M.Citizen Magazine Issue 4

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THE BEAUTY ISSUE 2.5 Seconds

The Conceptual Artist shining a light on Climate Change

Issue 04 | SUMMER 21

Color IS Quay Vibrant Fashion Harborside

52 pages of tips and trends for Summer

Alli Simpson Beauty starts within

SPOTLIGHT SYDNEY FASHION FOOD FUN

THE NEXT GENERATION OF HOLLYWOOD STARS

SOPHIE MONK


Editor in Chief / Creative Director / Graphic Design / Retouching / Writer Bec Doyle @becdoyle_ Photographer/ Creative Director Glenn Nutley @glennnutley Photographer Greg Levitt @greglevittphotography Photographer Jeff Kravitz @jeffkravitzphoto

C O N T R I B U T O R S

Copy Editor Caren Singer-Simon @simonsez277 Writer / Copy Editor Tony C Simmons @tonycortezofla Writer Elisabeth Hower @elisabethhower Writer Michael Teh @talldarkaustralian Writer Chris O’Shea @chrisoshea10 Writer Darienne Arnold @dariennearnold Writer Kimberley Bosso @bossomakeupbeverlyhills Make-up Artist / Hair Stylist / Writer Normie Gonzales @bynormie Make-up Artist / Hair Stylist Michael Brennan @michael_brennan Make-up Artist / Writer Brittany Paige Lambert @peckisme Make-up Artist / Writer Stevi Christine @naturallyby Make-up Artist Michael Byron @makeupartistmichael Make-up Artist / Writer Andie Lane @andie_Lane Hair Stylist Valerie Paige @valeriepaige_ Stylist / Writer Natalia De Martin @natalia.de.martin Stylist Natalie Jacobson @natjacobson_

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Stylist Shamia Hussain @shamia_irshana


ON THE COVER Sophie wears Bodysuit by LaQuan Smith Kenzie wears sweater Earrings House of by Ralphby Lauren Emmanuelle

Photographer : Glenn Nutley @thecontentcollective Wardrobe Stylist : Natalia De Martin @natalia.de.martin Hair & Make-up : Normie Gonzales @bynormie

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IN THIS ISSUE

50

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66 FASHION

26 35 66 35 77 80

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Venice Vibes Street to beach in Venice Color is Quay Vibrant Fashion on Sydney Harbor High Tide Swimwear and Kaftans by the beach LA Models Curve The Career & Legacy of Crista Clayman Conversations With My Closet Self expression through fashion Summer In The City Bare faced for effortless style

M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04

Sophie Monk The Aussie Bombshell on her life career and fashion 2.5 Seconds The conceptual artist shining a light on Climate Change

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Article NFT for Sale NFT’s: Money or Magic Beans

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The Girl With The Pink Guitar Destiny Petrel on becoming a solo artist

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Next Generation of Hollywood Stars The Actor, The Performer, The Model

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SPOTLIGHT: SYDNEY Hidden Gems of the Harbor City

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Philosophy of Photography by New York based editorial photographer Jeff Kravitz

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BEAUTY

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Alli Simpson Beauty starts from within

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Clear & Brilliant The go-to Hollywood Facial

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Sophie’s Beauty Breakdown Celebrity Makeup artist Normie Breaks down the cover-girl look

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Sexy Summer Hair Summer hair is Sexy texture

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Mermade Hair Lush waves for days

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The Lash Lift Say good-bye to smudgey mascara & rogue lash extensions

Reef 126 4Coral Ways to wear Coral Beautiful Bushy Brows 134 The un-done done brow

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Summer Glow Organic Tan for a healthy glow

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Bosso Beauty The Story of a beauty entrepreneur

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Body Sculpting From ultrasound cavitation to wood therapy

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

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Beautifying Foods Minerals vitamins & antioxidants for beauty thats more than skin deep

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2.5 SECONDS

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Conceptual Artist Anya Anti discusses her art series shining a light on climate change @anya_anti_art

In a project that spanned 3 years from its inception to completion, New York based conceptual artist Anya Anti created a series of artworks to bring awareness to the current dire situation of climate change, entitled 2.5 Seconds. Inspired by the beauty, and to an extent, the untouched landscape of Iceland, Anya set out to capture the stunning locations, juxtaposed by the nightmarish environmental crisis she conveys in each image, through the use of subjects, costume, props, photography and photoshop. Anya considered the damage human impact has caused on our beautiful planet in the short amount of time in which we have inhabited it. This notion led her to the title 2.5 Seconds. “It comes from the idea that planet earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old and mankind is about 140 thousand years old, so if you imagine and compress the earth's existence into 24 hours, and do the math, humanity has been on this planet for 2.5 seconds.” After her first visit to the stunning Nordic island nation of Iceland, Anya says she realized the fragility of nature and felt a strong urge to protect it. The idea of the beauty she had witnessed not being around long enough for future generations to experience, had a huge impact on her. She says, “I decided first of all to make changes to my lifestyle, live more sustainably, simple things like not buying water in plastic bottles - Try to minimize your footprint as much as you can. And then I decided it's time to use my work, my voice as a photographer, to make a difference.” Subsequent visits to Iceland 8 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04

