INDULGE After Hours - #8

STARRING... MONIE JONEZY

INDULGE

INDULGE AFTER HOURS MAGAZINE IS RELEASED AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. IT IS A DIGITAL MAGAZINE. DIGITAL LINKS WILL BE PROVIDED TO ALL CONTRIBUTORS. WE DO NOT PROVIDE PRINT COPIES OF THE ISSUE AT THIS TIME.

FOUNDER & PUBLISHER

DAVE @_designprint @indulge_afterhours

DESIGN @_designprint

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

STUART POWELL | Vignettes

JAY MADHATTER | @city_built_music

SHANE FRANKLIN | @shanemfranklin

PHOTOGRAPHERS (REGULARS)

JUSTIN JACKRABBIT | @blackjackrabbit_studio.llc

DOUG MUNGAVIN | @dougmungavinphoto

JONATHAN WOODEN | @jzw_photo

JACQUELYN LOVE | @jacqui0002

JOE CALDERON | joecalderonphotography

ADVERTISING & PROMOTION dave.designprint@gmail.com

COPYRIGHTS

INDULGE After Hours Magazine is owned by DAVE NAVARRO. The magazine, its staff, writers, and photographers have made sure that content is accurate on the date of publication. The views expressed in the articles reflect the author(s)’ opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or editor. The published material, adverts, editorials and all other content is published in good faith.

All rights reserved. Nothing can be partially or in whole be reprinted or reproduced without express written permission.

After Hours

MODEL | CHELLEY ROSE

PHOTOGRAPHER | JACQUELYN LOVE @jacqui0002

INDULGE | COVER MODEL

CHERICE

INDULGE After Hours™ is an entertainment magazine that focuses on artists that think out-of-the-box, by expanding their minds and others. This digital publication focuses on creative interviews with individuals that are changing today’s landscape as artists and entrepreneurs, as well as features a diverse collection of models, photographers, and writers.

CHERICE BARRERA | BELLA LUMIERE VISUALS

INDULGE | INTRO

JENNA SKELTON + JUSTIN JACKRABBIT

INDULGE | CREDITS + COPYRIGHT

CHELLEY ROSE + JACQUELYN LOVE

INDULGE | COVER MODEL

CHERICE BARRERA

INDULGE | SPOTLIGHT

JASMINE DARK + TIFFANY CASIAS

COVER FEATURE + INTERVIEW w/ CHERICE BARRERA

Owner of Ciggfreeds Liquid and Lace

INDULGE | “SELFIE LIFE” SPICY SERIES

INDULGE | MODEL FEATURES

PRETTYLU + KARINE

JENNA SKELTON + JUSTIN JACKRABBIT

KT CRAVEN + JUSTIN JACKRABBIT

BLEU + JUSTIN JACKRABBIT

INDULGE | STUART POWELL A BOTTLE OF STOLI

INDULGE | SELF PORTRAIT SERIES

GODDESS CALYPSO

SYDNEY ANDRE

AFTER HOURS

SPOTLIGHT INDULGE

JASMINE DARK MODEL

TIFFANY CASIAS @tcasias_photography

INDULGE

After Hours

CHERICE

Barrera CHERICE

Cherice Barrera is a professinal model and owner of Ciggfreeds Liquid and Lace in St. Louis, Missouri. We had the honor of interviewing her and learning about her journey in the world of pleasure and self-care.

INDULGE: Tell us about yourself. How did you get started as a professional model and erotic shop owner?

Cherice: I began modeling at 18 to make extra money.  I would find random modeling jobs offered in the newspaper and in the riverfront times. I really enjoyed modeling and over the years have modeled for fun and for my business which has led to paid jobs and lots of fun collaborations. I don’t consider myself a professional model. Simply a modeling enthusiast. I opened my store, Ciggfreeds in 2014 as a vape shop. A couple years into business I transitioned into an Adult store in order to offer a wider variety of products while honoring my Adult only customer base. In 2017 I added toys, lingerie and other adult related items. I altered the stores name to include “Liquid and Lace,” and 10 Years later here we are!  Ciggfreeds Liquid and Lace.

INDULGE: In an industry often criticized for perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards, how do you personally contribute to promoting body positivity and diversity in your work?

Cherice: I believe all body types are beautiful. I encourage women and men of all shapes and sizes to honor and love their bodies. In business, I do this by providing

“Most people are either having sex or want to have sex. Why are we so ashamed to talk about it???”

