus, it separated her from her daughter. Alena has not seen her daughter in six years, and it’s a struggle she faces daily. “I left my daughter with my exhusband’s parents. They are good to her. It was very difficult for me to do.” Alena told us.

Then, while in America, Alena decided to leave her boyfriend that she moved to the US for. “I decided to leave him. It was too difficult for me. He ‘ate’ my brain. I met a Russian girl who was a photographer, and one day when nobody was home, she came and helped me take my stuff and leave.

I slept in her tiny space with her.” You

see, her boyfriend had become jealous, and it was too much for Alena to handle after coming out of the relationship she did with her husband. “He was kind to me, but it was a bad situation. The poor guy found me and asked me back, but I couldn’t. Because I knew it would be the same. People don’t change. I learned it from my first husband.”

As Alena grew and learned while living in the US, she also began modeling. “I met a woman at school who had a son that was a great photographer, and I didn’t see myself as beautiful. No one ever told me I was beautiful. My grandmother told me that I was ugly because my father was an alcoholic.” Despite her beauty, because of the mentality she faced back home in Belarus, she never felt that she was a model. “At home, I am an old woman at 30 with a child. Here I’m young and pretty, and people think I’m a model.”

Despite not always getting encouragement from those around her, Alena did model, and she produced stunning photos. She is a beautiful woman, which means that she also faces jealousy and envy at times from other women. “Women, they have envy. They don’t want to connect with you when you look good. They want someone who doesn’t look good.”

Regardless, things were looking up for Alena. She was modeling, and she developed a relationship with a very supportive man who is kind to her. She was getting ahead and living the life she always wanted in America.

Then, suddenly, things took a different turn.

Roughly a year ago, Alena was diagnosed with cancer, specifically stage 4 lymphoma.

It was a struggle for doctors to find the cancer, as Alena had been sick for a while, and no one could properly diagnose her.

You see, lymphoma usually grows out and

can be seen, but her tumors were hidden inside her, making them hard for doctors to find. After almost two years of doctors unsuccessfully diagnosing her lymphoma, she was officially diagnosed, and it brought another shock into her life.

Luckily, Alena was not completely alone in her fight against cancer. She was able to spend time with her new, supportive boyfriend and her sister who will visit her from Milan. “She came when I was sick and would stay with me. During the most difficult time when I did chemo.”

Thankfully, Alena has been out of chemo for 2 months now. Her health is starting to come back, and her hair is starting to grow back. When reflecting on the process, Alena said, “I was on chemo for six months, but the first two months the doctor said he would use a new medicine they just approved in April last year. I started to do it because it had very good results in testing. For my body, it was too strong. They had to stop Fantasy Issue 2019 53

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my chemo because my blood was bad.

He took a three-month break… The first three months were so difficult because the new medicine killed my cancer fast, which was good. But it put fluid in my chest, and I was feeling terrible pain. They had to do two surgeries for my pain. It was too much pain. It was a big problem.”

After all she has endured, this process is finally over for her, but Alena is still finding herself recovering from the effects of chemotherapy and having cancer. She must take antidepressants, as her hormones are still changing from everything. She said, “I don’t like that I take it, but I want my feelings back. I have too many troubles in my life. I think I will take them for six months, as it’s a period of therapy. And then I will see if I can stop it.”

Alena won’t give up this easily, however.

She is trying to push herself to get out and be around people. It became difficult, as people separated themselves from her when she developed cancer. But she’s trying to get back out there. She is currently building her happy ending, focusing on the positives. She recognizes

that if she had not left Belarus, the cancer very well may have killed her. “It had to be like this,” she said, “Belarus wouldn’t have saved me. There’s no narcotics. No good surgeons. People say lymphoma is fixable, but in my case it was terrible.”

We are very inspired by Alena’s strong will to fight for the life that she wants, and we are excited to see her overcoming her troubles.

What makes Alena happy and what’s still to come in her life?

Alena is uplifted by animals. Watching her cat has made her feel better in this time, as well as painting. Alena is hard working and is now looking to go into medicine, herself, to help those who struggled like she did. “I want to learn medical care, like I needed when I was sick. Something like this, because I have experience with this. I don’t have the education for this, but I will learn. I will try to study nursing.” Alena is excited to be able to return home for a visit soon to see her daughter, as well.

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Fashion

Desert

Romance Photographer: Payam Arzani Creative Director: Ricardo Ferrise Art Director: Payam Arzani Hair and Makeup: Ricardo Ferrise Model: Brookell Dresses by Michael Costello Jewelry by Katherine Cordero

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How to Measure Your

Bra Size One of the greatest tools you can have as a woman is the ability to measure your own bra size.

It can make life much easier for you, and it will save you from having to ask someone else to do it for you in a bra store.

By Malorie Mackey

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H

owever, most people feel that it’s a complicated skill to learn. I’m here to break that illusion for you and tell you how easy it is to measure your own bra size.

It’s important to remember as you are doing this that you need to be wearing a basic demi bra. You shouldn’t be wearing a push up bra, as that will affect your results, but you should be wearing a bra.

If you are not, that will also affect your results. So, you need to be lightly lifted in a regular demi bra.

Measuring the Band Size

First, you are going to measure your band size. The band size is the number part of your bra measurement (example: 34 or 36). There are two ways to do this, and we will discuss both.

The first way is to measure directly under your bust at the top of your ribs. Make sure the measuring tape is flat around you while you are measuring. When I measure myself there, I get 29”. Then, you add 5 to

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whatever number you got. So, my number became 34 when I added the 5 to 29. For another example, if you measured 31” across directly under your bust, your band size is a 36 (31+5).

The second way to measure your band size is simpler. I prefer it. You measure the area above your bust. Bring the measuring tape around your back and under both of your armpits. Have it meet at the center above your bust.

The number you get should accurately be your band size. For instance, when I measure above my bust, I get 34”, and I wear a 34C. That’s the quicker and easier way to do this.

Be sure when you are measuring not to pull the measuring tape too tight or to keep it too loose, as it will mess with the results. Keeping it just a little loose is the best way to go.

Figuring Out Your Cup Size

Now that you have the band size, you can figure out your cup size. To do this, you measure the fullest part of your bust directly over your nipple line. Be sure the measuring tape is even around your body. When I measure around my nipple line, I get 37”.

Now, I take the number I got around the fullest part of my breast and subtract the number I got for the band size. So, in my case, I subtract 34 from 37 giving me 3.

That number will determine the bust size.

If the fullest part of your bust is 1” larger than your band size, you are an A cup.

If the fullest part of your bust is 2” larger than your band size, you are a B cup.

If the fullest part of your bust is 3” larger than your band size, you are a C cup.

If the fullest part of your bust is 4” larger than your band size, you are a D cup.

If the fullest part of your bust is 5” larger than your band size, you are a DD cup.

And so on.

In my case, since the fullest part of my bust was 3 inches larger than my band size, I am a C cup.

This makes my full bra size a 34C. Here’s another example: A few years ago, I was a 32D. When I would measure above my bust line for my band, it was 32” (my band size). Then, when I measured around my bust, it was 36”. 36-32 is 4, giving me a D cup. So, I was a 32D.

Comfort Matters Most

In the end, it is comfort that matters most. Whatever style and size you feel comfortable in is always the right fit for you. So, if you measure one size and feel more comfortable in another, then go for it!

Now that you know how to measure your bust, you can take away the stress of having someone else measure it for you in a store. So, take out your measuring tape, and try it out!

Fantasy Issue 2019 69

In the RagDoll Pink Palace Model: Nicoleta Vaculov Photographer: Deja Jordan Hair & Makeup: Katarina Van Derham Stylist: Holley Wolfe Jewelry: Loraida Jewelry Location: RagDoll Pink Palace

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Cover Feature

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Fantasy Issue 2019 73

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Model: Nicoleta Vaculov Photographer: Deja Jordan Makeup: Katarina Van Derham Hair & Clothing Stylist: Angelica Curiel Fantasy Issue 2019 75

VIVA GLAM’s Favorite Black Luxury

s g a b d n a H 76

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Fashion

Black is one of the basic, essential colors when it comes to fashion, especially when it comes to accessories. It’s pretty safe to say that every woman needs a staple black luxury handbag. So, we pulled the following luxury handbags for you to choose from.

All are vegan, cruelty-free, and made with the highest quality. You will definitely look fashion- forward and compassionate rocking one of these bags.

y Pleat Clutch b Chapter Bag ag.com $78 on chapterb ni Los Angeles o V y b ck la B Stella i.com $110 on shopvon

ross-Body Hamilton C oi

by Angela R ngelaroi.com $215 on www.a

dy Ruffle Crossbo Onyx from ion Hozen Collect ction.com 80 on hozencolle $1 rk o Y w e N s a

by Gun Cottontail Pe nasthebrand.com Fantasy Issue 2019 77 $198 on www.gu

Fashion Ambitious

By Malorie Mackey

Lydia Janko is a fitness model and bikini competitor.