WORDS BY BEC DOYLE

served as research and location scouting to plan the epic undertaking of the 9 piece art series. Bringing the series to life was not short of challenges. Anya says, “I spent the first year coming up with the concept. Doing research and sketches. Then I was trying to raise money on kickstarter for the project. I failed, which is ok. I raised 40% of what I was hoping to raise, so it was all refunded back to the people.Then I was able to find sponsors.” With leading image and electronics companies; ChromaLuxe, B&H and Outex stepping up to the plate, Anya was able to make her vision a reality. “It took a few months to prepare for the trip, book everything, and find the model. Make all the costumes and all the props.” In the Summer of 2019 the small team which consisted of Anya, her husband and model Anna Psy, spent 10 days in Iceland to capture all the images. And, after what she describes as the busiest year of her life, when the pandemic hit Anya was able to slow down, affording her the necessary time needed to thoughtfully and carefully complete the series. “Every single image has its own behind the scenes video, I was able to do screen capture of me editing and do time speed edits for those behind the scenes videos.” Observing each piece, I am personally overwhelmed with emotions. The power of these images is undeniable. They tell the story of a future without the basic freedoms we are lucky to have been blessed with on our planet. Freedoms that some may take for granted; Fresh air, Clean water, a safe place


to live. They tell a story of destruction that threatens our very existence. They tell the story of the environment and wildlife severely affected by capitalist, money hungry, corporations polluting the planet at an exponential rate. Each image represents the damage that can already be found in numerous locations around the globe. The “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” floating between California and Hawaii, twice the size of Texas, consisting of an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of trash. The Devastating climate change related fires in Australia, in 2019, that destroyed 72,000 square miles of land, flora and fauna, that took at least 34 human lives and left billions of animals dead, some driven to extinction. Air quality, so bad in countries like China and India, caused by energy use and agriculture, that has led to over 6 million air-pollution related deaths yearly. One of the leading causes of climate change; Deforestation, the clearing of forests for timber and agriculture, mainly cattle, is contributing to excessive amounts of harmful greenhouses gasses. It's not too late for us to make a change. To reverse the damage we have done in a mere “2.5 Seconds”, a blink of an eye compared to the billions of years our planet has existed. This is what Anya hopes to achieve through her thought provoking and emotive art series. “I just hope that as an artist I can make a difference, and maybe at least a few people will stop, read about it and become more curious. I think that's a success.. Of course these changes are not going to happen overnight. It's going to take years. My hope is that people will start to participate in the change.”

“Pollution”

“Global Warming”

“It's kind of a highlight of the project for me and it's also a self portrait, so it makes it a little more personal.. It's called Global Warming. I'm holding a custom made prop that looks like a melting planet. I Commissioned the artist to make it for me, she hand painted it and then I also retouched it in photoshop to make it more realistic. The same artist made a gas mask for me, with the plant inside (for ‘Pollution”).” 9 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


“I have one model, like my muse, she actually dyed her hair blue for that trip. She was like do you want me to do something with my hair. And I was like well if you want to. I said maybe blue tapes and she went full on and dyed her hair, which is why I chose her, she's super passionate and willing to do anything for the shot. We shot it on Diamond Beach. It's located next to the glacier lagoon. Basically it's a melting glacier and because it melting created this pool of water, lagoon, and pieces of ice continue to chip off and drift into the ocean and are then washed ashore. Its a Volcanic island so the sand is black, so when they wash ashore to the beach, they look like diamonds on the black sand, that's why it is called Diamond Beach. So again I had this location specifically in mind when I created this concept. The idea of my subject being a representation of a melting glacier, and she's surrounded by these ice pieces. Again I made this costume myself. This image was probably the most difficult or challenging from the whole project. I wanted to create this costume that looked like melting ice and ice crystals, but at the same time make it look like it's not a piece of clothing, but rather this creature being covered in these ice pieces. I used tulle fabric to create the top and used acrylic crystals of different sizes and shapes, and I hot glued them to the fabric. I used nude colored tulle to create the illusion of being nude and nude colored tights, and glued those crystals on the legs. Then I created a loose skirt 10 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04

“Glacier Melt”

with just a few crystals to not overload it and keep it simple. It looked nude without being naked. The last step was for me to create the water drops, I spent quite a bit of time figuring out how to create it. And then I saw Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala with her melting costume and that's where I got my inspiration from. I was like this is perfect, exactly what I was looking for. So I searched online for acrylic teardrop beads and sewed them onto the sleeves of the top. It was not as pretty as it looks in the picture but it was good enough for me to later retouch and make it smooth. I removed stitches and borders where the fabric meets her skin.