–CHERICE BARRERA Owner of Ciggfreeds Liquid and Lace

products for every body type and offering personalized assistance to those less confident with their bodies. We help our customers find products suited for them to best express their own beautiful selves and to make them feel their best. In my advertising and in my calendar, I incorporate models of various body types. I’m always trying to incorporate diversity in my ads, but it’s an ongoing challenge finding models or people willing to put their face on a sex shop advertisement. It’s a work in progress for sure!

INDULGE: How do you handle the balance between embracing and celebrating human sensuality while being mindful of potential societal taboos or misconceptions associated with your respective professions?

Cherice: I no longer worry about judgement so much. I’ve learned that no matter how ahead of the curve I am, people still think what they want to think about me and my business. Personally, I try to be as authentic as possible. The people I want to have an effect on will see me the way I hope to be seen. In business, I offer Adult items in an upscale, clean and unique environment. Giving my sex shop a way less icky vibe. It’s eclectic and cool. Not a sterile feeling like other shops. I also purposefully hire understanding, open-minded Staff that are easy to talk to. I cherish my staff. I wouldn’t be where I am without the amazing group of people I work with.

INDULGE: Being in the sex industry, how do you navigate societal perceptions and challenges associated with running an erotic shop, and what impact do you hope to make in promoting a healthy understanding of sexuality?

Cherice: I run into a lot of societal misconceptions. People constantly assume I must be a “sex freak” because I own a sex store. With that being said, I say who cares! I ran from my image the first few years I was in the adult business, but now I’m in a place where I embrace it and hopefully by people seeing this, they too as well start to embrace their own sexuality. At the very least I hope to lessen the stigma associated with sex. I hope to spread awareness about alternative lifestyles,

sexual styles and fetishes. I believe if we talk about it, it will not be as taboo.

Most people are either having sex or want to have sex. Why are we so ashamed to talk about it???

INDULGE: Can you share a story about a customer whose experience in your shop had a positive impact on their life or relationship?”

Cherice: There’s so many I can’t choose. One less taboo story involves a wonderful woman who was in her 60s. She was recently divorced and out of a very abusive relationship. She confessed to me that she had never masturbated or had an orgasm. Her ex-husband thought if she masturbated that meant he wasn’t enough, yet he failed to learn how to please her. She also didn’t know how to please herself. I set her up with a few of my favorite products and a little verbal guidance. She soon returned with a huge smile on her face and a genuine sense of gratitude. She went home that weekend we met and got to work on herself, finding spots on her own body she never felt or touched before. She told me how great it was and that had she learned how to please herself years ago, she would’ve been able to communicate that to her partner and experienced much more joy in sex over the years. She couldn’t believe she had waited so long!  I was happy for her to finally have “found” herself, or her own buttons anyway.

INDULGE: Beyond aesthetics, how do you ensure your work contributes to empowering individuals and challenging stereotypes related to intimacy and sensuality?

Cherice: By the products we carry to the way we speak to customers. We genuinely want to help people embrace their sexuality, while allowing them to feel understood and also never judged. There’s so many unique ways of experiencing sex. None of them are wrong, as long as it’s between consenting adults. I say go for it.

INDULGE: How do you see the evolving landscape of acceptance and openness towards topics of sensuality and eroticism, and what role do you believe your work plays in this evolution?

Cherice: I believe the future is bright! The stigma against sex and alternative sexuality and lifestyles is lessening greatly! I believe my business plays a big role in this by allowing a safe space for people to explore and learn about different ways of experiencing erotic play. Whether partnered or solo.

INDULGE: In running an erotic shop that sells a variety of products, including sex toys, how do you approach creating an environment that fosters education and open conversation around sexual wellness?

Cherice: Generally speaking, it’s very common to have open conversations about sex in my place of business. We also recently started hosting Adult themed workshops and informational discussions, presented by industry professionals and trusted enthusiasts. The goal of these workshops is to spread knowledge and awareness, as well as to help lesson the stigma associated with sex and eroticism.

INDULGE: Given the sensitive nature of sex-related products, how do you navigate societal stigmas and promote a safe and judgment-free space for customers to explore their desires?

Cherice: By providing a judgement free safe space for people to shop. From the products we carry to staff education. We are focused on inclusivity.