She is also the mastermind behind the brand Luxe Lady Fit, which is coming out soon. Lydia was inspired by her background in fitness, her love of fashion, and her overall desire to live a healthy lifestyle.

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Photography: Deja Jordan, Hair and Makeup: Katarina Van Derham, Model: Lydia Janko, Jewelry: Amlé

W

hen it came down to finding appealing gym outfits, she had a hard time as she could never really find an ultra-luxurious brand, so she decided to create her own- something more highend, fashionable, but still functionable for performance, designed for those who want a step above basic fitness attire. What’s even more special about her brand is that everything is locally made.

Since Lydia is a fashion enthusiast, we pulled her away from the spotlight for the day to create this fashion editorial and to talk with her about her brand and her history in fitness in more detail.

Lydia, what inspired you to enter the fitness world?

I became passionate about fitness a few years ago. Before that point, I never really cared much about how I ate or going to the gym, and it started not only affecting the way I looked but also the way I felt physically and mentally. As I grew to focus on my health and fitness, the more I educated myself, the more I fell in love with it as a whole until it eventually became a part of my everyday lifestyle. It’s never easy in the begging; the key is to focus on smaller goals and work your way up. Consistency is key with any success.

Personally, I started out only wanting to grow my glutes because I wasn’t satisfied with how they looked, then I became interested in proper nutrition and how I should be eating to achieve my desired results. I started focusing on other muscle groups, and it happened just like that, one thing after another after some trial and error. Eventually, it became part of my everyday lifestyle.

challenges of competing?

Competing has its pros and cons. Some people love and live for competing and become obsessed with the sport; others find it dangerous because if you don’t go about it with a healthy approach, it can lead to eating disorders and distorted selfimage issues such as body dysmorphia.

I personally enjoy this sport and find it a great challenge and something to look forward to or to have a goal towards.

However, it is all about balance. As long as you have a good coach and you go about show prep in a healthy way, it can be fun. I use IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros). In the past, I have tried the traditional dieting approach but found that counting my macronutrients (which are fats, carbs and proteins) works better in the long run.

What’s it like competing in fitness competitions? What are the Fantasy Issue 2019 79

This is because it allows you to enjoy and pretty much eat whatever you desire within reason. I prefer this over sticking to a bland diet for a long period of time, which is eating pretty much the same thing every single day up until the competition. The IIFYM approach is much safer, as you aren’t as restricted and are less likely to binge during or after the competition or develop eating disorders.

How do you prepare for your competitions?

As far as show prep, for myself, it is about a twelve-week period. I choose a coach, because regardless of how educated

you are on training and diet, it is extremely important to have a coach if you are planning to compete. I train 5-6 days a week, which is typically the same as I normally do; oftentimes, the training is just a little bit different as it gets closer to the date because I incorporate more cardio. As far as diet, like I mentioned before, I count macronutrients.

These get adjusted every week up until the show depending on body changes and fluctuations. I also practice posing because there are specific poses you are expected to do for the judges. Sometimes, show prep can be isolating because during this time period, it is extremely important that you are referring your body and taking proper care of yourself. This may mean going to bed earlier for better sleep and recovery, waking up earlier than usual to ensure there is time for the additional training and cardio sessions, and even saying no to social events that include alcohol or food that isn’t on the plan. It’s important to understand that these little decisions add up over time and, ultimately, decide how you reach your goals. This is tough but you have to learn to find willpower and motivation within yourself, stay determined, and not give in to temptations. This is ultimately what sets you apart from other competitors.

Tell us how you feel about modeling.

Do you prefer fitness shoots or fashion shoots?

I love fitness shoots, but I also love fashion shoots! This is tough to choose from as being an avid fashion and fitness enthusiast, I think it’s so fun to differentiate between the two.

They are both amazing and can be expressive and creative in their own ways. I am excited to launch my line as it is a combination of the two, so a little bit of both will be represented within the branding and marketing.

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What inspired you to create Luxe Lady Fit? There are many workout brands out there that are very nice and high quality, but I ultimately wanted to create something fancier- bougie if you must- for the women who prefer more than just basic looks and styles.

My fitness couture is handmade in Los Angeles using the most exquisite materials, resulting in sophistication with a sexy allure. Many pieces include embellishments such as Swarovski crystals. They will be elegant and glamourous yet still functionable. I strive to provide the highest quality, most fashionable couture in activewear, performance and lifestyle, as there is no other workout brand I could find that lived up to the expectations I had in mind.

What are the struggles of starting your own line?

There are a lot of challenges when creating your own line; a lot of these challenges also go hand-in-hand with having your own business, in general. Some of these challenges include deadlines not being met and issues with products and manufacturing. There are so many different types of issues that can occur along the way.

You pretty much learn as you go what works and what doesn’t. I have learned that it is very hands-on, as there is no exact route or method to follow. You have to really be aware of every little thing that is going on, checking in with people and making sure to follow up with everything and everyone constantly in order to get things done. Also, I have found that everyone has opinions on how you should be doing things. Everyone has different business advice, but the truth is, you cannot copy another person’s method 100% simply because it has worked for them. It’s great to listen to advice from others and soak up useful tips and information and to continue to network and connect with others, but ultimately, I think you just have to truly find what works for you and your brand. There is definitely a lot of trial and error, and there are many mistakes you learn from. The journey is all a learning and growing process in many ways.

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Why only local merchants?

Many people choose to use sources overseas because it can be a lot less expensive. You often get more for your money; however, it often isn’t as high-quality. Things are generally done sloppier and at a much quicker pace in result. I chose to do all of my manufacturing locally because I want to ensure the brand’s quality and standards are met 100% within every garment. Everything we use is sourced and produced locally. I visited many manufacturing places before deciding on the perfect one for the beginning of my journey.

What’s still to come before Luxe Lady Fit Launches?

Right now, we’re finishing up the remaining samples for the first launch.

For the very first launch, I’m planning on having 4 different sports bras with matching leggings and a top with a built-in sports bra. There is a lot that is still going on as far as production for some of the garments before they are ready. We have recently done a lot of fittings with different sized models and made a few more adjustments based on comfort and fit. When the manufacturing process as a whole is finished, we can move on to marketing.

Then, we will finally launch the product and have garments available for customer purchase.

When are you planning to have Luxe Lady Fit officially launch?

The goal is to have the first launch out by the middle/end of Summer! There are so many exquisite designs and pieces coming as well in future collections! I am more than excited for everything that is to come!

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Some call it self love. Some call it sanity.

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We want you to love our mirrors as much as we do and deliver to you a feeling of fabulosity you won’t find anywhere else.

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Fantasy Issue 2019 83

Things to Think

About When Going on a Diet

People choose to go on a diet for various reasons. It could be

You are what that you want to cut a few pounds, to set a good example to family, or to have that killer body you’ve always dreamed you eat, and your of. For those with sugar complications, however, eating healthy often, your skinisn’t an option. shows whether There are a lot of misconceptions that go with being on a you’re eating diet. Society assumes that only diabetic or obese people should watch what they consume. Contrary to this erroneous belief, healthy or not. many people have now come to embrace healthy eating as of their daily routines. It could be so hard to convince a Healthy living part rather skinny person to go on a diet, but you should know that requires us to whatever way your body looks like, observing a good diet has several good impacts to your general growth and body weight. keep watch of and foremost, you’ll need a dietary plan to help you in what we eat First maintaining the routine. There are different types of diets, and every day of you need to decide which one works for you. You also need write down a daily menu or just a simple list of things you our lives. to shouldn’t eat and a list of foods you should indulge in. This will 84

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Wellness

make everything easier. You’re more likely to follow a routine that has been written down in black and white than that which you only visualize. For beginners, this could be too hard because the temptation of passing through that burger joint could be overwhelming.

Eating healthy goes hand in hand with exercising. Therefore, you’ll need a workout routine. The one real secret to beauty is eating healthy and doing exercises. This is what keeps those celebrities looking all too gorgeous and flawless.

Let’s start with the foods you should avoid. Here, you basically have to keep away from the high-calorie meals.

Here’s a list: • Fatty foods like French fries and potato crisps • Too much sugary foods and drinks like soda, cakes, and cream • Too much alcohol or beer • White bread

• White rice • Syrup • Most fast foods Now, here’s a list of what you need to eat:

Leafy green veggies

Spinach and lettuce should top your list.

You could make it a habit to include greens in every meal, be it cooked or as a salad.

Legumes

These are rich in vitamins. They include beans, lentils, and peas, among others.

Nuts and seeds

Pumpkin seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts, or cashew nuts are must-haves. Apart from being rich in healthy fats, they leave you feeling satisfied longer. Hence, you don’t really feel hungry quite often.