I still have it, I'm pretty sure it's still in good shape. The shooting part was difficult, as we were right next to the glacier, right next to the ocean. It was freezing, rain and wind, and my model was half naked, wearing a bodysuit under that costume - because I didn't want her to be naked. I sprayed her hair to make it look frosty. It was like 40 degrees fahrenheit. That's another reason why I chose this model, she was amazing, she was like my soldier, my warrior woman, she didn't even blink an eye. She was standing there freezing, willing to do anything for the art - l love her, she's very passionate and dedicated. I was super fast because everyone was freezing, like 15 - 20 minutes. But I did quite a bit of editing after.”


“Deforestation”

“I love them all. The most popular one, that got the most feedback from people is called “Deforestation”. My subject, which is me again, standing in a green moss dress, half burned. The concept represents deforestation and forest degradation. I'm surrounded by moss and the dark dense patch symbolizes the destruction of the forest. I made the dress myself. I used a second hand ball gown that I got from a thrift store. And I got several rolls of moss from an arts and craft store. It's real dry moss. I stitched the moss on top like new fabric, it took me several nights to finish it. I'm not a seamstress, I had no idea what I was doing. It was just

intuition I guess! I'm a little bit crafty and handy, so I can make things. But I'm not like a designer or seamstress, no! I retouched it a little in photoshop so it's a little prettier than it actually is. I mean it was still beautiful. I posted it on my stories and people were like wow how are you going to get it to Iceland, just with check-in luggage. I was worried I was going to ruin it completely. But I just folded it a few times, put it in a bag and squeezed it into my suitcase. I was prepared to have to fix it on location but surprisingly it didn't cause too much damage. So it was totally fine. I actually brought it back, I have it in my closet now.” 11 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Above and Below: “Plastic Pollution”

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“This represents plastic pollution in the ocean, because we use so much plastic, especially single use. Unfortunately only 10% gets recycled, the other 90% ending up in our oceans. A mind blowing statistic. It's Estimated that 8 million tons of plastic waste enters our ocean every single day. I wanted to create the jellyfish, being representative of the ocean marine life that has been affected by plastic pollution. Marine life is being killed by ingesting the plastic, the chemicals, being caught up in plastic. Its estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans, if we don't change anything. This was shot on the black sand beach. I had a very specific idea in mind - I wanted to create this jellyfish made of plastic and the model kind of touching it. What I did, cause I stopped buying drinks in plastic bottles, I asked my friends and followers to donate their plastic. The day before the photoshoot we glued all the recycled plastic to a transparent umbrella to create the shape of the jellyfish. The only thing I did in photoshop was to give the jellyfish a little bit more shape, and created the trail of plastic bottles behind the model. duplicating the bottles already in the image - same goes for the one where the model is fishing with the split water shot. Showing the idea that there's going to be more plastic than the fish. It was the only image I didn't shoot in Iceland - I wanted to, but was not able to because of scheduling. And the ocean is way too cold in Iceland to achieve the shot safely. It was two different shoots in two different locations. I shot the top part first, I used an underwater case for my camera, I rented a pool and I shot the water and plastics floating in the water. I Used one plastic bag and photographed it in different positions for that shot and I composited it later in photoshop.”


“Sea levels flooding the coastal cities and coastal regions” I shot this in an open outdoor swimming pool, surrounded by mountains. Its open to the public and free, and it's filled with hot water - it's a famous tourist attraction. The building you see in the background is actually a changing room for the hot springs. What I usually do with my work is ALWAYS try to build props and set designs and use as much as possible on set instead of photoshopping everything and compositing everything. So usually it's a mix of both props, set design and photoshop compositing. I spray painted a piece of cardboard that was a stand-in for a rooftop and used that as my starting point to create the building, the flooded building. And I used the pool to later extend in photoshop, make it like a flooded area.” ■ “Sea Level Rise”

“Greenhouse Gasses ”

“Extreme Weather” 13 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


ARTICLE NFT FOR SALE NFTs : MONEY OR MAGIC BEANS ?