INDULGE: How do you approach photo shoots or collaborations that involve the promotion of sex toys, ensuring they are portrayed in a positive and empowering light rather than reinforcing stereotypes?

Cherice: I typically do not photograph with adult toys or products. I have yet to find a way to portray them in photos that feels right or classy. I’m constantly balancing between pushing the envelope and reeling it in. It’s can be a fine line from sexy to slutty.. trying to keep my promotions sexy and classy is the goal. Therefore, I don’t specifically advertise toys in my ads.

“We genuinely want to help people embrace their sexuality, while allowing them to feel understood and also never judged.”

–CHERICE BARRERA Owner of Ciggfreeds Liquid and Lace

INDULGE: A little off subject… but I feel that music can often play a big role in our lives. What 5 albums or artists have made you who you are today?

Cherice: Over the last 10 years, I’ve wholeheartedly embraced music of a higher vibration. I believe what we listen to, see and experience effects our life overall. With that being said, I no longer listen to music that isn’t uplifting, loving and bright.

Above and Beyond is my favorite artist because their core focus is love, unity and gratitude. All things I live by.  After them would be Elderbrook, Seven Lions, John Summit and other electronic music artists performing higher vibration tunes. I love to dance and feel good. This music is euphoric to me..

INDULGE: Again, thank you so much for doing this interview with us. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Cherice: Please follow my store on social media at @ciggfreedsliquidandlace and visit us on our website at: https://www.ciggfreedsliquidandlace.com/

After Hours

Selfie Life SELFIES

a bottle of Stoli STUART POWELL

s bartenders, we hear, see, and experience a lot. We end up with some amazing stories. Here’s one:

I was bartending at a place called Goldini’s in Boulder, Colorado. My roommate at the time was from Long Island. Hank had a bit of a drinking problem, and when he tied one on, he got belligerent. One night Hank came into the restaurant lit. He and the owner, Joe Gold, got into.

Joe: Russ, get your friend out of here or there’s going to be trouble!

Hank: F@&k you, Joe!

Joe fired him on the spot. On his way out of the parking lot, Hank walked on top of Joe’s brand new Corvette, grinding his heels on the paint with each step. The cops got called. Hank went to jail.

Hank’s girlfriend, Sue, was a waitress at the restaurant. The next day, Sue and I pooled our tips and posted Hank’s bond. We met at Sue’s condo that night and over a bottle of Stoli we hatched our next plan. Sue tossed in the idea of all of us moving to Steamboat Springs to work in the resort bars and ski all winter. I suggested we move to Maui where my brother lived. I was sure he’d put us up for a week or so until we got jobs. After some discussion, and with help from the Russian vodka, we all agreed on Maui and promised each other we wouldn’t back out of the agreement.

Sue showed me around her hometown. In the evenings we went to the bars on Hermosa Beach to listen and dance to live music. It wasn’t unusual for celebrity musicians to drop in for a set or two. One night we just missed Neal Young. On another night we sat in front of the band Ace (“How Long Has This Been Going On”).

Sue grew up next to Sharon Tate and her family. Sue’s older sister and Sharon were best friends. It had been years since Sharon’s death, but her absence was palpable. It was as if Sue’s mother lost a daughter. I overheard them talking about the past and of Sharon. I renewed my hatred for Charles Manson.

Grateful for the hospitality, we were off to LAX for a flight to Honolulu and a connecting flight to Kahului. I arrived on Maui with six dollars in my pocket. Vegas and LA were hard on my budget. Sue and I slept in my brother’s living room. The next day, we applied for and got jobs at the Mana Kai Hotel’s restaurant across the street. Sue got a waiting job, I started as a busser. In six months, I worked myself up to general manager. At 23 years old, I was in over my head. After a couple of months I was off to

Lahaina for a bartending job. I fell in love with Lahaina and made it my home for the remainder of the two years I spent on the Islands. Sue and I remained great friends and, except for one sultry afternoon, we’re platonic.

I bounced around a couple more bars on Maui before the Rocky Mountains called me back home.

MODEL | ASHLYN QUINTANA

PHOTO BY JUSTIN JACKRABBIT

@REVENANTMELODY

BOOK YOUR SUMMER SHOOT TODAY!

DOUG MUNGAVIN PHOTOGRAPHY

NEW MEXICO + WEST TEXAS

@dougmungavinphoto

Model: TASHA QUEZADA @kittymonroe28