Remember, the way you cook your meals also matters. Use healthy oils like olive or sunflower oil for your meals. When you eat right, your body will look strong and energetic, your skin and hair will glow, and you’ll radiate that right kind of beauty.

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Popular Myths about Nutrition

By Maria Dolores Garcia

With so much information and conflicting advice hanging around out there, it’s easy to feel confused about what is and isn’t healthy for you. But unmasking the myths and explaining the science is important in order to unravel what’s truly nutritional. Then, we can leave behind certain fallacies.

Here are some of the most common nutritional misconceptions and why you can let them go.

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Wellness

1.MYTH:You can eat all the junk food you want, and then you can burn it off.

It’s not that simple. The quality of what you eat matters a lot. And the damage of unhealthy food simply cannot be undone by hard training.

Trying to compensate for poor dietary choices with exercise is actually a double whammy: physical activity puts stress on the body and, without proper nutrition to recover from, it can become weaker. A balanced diet is important for everyone. And if you are regularly active, it is even more important, not less.

2.MYTH:It’s okay to eat as much protein as you want.

The protein you eat maintains, heals and repairs the tissues of the body. But you only need as much protein as is necessary to carry out these tasks. When you exceed the amount you need, the excess protein can cause weight loss or weight gain.

To achieve a good balance, include some protein in each meal, but do not go crazy. A good general rule: if you’re active, aim for half a gram of protein per pound of your ideal weight. So, if your goal is 130 pounds, you do not need more than 65 grams per day.

3.MYTH:Eating after exercising cancels the training.

Exercising influences your body, and then your body is ready for recovery: eating a nutritious meal or snack provides your cells with the raw materials needed to heal and repair.

This recovery process is key because it is not only the training itself, but during this stage the metabolism is increased and your level of fitness improves. To get the best results, choose post-exercise foods that give you vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

4.MYTH:Fruit is as bad as candy.

A recent Harvard study found that avoiding fruit altogether is not necessary to control weight. The researchers looked at more than 130,000 adults and found that those who ate a daily serving of fruit got rid of that extra half pound over a four-year period.

Fruit is also full of important nutrients, water and fiber. And its natural sugar is less concentrated than other sweet foods. For example, a cup of strawberries contains about 7 grams of sugar, compared to about 17 grams in a tablespoon of honey and 21 grams in gummy bears.

Some research even shows that compared to vegetables, fruit can have a more powerful effect on weight reduction. This is because fruits tend to replace sweets with a greater amount of calories, while vegetables tend to be supplements.

5.MYTH:Eating fat makes you fat.

Eating the right fats is actually a smart strategy to lose weight. Healthy fats are incredibly satisfying, since they keep you full longer. Research shows that herbal fats such as olive oil, avocado and walnuts increase hormones that suppress appetite.

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Have You Missed These Hidden Animal Sources in Your Food?

You might think you’re eating 100% vegan, but you also may be surprised to learn that you might be eating the broth or the fat of animals without even realizing it!

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f you don’t pay close attention to what you consume, you’ll likely find yourself consuming foods that have hidden animal sources in them in some way, shape, or form. We’ve done a lot of digging and research to set you up for success if you’re interested in going vegan, so that you can eat confidently knowing which foods might have animal sources hidden within them.

Four Pillars of a Healthy Diet

First, as a vegan, you should be aware of the four foods that are considered pillars of a healthy diet; these are four categories 88

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of food that simply shouldn’t ever have any hidden animal sources. These pillars are: fresh produce, whole grains, beans, and nuts and seeds. Though vegans can eat other foods, these are unquestionably the healthiest, least controversial foods, and should make up the bulk of the vegan diet. That being said, if you branch out as a vegan to include other food items, please make sure to steer clear of these items, which oftentimes have animal sources hidden within them:

Gelatin and Glycerin

No, you wouldn’t pick up gelatin just to eat gelatin, but it’s found in things like gummy candies, marshmallows, soups, sauces, gel caps, and lipstick. Why is gelatin unsafe for vegan diets? It usually is derived from by-products of the meat and leather industry. Generally, vegan alternatives are available, so just look out for that label.

Glycerin is often found in sauces, creamy products, and skincare. While you think you might not be consuming it, your body is still absorbing these animal by-products.

Sugar

Sugar isn’t great for you no matter which way you spin it, but we understand that every now and again that sweet tooth comes for you. When that happens, ensure that you’re consuming unbleached sugar products or ones that are labeled “vegan”.

Why? Sugar is often filtered through charred animal bones as a part of the bleaching process.

Soup

Soup is often overlooked, but it’s one of the most obvious animal product hazards for vegans. Many canned and restaurant soups use chicken or beef stock as a base.

soup with veggie broth. Additionally, many cream soups are chock full of cream and butter. If you’re craving something creamy, check the label or ask your server for a non-dairy option instead.

Supplements

One would think that body enhancing supplements have nothing to do with animals or animal by-products, but one would be very wrong. Animal-derived ingredients run rampant in supplements and are, perhaps, the biggest hidden hazard found in the grocery store. Vegans should look for capsules and soft-gel products that say “vegi-caps” or highlight plant-derived sources right on the label. Warning signs

Even miso soup has dashi broth, which is made using a type of fish flake and seaweed.

Even miso soup has dashi broth, which is made using a type of fish flake and seaweed. With soup, always assume the broth is animal based, but when in doubt, simply ask a chef or server, or order a

to look out for: Supplements that contain gelatin, beta-carotene, L-Tyrosine, Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondroitin Sulfate, Vitamin D3, and DHA are all likely not vegan friendly in their standard form.

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The Best CA Treats to

In dulge in Without Feeling Guilty Want those delicious, juicy, fruity treats any time of year?

California produces some amazing healthy yet also delicious snacks due to the high volume of healthconscious people in the sunshine state.

Luckily, thanks to these recipes, you can make these delicious California treats anywhere in the world without feeling guiltybecause they are also healthy for you!

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By Malorie Mackey

Homemade Lemonade

with Pomegranate, Mint, and Lime 1 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice (Which Can be Fresh Squeezed from 6 Lemons) 1 Cup Pomegranate Juice (Which Can be Fresh Squeezed from 5 Pomegranates) ½ Cup of Unbleached Sugar or ¾ Cup of Honey If You’d Prefer the Healthier Option 4 Cups of Water ¼ Cup Fresh Mint 1 Lime Combine the Water, Lemon Juice, Pomegranate Juice, and Sugar or Honey into a pitcher and mix it up. Slice up the lime and add the slices into the lemonade. Or once poured, you can add the lime as an accent on the glass, instead.

Once poured, add 2-3 mint leaves into the drink.

The best part about this recipe is that it is all based on your taste. Feel free to play with the amount of lemon, lime, pomegranate, mint, and sugar or honey used based on your own personal tastes.

Fun fact: This recipe contains pomegranate which is a great source of powerful antioxidants.

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Wellness

Smoothie Bowl

with Fresh Blackberries, Blueberries, Banana, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds, and Coconut A small amount of Almond Milk Fresh Blackberries, Blueberries, Bananas, and Coconut Pumpkin Seeds Sunflower Seeds Chia Seeds When making a smoothie bowl, it’s less about measuring and more about what your preference is. First, be sure to freeze your fruit so you blend it frozen, as this will ensure the smoothie bowl is thick and not too watered down.

Combine a small amount of almond milk with your frozen blackberries, frozen blueberries, frozen bananas, and coconut together into a blender and blend them on low. Add the quantity that looks best to you based on your taste preferences and how big you’d like your smoothie bowl to be. Then, top your smoothie bowl with the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds. Then, you are ready to enjoy your cold California treat!

Fun Fact: This recipe contains blackberries which are a great source of Vitamin C!

Fantasy Issue 2019 91

Three CBD Products

Every Woman Should Carry in Her Purse

Photography by @Misssilverandblack

By Malorie Mackey

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Our favorite brand of CBD products that we’ve discovered is CannaCura.

CannaCura is dedicated to bringing a healthy body and mind to everyone who uses their brand. They offer a wide variety of products that help people and their loved ones to achieve holistic healing, happiness, and a healthy lifestyle. And they offer one of the most diverse lists of products that we have come across yet.

We sat down with Nancy Morfin, the CEO of CannaCura, to discuss her brand in more detail and to talk about the three most important products every woman should carry in her purse.

Interview CBD products have become overwhelmingly popular during the last few years. Health and wellness buffs have realized just how many benefits there are to taking CBD in different forms, and many female CBD lovers can be found with their favorite CBD products in their purses daily.

Oils have become increasingly in demand, but there are many more unique CBD products out

which I depended on and used for about 2 years.

When I first met my fiancé, he brought my prescription drug use to my attention and helped me get off them. Coming from a cannabis background, he introduced me to natural remedies, and CBD was one of them. After using CBD, I felt normal again! I tossed all those pharmaceutical drugs in the trash and never looked back. A year later, the corporation I was working for did a mass termination, and my position ended.