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efore you start reading, I need to come clean about something: This article isn’t real. You can still read it, but it’s a fake. The original is scribbled down, in biro, on the back of a pair of plane tickets I printed out last week. This article is just a typed up copy of that one. They weren’t the original plane tickets either. The originals were sent to me as PDFs in an email- and even they were just digital representations of the idea that, in about a week, I’m allowed to get on a plane. If you want the one, genuine, original, article, I can sell it to you. How will you know it’s the original? I’ll give you the NFT. “How much??” “$69 million, dad.” “Yeah, I read about it in the paper, actually. People who throw their money away like that should have it taken away from them and given to a good cause.” The well enunciated East-London accent you just read belongs to my father. Dad was in the meat trade in London and was born in 1939. I decided last week I’d try and explain NFTs to him for a laugh. I told him about the digital artist “Beeple,” who had just sold the NFT for his work ““Everydays - The First 5000 Days” for $69 million. “I think it’s a load of old nonsense. It’s a scam, to my mind.” I realize this has been done. Twitter is full of the well-thumbed accounts of people whose dads come out with their takes on modern life; some are hilarious, some thought provoking... and yes, some are racist. They’re almost all interesting, though; there’s a rea14 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04

WORDS BY CHRIS O’SHEA

son this is a trend. There’s something about asking the 1930’s what it thinks of 2021 and getting an answer. In case you haven’t heard: NFTs are all the rage. They’re like digital certificates of authenticity. A music track can have one, a video clip, a tweet... an article about NFTs. A digital tag can be produced that proclaims this the one, authentic...thing that it is. Ownership of these tags confers on the bearer no rights at all: The owner of the NFT for a song cannot use that song in a movie, or profit from that song on Spotify, without separately obtaining the copyright. Similarly, the “owner” of the NFT for a piece of digital art can’t order the piece taken down. In other words an NFT is like a baseball card. It’s something you just “have.” Not to get too technical, but NFTs were made possible by the same Blockchain software that enables the creation of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Bitcoin relies, for its value, on there being a finite number of Bitcoins and an accurate record of who owns them. The Blockchain is that record. Previously, owning a digital “object” was a bit like trying to write your name on a puff of smoke. The Blockchain ensures that, no matter how many times something is copied and shared, there will always be a record of who owns the “original.” So, back to Beeple. Let’s say you buy a pen; you get to decide who uses it and for how long, you can sell it or destroy it. The pen’s physical existence gives you control. Control is what ownership is to generations brought up without digital stuff. When it comes to NFTs, vast wealth has been handed over and


no control has been acquired at all. To my dad, this might as well be Jack buying his Magic Beans.

sive bet, but the emergence of The Blockchain is a step toward that future. You can see this bet playing out in the volatility of cryptocurrency. People flock to The buyers of NFTs see things differently, BitCoin and DogeCoin, looking to invest in though. A few are probably wealthy colthe future, but flee from it just as quickly. lectors. The types who, possessed of vast Investors are nervous. Like my dad, a lot of quantities of both money and time, have people don’t believe in the reality of digiretired from real life and now just compete tal “stuff.” They’re worried that the bubble with each other over the acquisition of “rare will burst. That, eventually, someone will things”- it wouldn’t surprise me to learn say “the Emperor has no clothes” and we’ll that the guy who bought the Beeple piece, all look at our digital wallets, full of digital also has a room full of vintage cars, pricecurrency and realize we’ve been taken for a less yachts and performance aircraft. ride. There is another type of buyer: The Investor. This individual (and/or hedge fund) has looked at NFTs and seen the future. They’re buying now because they believe that, eventually, $69 million will be cheap. They have looked at the future and seen a digital world. A world where physical currency is a thing of the past and digital art is as real, and valuable, as physical art. It’s an expen-

If NFTs are a scam, then so are the dollars used to buy them. Physical currency relies on confidence just as much as digital. For me, digital art and currency are the future. That’s why I’m investing the 30 billion Dogecoins I’m getting for this NFT, in the first Jamba Juice on Mars. Elon’s going, the rest is a matter of time. ■

Magnifying glass in front of ipad screen with Beeple digital art EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS. Collage art signed with NFT non fungible token, mundissima / Shutterstock.com 15 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


THE GIRL WITH THE P I N K G U I TA R Singer, songwriter and guitarist Destiny Petrel shares her journey in becoming a solo artist

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s a kid growing up in Long Island, NY I would carry my guitar everywhere I went. I guess it was because of how I grew up, music was always there. My sisters Jess and Rebekah and I, first learned piano at the age of 6 in my grandparents basement apartment and were thrown into playing in a gospel church by the age of 14. My parents were music Pastors so I was surrounded by music constantly. I think that shaped me most into the musician I am today. My Dad has a background as a professional rock and roll sax player / vocalist, and my Mom as a choir director / teacher. So growing up in my household there was a lot of listening to gospel singers like Andrae Crouch, Cece Winans, Kirk Frankin to pop artists like Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Heart and Queen etc. My sisters and I started making music together ever since I could remember, but professionally started as a PopRock band who traveled the world together. Jessica, lead singer, Bekah on keys and me playing guitar, with all 3 of us singing in harmony. At 16 yrs old I went on my first tour with them which was an amphitheater tour across the US. It was insane! That’s really when my career started in music. Together we toured playing over 300 shows performing from dive bars, to clubs, festivals and amphitheaters.The transition from being in a band with my sisters to now was super strange at first because of how much I love creating and playing with them. I mean, we still do almost everything together, we live together in LA. HAHA. So it doesn’t feel too different but still weird not having them by my side every step of the way. 16 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04

