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Beauty From Within :: Biossance & I AM THAT GIRL

Fashion November 13

8 years ago

With Wendy

Happy Friday everyone!  We’re doing something a little different today, so if you have a moment, please stay and join the conversation.  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Before we move into something more serious, may I share a quick story?  You might enjoy it =)  True story actually.  Down to the two ‘S’ words.  You’ll see.

Last week I was in NYC for a campaign shoot with Bulgari.  The conversation between the makeup artist and I went like this:

Janessa:  Your skin is so smooth and tight.  Are you using fillers?
Me (curious):  What?
Janessa:  You know, injections?
Me:  No. Never have.
Janessa:  Your skin looks good!
Me:  I’ve been using this semen.

Brain fart.  Right after I said this, I literally grasp and started awkwardly laughing.

Janessa:  Really?!  I can get plenty of that! 

She was such a good sport and laughed along with me.  We chatted some more.

Me:  I’ve been using this serum every morning and night for the last few weeks.

I showed it to her on my phone and made hand gestures on pumping it, making sure that the tip doesn’t touch my hand (I’m paranoid that it will get contaminated) while releasing two to three droplets.

Me:  After washing, I pat two to three droplets on my face and then put on moisturizer.

Janessa and I chatted some more.  We talked about make-up, skincare, love, and more ‘S’ words.  Serums and shoes of course.  The serum that I shared with Janessa was from Biossance.

 :: Biossance X I AM THAT GIRL dinner, Venice ::

Rewind back a few weeks before my NYC trip, I had the honor of attending the Biossance X I AM THAT GIRL dinner in Venice.  I met so many wonderful women who are leaders in their fields and we had deep conversations about beauty, womanhood, confidence, and community.  What I learned was that Biossance’s parent company in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation developed one of the world’s leading anti-malarial treatments.  Biossance also made a breakthrough by developing 100% plant-derived Squalane.  Squalance is a natural oil produced by our bodies to nourish our skin and hair.  I don’t know about you but when I hear these facts, I simply nod and register it in my memory bank.  I’m always afraid of breaking out, so I approach using new beauty products with caution.  I decided to give it a try and a few weeks later I’m sitting on the makeup chair gushing about Biossance.

Biossance created something beautiful.  Skincare products, yes.  But more importantly, they created something beautiful in the community.  Since their inception, Biossance supported I AM THAT GIRL, a non-profit organization committed to empowering young women around the world.  This was one of the main reasons why I wanted to attend the dinner.  I wanted to learn more about I AM THAT GIRL.  I listened to the founders talk about the organization, and after the dinner, I asked if they would allow me to attend one of their chapter meetings.

:: I AM THAT GIRL chapter meeting, USC campus ::

A few days later, I’m at USC attending a I AM THAT GIRL chapter meeting.  At that moment, I realized what this non-profit organization was really about.  It’s an organization with the mission of creating a safe space for young women to talk about what matters most to them, more specifically what effects their self-worth.  I sat in on a meeting about Sexuality and Stigma.  And it was an incredibly humbling experience.

 To be honest with you, I forgot what it’s like being in college.  The peer pressure, the social anxiety… and now with social media, the perceived social image.  All of this effects our self-worth.  The group shared their college experience, from addressing the question of… is waxing really for you or for your boyfriend to feeling the pressure of having sex to solidify a relationship to feeling socially ousted by other women if they enjoy having safe casual sex.  Balancing academic demands with social pressures, I realized that self-worth is truly a fragile thing.  Between tears and laughs, these young women shared their emotional pains and hardships.

Being part of this conversation and appreciating the power of social media, I’m so happy to see that Biossance and I AM THAT GIRL launched a campaign called #AllTheVibes, where young women can get online resources and content to help empower their decisions and support their life journey.

To my dear readers… if you can give one piece of advice to your young self, what would it be?  She’s standing right in front of you at the age of say 18 to 21, what would you tell her?  If you’d be so kind, please share your words of wisdom and I’ll make sure to pass it along to the young women I met at the chapter meeting.   

Thank you so much for reading!

And a very special thank you to Biossance and I AM THAT GIRL for partnering on this post and for giving me the opportunity to share my experience!

Thank you so much for reading!
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