This helped me start CannaCura. I always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur but never had the opportunity to make it happen. The first things that popped into my head were beauty, health, and CBD: the 3 things I am absolutely passionate about! And that is how CannaCura started!

VGM: Tell us a little about CannaCura and your brand’s story.

How did CannaCura come to be?

Hi, I’m Nancy Morfin the CEO of CannaCura.

I started this company What exactly is CBD? there, as well. because I truly believed CBD (cannabidiol) is one in the power of CBD. of more than 85 chemical Coming from a corporate background, compounds found in the cannabis plant. CBD I dealt with stress and anxiety daily. I is the second most abundant ingredient in the had a couple of anxiety attacks - at the cannabis structure, which usually represents time I had no idea what they were - I just up to 40% of the plant’s extracts. CBD is knew there was something wrong with non-psychoactive and promotes “relaxation me and my health, so I sought help by without intoxication.” CBD is believed to going to my doctor. I was prescribed a have many benefits in healing and promoting good number of pharmaceutical drugs, health and wellness within the human body.

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Let’s expand more on the benefits. Specifically, how does CBD benefit the lives of those who use it?

According to the NCBI, which is The National Center for Biotechnology Information and is part of the United States National Library of Medicine, when taken regularly, CBD has some very beneficial effects to a variety of serious issues and diseases. Many users of CBD have stated that the therapeutic benefits of this dietary supplement help them cope daily for the following medical ailments: anorexia, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, bipolar disorder, cardiovascular disorders, chronic pain, depression, glaucoma, Huntington’s disease, inflammation, insomnia, nausea, obesity, PTSD, schizophrenia, stress, and Tourette’s syndrome.

CannaCura offers a very wide range of CBD products. Can you tell us about some of your most unique products?

I would say all of our products are unique in their own way because they each serve a purpose- from doggies treats to pain lotion! Not only do we care about your internal health, but we care about muscle aches and pains, too and your fur babies, of course!

Yes, I see that you offer CBD soft chews for dogs.

How does CBD benefit a dog’s health? Is it similar to how CBD benefits humans?

Our Phytocannabinoid-Rich (PCR) Hemp Oil CBD Pet Chews are the perfect way to sneak some CBD into your pet’s daily routine! Your pet will love the beef flavor of our CBD chews so much they’ll never even know they are good for them. Used as a daily supplement or as needed, our CBD pet chews are great for relieving pain 94

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and inflammation, reducing seizures, improving mobility in your pet’s hips and joints, reducing nausea, and alleviating anxiety.

What do you think are the three most important CBD products every woman should carry in her purse?

That would be our top sellers: oil tincture drops, gummies and anti-aging cream!

Why are CBD flavor drops a great thing to carry with you in your purse?

The CBD flavor drops are our best sellers because they are easy to take. You can add drops to your coffee every morning, add them to your smoothies throughout the day or take them alone. Just a couple of drops under your tongue will give you the CBD benefits.

Can you tell everyone a little more about your CBD Gummies? How do they benefit you, and why is it a great idea to carry them in your purse?

With 20mg of CBD per Gummy, CBD Gummies taste so good, and you’ll never miss your CBD for the day! No matter what you need, these yummy edibles deliver for you and are a fun and effective way to enjoy CBD while satisfying your sweet tooth.

Lastly, CBD anti-aging cream sounds very exciting! What are the benefits of having CBD in your skincare?

CBD Anti-Aging Cream with Apple Stem offers powerful regeneration for healthy skin cells!

With the added benefit of stem cells derived from a rare apple tree, our cream can help slow, and even sometimes reverse, signs of aging when it is combined with the miraculous benefits of CBD. Even more, CBD Anti-Aging Cream with Apple Stem diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, preserves the stem cells in your skin, promotes both vitality and longevity in the skin’s stem cells, combats age-related skin degradation and promotes the regrowth of healthy skin cell formation!

Be sure to check out CannaCura.net to pick up the three products every woman should carry in her purse and to see the wide range of other CBD products CannaCura offers!

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Photo by Laura Sixtos

Two Latinas are Paving the Way by Creating Unique Content Bel Hernandez and Naibe Reynoso founded TheTRENDTalk to create content for Latinos in an English-language format. These two Latinas envisioned a talk show and events that did not exist, so they decided to create it for themselves. They have been paving the way for Latinos for years now with their eventful careers. We sat down with Bel and Naibe to discuss TheTRENDTalk.

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Interview What difficulties did you face when creating TheTRENDTalk?

The two major difficulties were finding funding and distribution. We had our initial money to shoot 6 episodes; however, after that we have had to raise funds, and for a new show that is not on a big broadcast station, that is hard. It is also hard to let people know our show is out there when you have no marketing dollars. Our marketing has been solely done through social media. We are happy that we have been able to make it work and keep our show on the air.

As we begin our 4th season, we are happy to have increased our distribution to Texas and the Virgin Islands, and we are currently speaking with San Diego and Fresno to air in those markets, as well.

As Latinas, do you think the process was even harder for you to create your own show?

It is difficult for everyone. However, as a community that is just making our mark in Hollywood, there are not a lot of established connections to gain access to TV distribution. Also, it does not help that because we are Latinas, they peg us as Spanish language content and direct us to the Spanish-language TV stations. We know our community, our market, and our audience. Seventy-seven percent of all U.S. Latinos speak English and are Englishlanguage TV viewers. Although we have the advantage of also speaking Spanish, we know there are so many other Latinos that identify fiercely with their culture, some who do not even speak Spanish, but that appreciate being represented on TV. Bilingualism is a big factor in our community, and we go there on the show, as well.

Bel, you have a history in journalism as the CEO of Latin Heat Media.

How did working on Let’s Talk with Latin Heat Media help begin your journey with TheTRENDTalk?

I started my journalism career by cofounding the only entertainment trade publication to focus on Latino talent in 1992. Prior to that, there was a severe lack of coverage of Latinos in Hollywood working in English language films and TV. From that mission, Latin Heat Media has always been about promoting U.S. Latino talent, both in front of and behind the camera.

As a former actress, then a journalist and now a producer, I saw an opportunity to create English-language content that employs and highlights Latinos. So, in 2009, we produced the first and only talk Fantasy Issue 2019 97

a challenge, as we are also responsible for raising the funds, covering all expenses, seeking syndication and getting creative with the marketing dollars we have. We rely solely on social media and our skills as entrepreneurs with our mad skills of producing, and our journalistic career experiences. Another factor that helps our ability to produce a great show is our access to great guests.

show with four Latina hosts. We were a 15-minute online talk show. From there we aired on LATV, an independent TV station where our content fit right in as they did bilingual content. It was during this iteration of our talk show journey that Naibe joined the panel of hosts.

While airing on LATV, we met with the GM from CBS@/KCAL9 who took an interest in our show and brought the production to the local stations CBS@/ KCAL9 -- but they requested a name change. We debuted a 3-year run under the name HOLA L.A! When our run was done, Naibe and I still had a lot to say, and we decided to restructure the show and created TheTRENDTalk with only two hosts, myself and Naibe. It is so empowering to have a vision and be able to work on making it come true, to have creative freedom. However, it is quite 98

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What guest have you had on TheTRENDTalk that has impacted you the most and why?

One of the most impactful guests was when we had Edward James Olmos on the show. We asked him the question about the rumor that he would be playing Gaff in Bladerunner 2049; he then turned to the camera and said, “I am announcing here, and to the world, that I am playing Gaff in Bladerunner 2049”. Press around the world picked up the quote and TheTRENDTalk made international news.

What do you hope to accomplish with your show? Is there an overall message you wish to put out there?

The overall message is that U.S. Latinos exist and that we are American and have a lot to offer our country. We are not invisible, and we deserve to also have a talk show that shows us for who we are, not the stereotype portrayed in TV & Film.

The other main purpose is to shine a spotlight on the amazing Latino men and women who are trending at the highest level in all sectors of society, who are making news and are doing amazing things.

What advice can you give to others who are looking to create their own show?

Know how to produce. Have access to interesting guests. Learn how to sell your

show and distribute your show. You can start on the web as we did and grow from there. There are wonderful opportunities to do a show online.

You can find Naibe’s book on Amazon or on www.contodopress.com. And you can catch full episodes of TheTrendTalk on their Youtube channel!

Photo by Laura Sixtos

Naibe, you just published your first bilingual children’s book. That’s so exciting! Can you tell us a little about that process?

I am very proud of my newly released children’s bilingual book, “Be Bold, Be Brave: 11 Latinas who made U.S. History.”

The book is an extension of what I am already doing on TheTrendTalk, which is spotlight the Latino community. But the book caters to a younger audience, children ages 5-11. The book hopes to inspire the next generation of Latina leaders in science, medicine, politics, sports, journalism and art. By presenting the true biographical stories of outstanding women in rhyming verses, young readers will easily follow their journey to success.