WOR DS BY @DE S T I N Y PET R E L PHOTOS BY @ GR EGL EV I T T PHOTO GR A PH Y

Over the years I began working alongside other artists touring as a background vocalist and guitarist. I’ve worked with artists such as Lauren Jauregui, Grace Vanderwaal, and Jake Miller just to name a few. And now can count close to 100 shows played. In studio sessions, recording along side producers like Metro Boomin' (Drake, The Wknd, 21 Savage), Dre Moon (Beyonce, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Tinashe), A1 (Chris Brown, Yung Berg, Gucci Mane, Jeremiah) & Brian Howes (Boys Like Girls, Nickleback, Daughtry). It's been a dream so far and a crazy ride with highs but a ton of lows. The industry isn’t the best so it’s been a trip, maneuvering around people who just want to take advantage of you in every way possible. Thankfully because of my sisters, I feel better knowing that there are people I’m surrounded by who love me and genuinely care for me. I released my first single “Sad Girl”, as a solo artist on December 11th 2020. Sad Girl was written while on tour with the person I’m singing about. It was one of those things where we both were around each other 24/7 and she was taking up so much time and space in my heart. So everything that she was going through and felt, I started feeling heavily. Writing it on the road then coming back from tour and producing the song in my bedroom was so therapeutic. It was like going through a breakup at the end of tour, and so it felt so good to get all my feelings out after. I can only hope other people feel as connected to it as I do, because I think we all feel that heavy sadness sometimes, and that’s okay. My 2nd single - Feel the Same just dropped and I couldn’t be more excited about that song too. ►


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Who doesn't feel that way when you’re crushing on someone hard? It’s always difficult to make the first move or just say how you feel. It’s a funny song to me because we actually never tried to go out after that one night! Haha. Both of these songs will be on my first EP “Just Fine”. I’ll be releasing the next single Soul Tie very soon and that’s a song that hits close to home thanks to my first love. Anyone who’s reading this. If you’re working towards working full time in the music industry, try not to compare yourself, embrace your weirdness, work hard at your craft and surround yourself with good people. I hope you know that you are a one of a kind, special human and that you can achieve anything. ANYTHING! I’m finding myself everyday constantly growing and learning, so I try not to take myself too seriously and tell myself that it’s okay to make a ton of mistakes. No one's journey will be the same as yours so just go with it. What I love about music is that it’s universal and such a powerful tool. I want to be that positive and authentic source to music lovers... an influence to others who song-write, play guitar, and produce. Music has impacted my life in the most positive way. It saved me and I hope to continuously inspire others through my love for playing, performing and song writing, for as long as I can. ■

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T H E N E X T G E N E R AT I O N O F H O L LY W O O D S TA R S

I N T R O D U C I N G T H E N E X T G E N E R AT I O N O F TA L E N T. F E AT U R I N G K A Z W O M A C K , G I A PAT E R & A D E L A I D E L E V E N S . T H E S E Y O U N G A R T I S T S H AV E A L R E A D Y A C H I E V E D S O M U C H I N T H E I R C A R E E R S . E A C H W I T H T H E I R O W N U N I Q U E TA L E N T, S K I L L S A N D D R E A M S - T H E Y A R E T H E O N E S T O W AT C H . W O R D S BY T O N Y C . S I M M O N S @ T O N Y C O R T E Z O F L A P H OT O S BY @ G R E G L E V I T T P H OT O G R A P H Y 19 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


THE ACTOR : KAZ WOMACK

@thekazwomack

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ollywood is loaded with child actors, and they’re all brimming with talent, but you’d be hard pressed to find one that enjoys the craft of acting more than Kaz Womack. The six-year old loves being on the ‘Hollywood’ set. You can tell by his wholesome smile - it never comes off. It’s obvious that his joyous demeanor makes him very easy to work with, but where does it come from? The answer is experience. At only 8-months old, Kaz was showcasing that smile in front of cameras for a myriad of commercials; some of which include Metro PCS, Toyota, and Fischer-Price. He’s even worked as a model for Uniqlo and Carter’s, but it wasn’t until now that his love for acting is truly starting to blossom.