The women featured include Antonia Novello (first female Surgeon General

in the U.S.), Ellen Ochoa (first Latina to go to space), Sonia Sotomayor (first Latina Supreme Court Justice,) Rita Moreno, and Selena. The process was exhilarating! As a mother, I was very proud to create something that can have a positive influence on our children. When I looked for books to read to my children, I noticed a lack of children’s publications highlighting Latina women who have greatly contributed to U.S. history and now more than ever, it was important to publish a piece of media that portrays my community, especially women, in a positive light. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the women in my book, and Rita Moreno and Dolores Huerta, two living legends, even signed my copy.

I’m hoping to create more books like this one that highlight my community.

Fantasy Issue 2019 99

A Man from El Salvador Sets the Trend for Los Angeles

The Story of

OskarRivera

Oskar Rivera is a well-known branding agent in Hollywood. He is also the CEO and owner of Rivera Productions. Rivera Productions is a company that specializes in marketing, branding, product placements, private labels, endorsements and producing exclusive events.

Oskar continually works hard and is known for going above and beyond for each of the clients that he represents. He is also a master of connections, as he is naturally an outgoing and accepting person who makes friends wherever he goes. He always dresses to perfection; you will never find a flaw in the way he dresses. However, just like many shining stars with big hearts and impeccable style, he gets misunderstood. In fact, he gets misunderstood a lot.

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Photography: Keneth Macias/ Inova Enterprise

By Malorie Mackey

Interview We decided to sit down with this El Salvadorian powerhouse to get his thoughts on a couple of topics about “LA” and “the industry”, and here’s what we’ve learned.

Oskar had a beautiful childhood in El Salvador. He had loving parents who taught him discipline and the value of a strong work ethic. “I had to work hard to deserve things.”

Oskar told us, “I was taught to always respect people and to be honest.” And that teaching showed through as Oskar grew up to be humble and hard working. Oskar also grew up with three loving sisters who taught him all about style. It was most likely his childhood that not only gave Oskar an impeccable sense of style as an adult, but also made him feel very comfortable around women.

Growing up around classy women, Oskar knows how to dress properly. Many see his attire as flamboyant or over-the-top, but this is a professional business, and everyone should rise to the occasion and dress with style. “People would always ask me, ‘Who are you trying to impress?’ But I always dressed like this.” Oskar said.

In fact, when we asked him about his first impression of the fashion in Los Angeles, Oskar said, “There is no fashion. When I started going to all these events, the first thing that I realized is that it’s very rare to see people dressed according to the event you go to. It’s a lack of style and education of fashion.”

Feeling secure in himself and his own personal style, Oskar never tried to change himself and did not conform when he moved to Hollywood, though he was made fun of for always dressing “too nice”. “I don’t care if they like me. I’m not here for people to like me. I’m just going to be myself,” Oskar would tell himself. “Nobody likes to see anyone doing well in our industry here, especially in this town. I was struggling like crazy and running around to build my network and get

connected. I NEVER tried to fit in. I was always me.”

Despite not fitting in, Oskar worked hard to try and pave his way in Hollywood for years.

Since he wasn’t initially making money in the industry that he wanted to be in, Oskar made money installing awnings and working in a construction company, as well as standing in as the salad guy at a restaurant. While Oskar didn’t mind getting his hands dirty, he knew that his potential was greater than that and wanted to achieve more in Hollywood.

There was one day where he was sitting in a truck with his brother-in-law while working in construction. His brother-in-law asked him, “What are you doing here? You’re not happy working jobs like this.” It was in that moment where Oskar quit the menial 9-5 job industry and never looked back.

From then on, he committed to the future he wanted for himself. With that, he began acting classes at Pierce college. That’s how it all started. Oskar reflected, “I always had the desire to be in front of the camera. I was the life of the party growing up, always recording myself and taking pictures, so the natural path for me seemed to lead me to Hollywood.”

While it’s always a struggle to be an actor, it was harder for Oskar than most, as he was a foreigner. “You can’t join SAG or central casting if you’re an immigrant without working privileges and when you don’t know the language well.” It was a real struggle for him. But Oskar persevered. He told himself, “Just keep going. You know what to do.”

He recognized that he didn’t need to speak perfect English. He needed the confidence to see that if he fit a role, it would be his, and he recognized that.

He briefly tried modeling, and that inevitably set him in the direction of his true path. On the night of Oskar’s first runway gig, which Fantasy Issue 2019 101

didn’t go very well, he got off the runway and noticed all the vendors in the room. He went to every table to talked to each person, and he realized that these are the people making the money, not the actors or models that were struggling in LA. “The companies are paying them money to be here. And when I was looking around, I thought- I can to do this. I can connect myself to brands. But I was just Oskar Rivera then.

I didn’t have any connections.” But that’s where it all started.

Oskar went through many jobs and stations in his life before finding himself and what he truly wanted to do in Hollywood, but it didn’t discourage him. Instead, he took the criticism constructively and worked on himself. “You have to be realistic with yourself and try different things to see what’s right for you. I wasn’t being myself until I started producing and representing people and brands,” said Oskar.

After the night of that runway show, Oskar went to school for business administration, realizing that being a branding agent was his true path in life. “Something inside of me was telling me that I knew how to survive 102

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and make money and help others. I made the right decision because now I wake up excited every day. I also save more money than when I was in construction. And look where I am now.”

Oskar’s first client in the branding world was Moreno BHLV. He connected with Mr. Luins Williams, the owner of the sparkling wine brand, as the two shared a similar sense of style. “My first check was only $100,” said Oskar, “and I was very proud.” Today, Oskar owns his own private label on behalf of Moreno BHLV. “That opened the door for other brands, and that’s how I was able to register my company. That one relationship opened the doors and led me to start Rivera Productions, which is my company that specializes in marketing, branding, product placements, private labels, endorsements and producing exclusive events.”

It was here in his work as a branding agent where Oskar truly learned to value himself and the work that he did. He became a true businessman. “When you’re the connector, you are a phone call away from changing peoples’ lives for good. That’s the beauty when you’ve already built your name, brand, and company. I went from being the guy who didn’t know anybody in the business to being the go-to guy for almost everyone in the business; that was where I wound up.”

As Oskar developed his brands and relationships, since he grew up with women and related to them, he began to quickly and effortlessly surround himself with the beautiful women of Hollywood. He quickly learned that “if you’re a man in Hollywood and you are associated with beautiful women, right away people think you’re a pimp.”

Oskar explained this to us, “When you talk about the beauty industry, you’re talking about women in general. This is the industry I’m in and the demographic I’m around.

Working with skincare companies and surgeons, who are you going to work with?

Women. Women are the demographic. So, you really do end up being surrounded by that.”

to his beautiful country of El Salvador to enjoy life. But he is still committing his time and energy to enjoying and working in LA for the time being. Oskar reflects that “LA taught me to value and respect myself.”

Gaining a false reputation in Hollywood by the fact that he was surrounded by beautiful women all the time led him to disconnect himself from 99% of the people he used to be around. So, it was at this point where Oskar stepped back and closed off his circle of friends, dedicating his time and energy to helping those who really deserved it and appreciated him.

We couldn’t let Oskar leave without asking him for his advice on the business of Hollywood and, of course, all about his killer style. When we asked Oskar what advice he would like to give to those who are pursuing their dreams, he replied, “They better be ready to go through hell. A lot of people think success is a perfect road. It’s not. It’s a long journey. You need to find yourself- your true self and true purpose. After that, you need to make a plan and stick to the plan. There’s a lot of sweat, tears, and disappointment.

I still consider myself a work in progress, because you are always learning.” He also added that “What you give is what you get.”

So be ready to give 110% like Oskar did while he was building his business.

Photo by Greg Doherty Photography

Perhaps one of the reasons Oskar is so successful is because he is old-school in his ways. He is dedicated to in-person meetings and doesn’t see the value or importance of social media. In fact, he encourages people to meet him face to face. He looks around at the new age of Hollywood and says, “I just wish people in the industry were humbler and more realistic.” He values real people, so it was important for him to clean up his circle in the end.

Now, after years of successful work in branding and after cutting out the people who were not adding to his happiness, Oskar says, “The people that were once hesitating to work with me are now dying to work with me.” He supports his choice to only work with a select group of people, as it is important for his own piece of mind. He doesn’t define success through money, but rather through his own fulfillment. Oskar reflected, “I just feel that if I die tonight, I would go happy. Because in my own work, I proved many people wrong, and I proved myself to me. If I took you back to my roots, you wouldn’t believe the person I am now.”

What’s next for Oskar? In many years, after he chooses to end his successful career as a branding agent, Oskar is hoping to return

Finally, we just had to ask Oskar what his top 5 fashion tips for men are.

1- Work out and be healthy.

2- Learn to match colors and patterns. Read up on it.

3- A handkerchief makes a big difference on a suit. It is the final touch that defines the suit.

4- Match shoes according to the color of your suit and the occasion. (If you understand colors and patterns, you’ll choose the right shoes.)

5- Lapel pins are always convenient to styling the suit. Always go for a metal, more sophisticated, clean pin verses a bigger fabricated pin that is more suitable for weddings.

Oskar ended this thought by urging men to always have your suit tailored perfectly to your body. “You can have the best accessories, but if the suit isn’t tailored, it won’t look good.”

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Model Spotlight:

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Alejandra, you have worked with several well-known designers. Is there one in particular you liked working with the most?

I’ve enjoyed working with each of the designers I’ve met and have felt special and fantastic in all their dresses. There are two I’ve worked well with for several years that I’d love to mention: Segundo Lema from New York City and Marvin Bendana, a big designer of gala dresses in Hollywood.

Alejandra Rich is a model and businesswoman with an eye for fashion.

Alejandra has spent many years working with designers and gaining an expertise on red-carpet fashion, and now she is in the process of launching Al Rich, her own e-commerce boutique. We sat down with Alejandra to ask her about Al Rich and to pick her brain about redcarpet fashion.

As you are consistently wearing fantastic designs, do you have a favorite style of gown and why?

My favorite dress is a Princess-style dress. I like it because it’s loose, so I can comfortably walk in it. I also like when a dress has a slit up the side of one leg.

You know quite a few things about evening gowns and how to wear them.

What is the number 1 tip you can share with women on how to choose the right gown?

My advice is that you pick a dress that makes you feel comfortable. Color is important to me. I like knowing what the colors of the season are, so it’s easier to know what color I can use.

Is there one particular accessory you feel women underestimate when it comes to red-carpet styling?

A bracelet goes a long way, but it all depends on the dress.

Tell us about your online boutique, Al Rich. What are you going to offer on your e-commerce? my clothing brand applies the latest trends in fashion while reflecting the silhouette of a sophisticated, stylish woman. It reflects femininity and sensuality.

How difficult is it to start an e-boutique now-a-days? Did you have help or are you a onewoman show?

I’ve always wanted to enter the business world. I’m very happy to do so, though it is a lot of work and there are so many aspects going on: there’s manufacturing, design, the website, and for all this, you need help.

What’s coming up for you in the next 5 years?

What would you like to accomplish?

I look forward to focusing on my company, designing and creating new trends, and enjoying time with my family.

Fantasy Issue 2019 105

Spectra has taken over

Coachella. ham

Photo by Don Indio

By Katarina Van Der

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he main attraction for influencers to take photos at during Coachella has been the Ferris wheel for many years now, but this changed last year when Spectra showed for the first time. In fact, now Spectra seems to be stealing most of the attention at Coachella with thousands of photos hash-tagged since last year. It’s safe to say that Spectra is the place in Coachella Valley to take photos at. Inspired by the sunset and sunrise at Coachella Valley, there are 31 colored panels that take you around the range of colors of the sun.

According to Patrick O’Mahony, the founder and creative director of NEWSUBSTANCE, the company we can thank for Spectra, they started designing Spectra back in 2016, and the structure took 2 years to fabricate and ship. Last year was its big debut at Coachella and, leading up to the debut, it took 3 ½ weeks to build and set up with a crew of 40 people.

Working in the heat for so long to build the structure was rough for their crew, but luckily, it’s now standing strong. Spectra was built to be a real building, so it’s (at least for now) a permanent structure that stays up all year long- even when Coachella is long deserted in the coming months.

O’Mahony credits the idea of the structure to the sunrise and sunset at Coachella valley peeking out behind the mountains. He said, “we wanted to capture people in that color.”

I think it’s safe the say that the structure does just that.

It’s a new vantage point at the festival where you can see the whole festival from a different perspective.

It’s won 3-4 awards now with more coming through, the biggest honor being the winner of an “Architect’s Newspaper Award.”

O’Mahony happily states, “The response was so good that they have extended our stay. We are the first resident piece that’s ever been there.” He is thrilled that millions have seen his work and that it’s becoming a part of the Coachella landscape.

Katarina Van Derham wi th Patrick O’Mahony

Fantasy Issue 2019 107

The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire Breathes New Life into the Fantasies of the Past

W

While it only comes to town once a year, the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire brings six weekends of fantasy and fun when it arrives in Irwindale, CA. This year is the 57th season of the faire, and there is much to celebrate.

hen you arrive, step through the gates and be transported back in time- specifically to the royal shipyard city of Deptford during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. You will immediately be immersed in an atmosphere filled with music and energy as everyone celebrates around you.

Most guests come dressed up in their best medieval garb, so be sure to rise to the occasion. If you don’t have

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anything, there are costumes there to rent!

If you fancy entertainment, find thirteen stages with continuous performances throughout the day.

If you’re looking to glutton yourself on delicious food and drink, then you’ve come to the right place! You will find stands all around you with specialty drinks, ales, snacks, and more. And there is a food court by the

water spread out with numerous options to enjoy.

Perhaps one of the biggest gems of the faire is the extensive marketplace that consists of over 125 highcaliber artisans offering many unique treasures. You’re sure to find something for everyone. From incense to home-made bath salts and soaps to artists to costumersit’s all here. There are glass-blowers, leather smiths, bead workers, basket weavers, and jewelers. In fact, we believe the most exciting part of the faire is looking at the range of hidden treasures around the map.

The VIVA GLAM Magazine team was excited to step back into the past and into the gates of the faire this year, and there were a few things that stood out to us.

The first was Vagabond Pizza. Vagabond Pizza offers vegan pizzas! That’s right, you can order over 4 types of vegan slices and pizzas or vegan sandwiches at the Ren Faire. As animal lovers, we love seeing vegan options, especially at a faire focused on the past, as during the Renaissance, there were definitely no vegan options available.

We also noticed that the Renaissance Faire is ideal for families. It’s a fun family environment where quality time gets taken to a new level. Since there’s so much to see and do, it takes people away from their phones and into the fantasy of the past. Everyone has a chance to fully emerge and free themselves from the bonds of technology that we all get stuck in. While people still clearly use their phones to take photos, it’s not so obvious. So, you really do feel as if you are in the past.

So, next time you’re in Los Angeles in the springtime, don’t forget to take your trip to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire and get connected to the olden times.

Fantasy Issue 2019 109

How to Bring More

Travel and Adventure

into Your Life

By Malorie Mackey

We manifest what we want in our lives whether we are conscious of it or not. That means that the more we focus on something, the more likely it is to become a bigger part of our lives.

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So, the best way to bring more travel and adventure into our lives is by focusing on travel, understanding what keeps us from traveling, and seeing how to fix it.

What Keeps People from Traveling?

I just recently visited the Travel and Adventures Show in San Diego where I was able to talk to various travel experts. A lot of these people have made travel their way of life, while others think of travel as a hobby.

Regardless, experts believe that the top three reasons people don’t travel are: fear of the unknown, money, and time. In my opinion, that is relatable and true. Travel is expensive, which would automatically make money an issue for most people. Then comes time.

If you have a great job and money isn’t a problem for you, odds are that you can’t find the time off to take your ultimate vacation.

So, how do you bring travel into your life?

Step 1

Lower the Cost of Your Travel

While I can’t give you time, I can give you the first step to bringing travel into your life: find tips to save money on your ultimate vacation.

So, research is key here! There are plenty of sites ready to give you countless tips on saving money on travel. Expert Russell Hannon has a website that gives tons of travel tips on saving money while booking your big trip.

And be sure to visit the Travel and Adventure Show when it comes to your town, as they have multiple lectures daily on how to save you money for travel. Plus, the show features exhibitors from around the world who are looking to give you travel deals.

Travel

Step 2

Don’t be Afraid to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Aside from time and money, the other big reason people don’t travel is the fear of the unknown. A few different travel experts mentioned this to me before I stepped into Josh Gate’s lecture at the Travel and Adventure Show in San Diego. Josh furthered this idea in his lecture. He explained that, as a society, we are too comfortable in our daily lives.

Because our lives are now set up to cause us as little stress as possible, we aren’t stimulating our brains. If we break out of

our comfort zone when traveling, we are forcing our brain to work on a different level, stimulating our brains and creating memorable adventures. So, you have to accept that going to a new location may be scary, but it will get you out of your comfort zone, which will, in turn, help you grow as a person. Travel is good for us! Don’t let your fears control you! Will Smith has been quoted as having said, “The best things in life are on the other side of fear.” Let that soak in.

Step 3

Manifest Travel with Your Thoughts and Actions

The more we think about travel, actively research and plan for trips, and accept the travel opportunities that come into our lives, the more we will travel. By saying, “Yes!” to travel and putting it into our daily thoughts, the more we will travel. It’s that simple. Make it a natural part of your everyday life and truly want it, and you will always find a way to do it.