Kaz. Millions of viewers watch Kaz deliver his best performances simply because he loves being on set, and the show is lucky to have him. Playing a child version of a beloved character will garner a lot of attention, but Kaz seems ready to become a star. Fans of This Is Us should remember his face, because in twenty years, you might see him as the next leading action hero. Outside of working, his hobbies include water skiing and snow skiing. Pretty action-packed for a sixyear old, which begs the assumption that an adrenaline-filled, Tom Cruise-like approach to his career seems inevitable. The future is bright for Kaz Womack. He’s primed and ready for the illustrious Hollywood career he’s destined for. With more on-camera experience than some adult actors, and a love for acting that exudes through his smile, he’s in no better position to grow into the star he’s meant to be. ■

Left to right: Isabella Rose Landau, Kaz Womack, Ca’Ron Jaden Coleman

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Kaz currently has a recurring role on the hit TV show This Is Us, working alongside Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia. On screen, you can feel the connection he has with his TV show parents, but what’s remarkable is that it translates well into real life. “My favorite part of being on set is working with Mandy and Milo”, Kaz says with his heartening grin. Couple that with the excitement he gets while working alongside his on-screen siblings - Isabella Rose Landau and Ca’Ron Jaden Coleman. They’re the same age as Kaz and the three of them are the best of friends. Working with the people you love is a key ingredient in making any job enjoyable, especially for a six-year old like

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Left to right: Kaz Womack, Ca’Ron Jaden Coleman, Milo Ventimiglia, bella Rose Landau


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THE PERFORMER Make-up by Sarah Christine @sarahchristinebeauty Photos by Greg Levitt @greglevittphotography Words by Tony C Simmons @tonycortezofla

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Gia can dance, she can act, but she’ll tell you first hand that singing is what she feels she’s best at, simply because she loves music so much. Her inspirations come from renowned artists such as Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, and you can definitely see it in her performances. She recently did a live performance paying tribute to Dolly Parton, which she says was the highlight of her career so far. When asked if she writes her own songs, she gave a very telling answer: “I haven’t really started writing [my own songs] yet, but sometimes, at night, I like to write in my journal.” She may not know it yet, but a true writer has a journal, and it’s inevitable that BP Major found Gia while searching she’ll be writing her own songs soon. for young talent to form a kids group. We look forward to witnessing Gia’s He’s the creator and founder of a Yougrowth as an artist and performer on tube series called MAJOR MINORS: THE ACADEMY, and Gia has a starring the aforementioned Youtube series. role. The show follows her growth as The advice she has for kids her age is to an artist, alongside her castmate Danput hard work into everything you do ika Hemmer, and many special guests! “Some things I’ve learned being part of and to believe in yourself. This type of mindset for a 12-year old is very enthe Major Minors Academy are definitely performing.. and also how to talk couraging, as many will find it difficult to teach a child such values that are so to the camera, and to be yourself.” Gia paramount in the entertainment indusis wise beyond her years, and understands that knowing and expressing her try. Gia Pater is a natural. She’s profestrue self is key to making great perfor- sional, and well advanced at her age. In the future, when we see her performing mances, and getting invaluable onein front of millions, thank BP Major on-one time with celebrity performers like Dannii Minogue and Kym Herjavec Minor’s for instilling the skill, confidence, and dedication to such a talentat the Major Minors Academy doesn't ed, gifted individual like Gia. ■ hurt either! here’s a specific set of qualities that are required when singing in front of a live audience. One needs the skill, confidence, and dedication to deliver the best performance on the microphone, and at 12-years old, Gia Pater has garnered all of those traits and more. She admits she didn’t have these qualities until she met her mentor BP Major, a world class performing artist who’s dedicated to teaching Gia everything he knows. The two have a very strong bond and it is obvious, despite the hard work, they have lots of fun together!

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G I A PAT E R

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THE MODEL : ADELAIDE LEVENS

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h re e y e ar s a g o, Ad e l ai d e Levens returned home from summer sailing camp and handed her parents a piece of paper that said: “I’d like to talk to you about your daughter’s future m o d e l i n g c a re e r.” T h e n ot e w a s written by a top national scout who had spotted the then ten year old at a yacht club, saying she looked like “the embodiment of the California sun.” Now 5’9’ at thirteen years old, this level-headed beauty is primed for success in the competitive world of fashion modeling, but Adelaide is n’t putt i ng a l l he r e g g s i n one b a s k e t . E x c e l l i n g a c a d e m i c a l l y, Adelaide just graduated 8th grade on the honor roll and was accepted into the prestigious liberal arts high school Pacifica. Next year, she will play team volleyball and basketball, in addition to competitive sailing, while developing her art portfolio for an upcoming exhibition. A self-taught environmentalist, Adelaide’s philosophy is: “If everyone picked up af ter t hems elves t here wouldn’t b e any trash.” She once u nt ang l e d a s e a g u l l t h at l an d e d on her Opti from a broken fishing line. That event was the inspiration that led to “SeaSustain” the charity Adelaide founded to help kids get involved in keeping our oceans and waterways clean. “As a lifelong sailor I’ve seen first-hand the impact of 24 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04