Fantasy Issue 2019

The Three Most Magical Castles

d n a l e r in I

By Malorie Mackey

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Who doesn’t love a location that can provide magic, beauty, and adventure? Travel can be relaxing and fun, but it can also hold exciting adventure and beautiful scenery around every turn. What’s more adventure-filled and beautiful than centuries-old castles? Some of the most iconic castles come from the gorgeous, lush countryside of Ireland. While there are plenty of castles in Ireland, the following three have stood out to us as the most beautiful and exciting to explore. Here’s our top three favorite castles in Ireland.

The Rock of Dunamase There is well over 1,000 years of history in this one spot. In 842, an early Christian settlement was formed on this site before getting destroyed by the Vikings in 845. It wasn’t until the 12th century that Dunamase Castle was built. After years of fights and switching families, the castle fell into ruins. And, now, it’s one of the most serene spots to sit and watch the sunset. It was also featured in the Amy Adams’ movie “Leap Year”.

The Rock of Dunamase is a very large, rocky hill featuring the remains of Dunamase Castle. This massive hill sits just a short drive outside of Dublin in County Laois. The crumbling pieces of rock that made up the base structure of the old castle still stand, and they are one of the most breathtaking sites that you can see.

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The Rock

Travel

of Cashel

The Rock of Cashel is a gorgeous, towering castle structure in the center of County Tipperary in Ireland. It was once the seat of the King of Munster before he donated this fortress to the church. The structure is still in decent condition, featuring a fullyintact round tower. The ceiling of the main building has fallen down, but it makes for ethereal natural lighting during your visit.

On the walls, you can find centuries-old paintings of Jesus that have faded with time.

Because of that, this is a must-visit for any art lovers.

Blarney Castle

Kissing the Blar

ney Stone

Perhaps the most famous castle in all of Ireland is Blarney Castle. Having been featured in many pop culture references and TV shows, Blarney Castle is the place of legends. I’m sure housing the famous Blarney Stone helps with its notoriety.

Placed in the center of County Cork, Blarney (as we know it) has been standing strong since 1446. There were structures in its place before then, but the structure we know today was re-built up from rubble that year.

The Stone of Eloquence, commonly referred to as the Blarney Stone, will supposedly give you the gift of eloquence when you kiss it. Because of that, tourists visit from all over the world to hang upside down and kiss the famous stone.

Though bars protect you from falling, it didn’t used to be that way, and you had to risk your life to kiss the stone. Also on the property of Blarney sits a druid’s circle, a cave supposedly lived in by an old witch, a stone in which the witch was trapped, and wishing stairs.

This castle is so much more than a castle. It’s an entire property and garden full of myths and legends. That’s why Blarney is one of the most famous castles in the world and will continue to be so for generations.

What are you waiting for? It’s time to get up and experience the adventure of the world, starting with some pretty phenomenal and gorgeous castles.

Fantasy Issue 2019 115

Experience the History and Lore

of the Winchester Mystery House Holding many accounts of both historical and paranormal lore, the Winchester Mystery House is perhaps the most famous house in America. It is both beautiful and bizarre.

The mansion was built

by Sarah Winchester, the heiress of the Winchester Repeating Arms fortune.

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By Malorie Mackey

he mansion gained its fame primarily due to its strange architectural developments.

The Winchester Mystery House was built almost continuously for 38 years, with construction only briefly stopping after the 1906 earthquake. The home

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Travel

was a marvel for its time, as it was selfsufficient with its own water, drainage, sewer, gas, and (later) electrical systems.

The house began with only 8 rooms, but by the time Sarah Winchester died, the house had 160 rooms, 40 bedrooms, 40 staircases, 13 bathrooms, 6 kitchens, 47 fireplaces (but only 17 chimneys), 2,000 doors, and 10,000 window panes.

This monstrous estate is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as “the longest continuous house construction”.

The continuous work and strange designs lead people to ask, “Was Sarah Winchester ahead of her time with new and innovative design choices or were there paranormal forces at work behind her designs?”

In fact, the reason many people know of the famous house is because of its architectural oddities and the ghost stories that surround Mrs. Winchester’s home. It’s been told that Mrs. Winchester built onto the home to appease the spirits who were killed by the Winchester rifles, believing that if construction stopped,

something terrible would happen. There are also tales that Mrs. Winchester’s actions were led by a psychic medium.

There are many design features that contribute to the odd lore of the house, including doors that open into walls, a staircase that goes into the ceiling, a chimney which stops a foot from the ceiling, a door that drops fifteen feet at the front of the house into the garden, a cupboard with ½ inch of storage space and a cupboard to nothing. Not to mention, there are curious nods to the number 13 throughout the house.

While some oddities can’t be explained, there are some logical explanations to others- such as the switchback staircase with 2-inch-high riser stairs. These stairs were put in to accommodate Mrs. Winchester’s debilitating arthritis.

What’s also intriguing is that during construction, Mrs. Winchester never had a master set of blueprints. She sketched her own per room on any paper that was handy. The only real blueprint that exists is that of the elevator.

Many times, the Winchester Mystery Fantasy Issue 2019 117

House has been called “the most haunted mansion in the United States”. In fact, this building inspired the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, specifically the grand ballroom. Adding to the paranormal allure of the location, many members of

you- including in the small details of the door latches and hinges. For instance, Mrs. Winchester included decorative brass fittings in the corners of each stair on the main staircase to keep dust from accumulating. And the wooden counters

A lot of the materials used in the restoration are from Mrs. Winchester’s supply that she left with the house. the team at the Winchester Mystery House have had their own ghost experiences. It’s a lot of fun to take the tour and hear the personal experiences that the staff has had.

Whether or not you believe in the haunted lore, Mrs. Winchester was very detailed in her designs, so when you visit the house be sure to look at all the details around

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in the kitchens have slanted grooves to help send excess water back into the sink, a very useful idea.

Like when Mrs. Winchester was alive (but obviously not as non-stop), work is continuously being done to restore and preserve the Winchester Mystery

House. A lot of the materials used in the restoration are from Mrs. Winchester’s supply that she left with the house.

Today, the house sits as a historic landmark in San Jose, CA. It’s an exciting location filled with history, mystery, and lore. Whether you are excited to try and spot the spirits for yourself or you’re just a history buff, it will be an exciting visit. We encourage you to come visit the mysterious house yourself.

The Winchester Mystery House offers daily “Mansion Tours” that guide guest through the famed areas of the house, and an even more expansive tour is offered called the “Explore More Tour”, which shows guests areas that have been off-limits to the public for 90 years. They also offer fun seasonal tours that shouldn’t be missed. So, get out there and experience more historical locations, starting with the Winchester Mystery House.

And the wooden counters in the kitchens have slanted grooves to help send excess water back into the sink, a very useful idea.

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l a s o p o r P Top Romantic

e p o r u E n i S po ts

You’ve found the person who you want to settle down with for the rest of your life, and you’re thinking of popping the question. There’s a lot of pressure on proposals these days, so you’ll want to make it truly special and memorable, an experience you’ll enjoy telling the story of for the rest of your life.

So, why not plan a spontaneous getaway with your loved one and get down on one knee in one of the most romantic settings in Europe? If you’re looking to find the perfect place to ask that all-important question, why not consider one of the following?

, i n i or t n a S eece Gr Venice, Italy

This stunning island is formed by the crater of an ancient volcano, peeping above the waters of the Aegean Sea. It’s one of the most photographed islands in Greece, with its instantly recognizable whitewashed architecture and bluedomed church roofs. Head to the picturesque village of Oia, pick the perfect spot along the coastline, and pop the question as you watch the famous sunset beyond the horizon.

The northern Italian city of Venice is as romantic as they come. With quaint cobbled streets, charming buildings and a network of narrow canals to explore, it’s an idyllic getaway for couples. Explore Saint Mark’s Basilica, wander over ornate bridges, then propose while taking an iconic gondola ride on the Grand Canal, being serenaded as you go.

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Paris,France

Paris is the ultimate city of romance, so it’s no wonder it makes our list for the top places to propose. There are so many special places for couples to get engaged here. Get down on one knee in front of the unique Wall of Love, ask the question over a romantic candlelit dinner on a Seine river cruise or go along with the age-old cliché of getting engaged at the Eiffel Tower. It’s an oldie but a goodie!

, m a d r e t s Am s d n a l r e h t e The N

Cities don’t come much more charming than The Netherlands’ capital city of Amsterdam, making it a popular place for couples to start their engagement journey. Take a look at hotels in Amsterdam and choose one at the heart of all the action, allowing you to easily explore this wonderful city by foot. Pop the question on your favorite beautiful footbridge, on a romantic canal boat ride, as you place a padlock on the Bridge of Love in Vondelpark or take in the magnificent views from the top of the A’DAM Lookout.

Tromso,Norway If you’re looking for a truly magical, once-in-a-lifetime experience, then consider heading to Norway to carry out the ultimate proposal.