micro-plastics and other f loating trash on our oceans.” A d e l a i d e’s e n v i r o n m e n t a l commit me nt e xte nds to fashion. She buys and resells vintage clothes on Depop and eBay, and recently learned to sew in order to make her own clothes, which she is planning on auc tioning of f on S eaSustain. Org to raise funds for her cause. This summer she’s taking an online C e r t i f i c at e i n Fa s h i o n In d u s t r y E s s e nt i a l s f ro m Pa r s o n s x Te e n Vogue in order to continue to learn the business and develop her own fashion brand. A n a v i d r e a d e r Ad d i e c a n usually be found devouring a book like Fahrenheit 451 or The St ars My Destination, or in record stores finding obscure LPs by John Prine or Paolo Conte. Adelaide loves to travel and meet people and hopes modeling will help her create a successful brand to spre ad her mess age ab out s e a sustainability and local commerce. That’s w hy she loves brands like Arbor, both for its long-time commitment to sustainability and the fact that it’s a local business and not a global megacorp posting proenvironmental messages to cover their toxic footprint. For Adelaide ever ything starts local. After all: “If everyone picked up after themselves...” ■


Photographer : Greg Levitt @greglevittphotography Hair & Make-up : Andie Lane @andie_lane

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Model : Adelaide Levens @adelaidelevens Photographer : Greg Levitt @greglevittphotography Make-up & Tan : Andie Lane @andie_lane

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bes

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Adelaide wears shirt by Abor , Jeans by Levi’s. Vegan Leather Sandals by Nasty Gal. Skateboard by Arbor


Adelaide wears shirt and shorts by ZARA. Vegan leather sandals by Nasty Gal.


Adelaide wears shirt and shorts by ZARA. Vegan leather sandals by Nasty Gal.


Adelaide wears shirt and skirt ZARA Join Life Collection and Vegan bag by Svala

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Moisturizer: Supergoop Glow Screen, Primer: Becca backlight priming filter, Skin: IT cosmetics CC cream, Concealer: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye, Charlotte Tilbury pressed powder, Bronzer: Nude Stix bondi babe, Blush: Charlotte Tilbury Pinkgasm, Brows: Nyx Micro brow pencil and Anastasia brow gel, Eyes: Becca champagne pop higlighter on lid, Nude Stix Bondi Babe in the crease, Charlotte Tilbury Rock N Kohl liner in Brown on the lash line, It Cosmetics Superhero mascara, Ardell individual lashes in short. Lips: Body Shop #57

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Adelaide waers Dos Gardenias : The Wylder Scoop Neck Bikini Top & Lasso The Banded Bikini Bottom in Mustard


COLOR IS QUAY Model : Ilona Novacek @ilonanovacek

Photographer : Glenn Nutley @thecontentcolle

Hair & Make-up : Normie Gonzales @bynorm

Wardrobe Stylist : Natalia De Martin @natalia.de. Boat : My Sydney Boat @mysydneyboat


ective

mie

.martin

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THIS PAGE: Ilona wears dress by Mariam Seddiq OPPOSITE PAGE: Ilona wears Bandeau and pants by Mariam Seddiq., Shoes by Cult Gaia


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THIS PAGE: Ilona wears Bikini by Matteau OPPOSITE PAGE: Ilona wears dress by Mariam Seddiq, earrings by Balyck.



THIS PAGE : Ilona wears dress by Christoper Esber, earrings by Balyck. OPPOSITE PAGE: Ilona wears India Bikini top and Pacific Pant by Bondi Born, necklace by Roxy Jacenko



THIS PAGE : Ilona wears dress by Bronx & Bianco, Earrings by Balyck OPPOSITE PAGE: Ilona wears dress by Christoper Esber, earrings by Balyck.


Ilona wears dress by Bronx & Bianco, Earrings by Balyck


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Ilona wears gown by Couture + Love + Madness, Earrings by Requila

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k n o M e i h p o S Photographer : Glenn Nutley @thecontentcollective Hair & Make-Up : Normie Gonzales @bynormie Wardrobe Stylist : Natalia De Martin @natalia.de.martin Words by : Bec Doyle @becdoyle_

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Sophie wears Gown by Cappellazzo Couture Earrings by Faith Jewellery, Heels By Lana Wilkinson


Sophie wears Dress by Dion Lee, Earrings by Balyck Jewellery, Heels By Lana Wilkin

“I like doing everything, cause I’m not really good at any of it, im kind of average!”