What could be more romantic than asking for someone’s hand in marriage under the mesmerizing and colorful light display of the Aurora Borealis? Tromso is one of the best cities to head to in order to see the phenomenon that is the Northern Lights, then you can propose, and life can take an unforgettable turn from there.

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Tips to Help You Choose the

By Malorie Mackey

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Best Wedding Location

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o, when planning your wedding, the first thing to do when choosing the absolute best wedding location is to make a list with your fiancé. Write out any place that not only makes you feel good about getting married there- but every place that would make you excited to get married at.

If you think “this place would make my wedding day perfect”- put it on your list!

If you think, “well, I do like this place” and have hesitation, cut out the fat and remove it from your brain. Your wedding day should be perfect.

Is a Destination Wedding Right for You?

You now have a list of special places that will make your wedding day perfect. Are some of them close to home? Are some of

What is the best wedding location, really? It’s a very subjective idea. It’s not about what the best location for everyone is. It’s where you want to get married that will make your day the absolute best it can be.

After all, your wedding day is all about you! them far away? Next, you should decide if you want a destination wedding or a wedding close to home. List the pros and cons of both. What makes a destination wedding special? What makes it hard?

What makes a wedding close to home special? What makes it hard? No doubt destination weddings will be stressful, as all of your family and friends will have to pay excessively to make the trip. But, perhaps, you don’t want a big wedding and a small family event far away sounds like a dream? Or perhaps being too close to home is still something that many of your family members will have to travel for?

So, which is better for you: a destination wedding or a wedding close to home?

Asking the Right Questions

Once you have decided that key factor, your list of destinations will most likely be cut down. Now, you need to decide the right location for you from what is left on your list.

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Be sure to make your final decision with the following questions in mind: Which location will make you the absolute happiest? Is there one standing out in your brain?

Is money a factor?

Which location will look the most beautiful in your wedding pictures?

Which location is the most accommodating for the size of your wedding?

Is there a certain day that you are set on for your wedding? Which locations are available on that date?

Use those questions to pick from there. It will most likely be clear after answering those questions which destination is the best choice for you, especially if there’s one that stands out that you can’t get out of your head. Once you have picked the location, that’s only half the battle.

vision of where you will be getting married there when you play the fantasy in your head.

Now, you must choose the décor, which will be influenced in part by the choice of your location, as well as the colors and theme of your wedding.

Choosing the décor is really the final step in putting your wedding location together, and hopefully, you will have a wedding coordinator who can help in showing you the best décor options for the location of your choice. Things to keep in mind when choosing your décor are as follows: The season/time of year of your wedding The color scheme of your wedding How elaborate or simple are you planning the wedding?

Is it outdoor or indoor?

The theme of your wedding So, there you have it. With those questions all decided- you have picked the perfect wedding location! May your special day be the perfect fantasy.

The Décor

Since you have officially picked your location, you must be ready to decide on the spot within your location for the actual wedding. Does the venue offer multiple spaces to get married? Is there a place that stuck out to you the most? I’m sure this step is simple, because if this is your dream wedding location, you must see a clear Fantasy Issue 2019 125

Being an Independent Woman in 2019

W

Times sure are changing, and while there is still a long way to go before we get the equality we deserve, the last few years have been revolutionary, to put it lightly.

ith changing lifestyles, preferences, and outlooks, bei n g an independent woman is no longer just a trend or a thing of the past. More and more women are making a stand and looking at themselves, their choices, their wants, and their lives. What some might call selfishness is precisely what is needed in this society as we all work towards our happiness.

Every year is about new possibilities and if you have been holding back, here are some ways you can break through to the other side.

nothing that should hold you back from traveling.

Solo travel has gained much popularity over the last decade, but it can be dangerous and a bit boring at times.

That’s why womenonly holidays are the perfect escape to put you in the company of likeminded people.

And they give you a chance to interact with and explore places across the globe with the added advantage of having companionship.

Women Only Holidays

Eating Alone

Travel is an essential aspect of our lives.

It opens our minds to different cultures and people. Whether you are single, in a relationship, or recently out of one, there is 126

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No longer a taboo or something to be embarrassed about, eating alone is now considered perfectly fine. Gorging on some delicious food without the hassle

of making small talk or worrying about what the other person is thinking is the best way to enjoy a meal.

Moreover, restaurants are opening up to the concept, and when it comes to eating alone, many have community tables, single’s dinners, or even specialty popups that only have tables for one. So, whether it is a hearty breakfast with a book to read, a bit of coffee and cake in the afternoon, or a beautiful dining experience, be alone and be proud.

Speaking Up

Being independent is also about having the power to support other women.

That is why it is essential to speak up when needed.

One must not hide behind the proposed societal norms any longer, and if you or anyone needs help, it is okay to ask for it. Furthermore, one must not be afraid to vocalize any injustice or wrongdoing, at work, on the streets, through the net, or even at home.

Unless we speak up, the world won’t know.

The Glam Factor

Women have always been the fairer sex when it comes to glamming it up. Feeling good about what you wear, or for that matter how you look and what you eat, are some essential key points to happiness. If you feel like dressing up for a casual night out, do it. If you want to feel comfortable and go out in your pajamas, do it. Just remember to be who you are. That is, in essence, what independence is all about.

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New Day, New Chance

By Myster Blu

The chief beauty about time is that you cannot waste it in advance.

The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you, as perfect, as unspoiled, as if you had never wasted or misapplied a single moment in all your life.

You can turn over a new leaf every hour if you choose.

Arnold Bennett

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ach new day is destiny’s way of telling you that your purpose is yet to be fulfilled. Each new day is a chance to be more than you ever dreamed possible. Each new day is an opportunity to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. The power we have in our hearts to make a difference is unlimited. Use the power you have to be the change you want to see. Let your light illuminate from within…this is your power.

Every day is an opportunity to make a choice to change your life. It is up to you.

If you want to experience abundance in your life, practice gratitude.

You have chosen a role to play. You can change that role any time you like.

Everything and everyone is one. But that does not mean you are not unique. You are like a wave in the ocean. You are the individual wave but you are also the entire ocean. Everything you do affects everyone and everything.

It is not that you can’t be an artist or a musician or a singer or whatever you want to be. Of course, you can’t see how to do it right now because your brain has not been wired for those tasks. But neurons can be connected that were not connected before, and you can develop any ability you want. Just like any computer can be programmed to do a task, so can your brain. It really is an amazing process. You will see more and more and then even more. The feeling is indescribable as you see what you thought was impossible become possible and as you find yourself alive in the midst of a dream while it’s becoming a reality.

It’s the deep feelings of unnecessary shame in my life that have given birth to a profound depth of compassion. It’s from my weakness that I’ve found the courage to move forward

That peace, joy, laughter and glee may fill the homes and lives of every man, woman and child on this beautiful planet we occupy together and call our home.

That we may all find a freedom which allows us to pursue our magnificent dreams without shackles or bondage. and stand tall. It’s from an overwhelming sadness in my soul that I find an ocean of eternal gratitude. And it’s from examining all the lies I’ve told myself that I’ve been able to discover the truth of happiness deep within my heart that has always been there. I am an imperfect human being that is willing to go out into the world with the knowledge that I am enough, even in my imperfection — I am enough.

This is my hope…my wish…my dream.

That peace, joy, laughter and glee may fill the homes and lives of every man, woman and child on this beautiful planet we occupy together and call our home. That we may all find a freedom which allows us to pursue our magnificent dreams without shackles or bondage. That human beings may find the courage to erase the boundaries of hate and prejudice so we may grow to become a loving people capable of realizing our fate as ambassadors of goodwill and stewards of our planet Earth.

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Watch Our Follow the VIVA GLAM Team with host Rebecca Grant as she gives you an exclusive look at the happenings in and around the Cannes Film Festival.

“Viva Cannes” shows you not just the glitz and the glam of the red carpet, but it also shows you the amazing things to do in Cannes around the famous film festival.

Watch as Rebecca introduces you to the history of Cannes, visits some of the town’s hot spots, and takes you away from Cannes to Saint Tropez and Saint Paul de Vence. Join Rebecca for her epic French adventure now.

Look for the Episodes on VivaGlamMagazine.com 130

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Web Series “MODELS Talk” is VIVA GLAM Magazine’s very first talk show.

When most people think of modeling, they think of the glitz and glam, but they don’t see much of the hardship that comes with all of it.

The stereotype of a model is generally a very specific age, weight, and look, and a lot of models find themselves constantly struggling to fit into that world. Our VIVA GLAM models are no exception. We think they are the most gorgeous, substantial women, yet they have all met many hardships.

However, they persevere and come out stronger women and stronger models. Join host Candace Kita as she discusses these struggles with our special guests.

Look for the Episodes on VivaGlamMagazine.com Fantasy Issue 2019 131

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