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hen it comes to the gorgeous Aussie bombshell Sophie Monk, being herself is literally her day job. One of the biggest personalities in Australia, Sophie opened up about her career and personal life, and had me in tears of laughter throughout the entire conversation. She’s down to earth, unfiltered, and complete with just the right amount of self-deprecating humor. Although she admits she's made plenty of mistakes, in a career that spans over two decades, she says she’s right where she’s meant to be.

Sophie credits her time as The Bachelorette for helping her with her confidence when it comes to dating, “The show was awesome, it was such an adventure as well, and just learning about myself...I think with what I do in the industry, you can be confident, but you're not really.” Sophie literally does it all. She got her start in the girl group Bardot, which shot to fame in the reality TV series “Popstars”, in 2000. Since then she has appeared in feature films, hosted shows like Love Island, had a stint as The B a ch e l o r e t t e , w a s a judge on Australia’s Got Talent, won The Celebrity Apprentice Australia, and has been an on-air host for some of Sydney’s biggest radio shows. “I like doing everything, cause I'm not really good at any of it, I'm kind of average,” she says with a laugh. That self-deprecating humor is what makes her so lovable and relatable, but it’s obvious her talent runs deep.

“He said he was single and I was like, can I kiss you? I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, cause I’d been on the flight for a while, and we just made out on the plane!”

On what would be the longest first date ever, Josh and Sophie fatefully sat next to each other on a 16hour flight from San Francisco to Sydney. The recently engaged couple hit it off immediately, and were chatting the entire flight. Sophie reveals that she made the first move: “He said he was single and I was like, can I kiss you? I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, cause I'd been on the flight for a while, and we just made out on the plane!” The rest is history. After 3 years together, Joshua Gross proposed. The couple celebrated their engagement on April 24th at their home on the Central Coast with their close friends and family.

Now, Sophie is getting back to her roots, revealing she has new music set for release this year. She told me, “I started with one song because I don't even know if people want to hear my music.” ►

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THIS PAGE Sophie wears Top & Pants by Constantina Danis Earrings by Valet studio OPPOSITE PAGE Sophie wears Gown by Cappellazzo Couture

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In a surprising contrast to her Bardot days, her new tracks are more in the Jazz genre. “I grew up as a classical singer, and I love Jazz, I love singing Jazz. It's not what people are used to hearing from me.” Weeks away from filming the music video for her new track Nice to Meet you, she reveals that “The vibe is very ‘cigar lounge feel’. The video is going to be me on stage, kind of old school, 1920’s.”

have to not take it personally. You know it could be a hair color thing. Well that's what I told myself ”, she adds with a laugh. It's no secret Sophie loves a spray tan. “They struggled on Entourage with the lighting for me cause I was so orange, they pulled me aside and said ‘Next time can you not spray tan?’” She says back then she would go to the fake tanning machines, that are fairly well-known for not providing the most optimal results, “You’d turn around like you’re cooking in an oven.” Surprisingly, the Aussie blonde is not one for beach days. “I only go to the beach for an Instagram photo. I burn really easily. I'm that person wearing the hat with the flap at the back. I'm not as cute as I make it look.” It's clear that a history of self-tanning, rather than sun baking, was a smart choice for the blonde bombshell. Sophie is looking youthful and more gorgeous than ever on our Summer cover shoot. “It was so fun to dress up again!”, she says with excitement. She admits that it’s a nice change from the usual tracksuits and gold Uggs that her high-fashion stylist reluctantly has to pull for shoots, because: “It's kind of what I'm known for now,” she laughs. ►

“Fashion wise, it’s ridiculous online what you can find of me, like what was I thinking, and why did I think I was so cool?!”

Reflecting on the ten years she lived in LA, Sophie says it flew by. “‘I look back and it feels like a weird dream.” At that time she was focused primarily on acting, but says she was terrible at judging scripts, writing off projects that ended up being hits. She recalls the endless auditions, and some admittedly ‘interesting’ choices she made, including turning down an offer for a role on the hit retro-sitcom That 70s Show. She says comedy was where she excelled, landing roles in films like Date Movie and Click, alongside Adam Sandler. She recalls the disappointment of regularly making it down to the final two for roles, and not booking them. “It's tough, especially in LA. You hear more No’s than Yes’s. And your self-esteem can go down, but you

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Sophie wears Dress by Mariam Seddiq, Earrings by Balyck Jewellery

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Sophie wears Swimsuit by Norma Kamali, Earrings by Faith Jewellery, Skirt by Mariam Seddiq, Rings by Saint Laurent & Heels from Cosmopolitan Shoes

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Sophie wears Dress by Zhivago, Earrings by Balyck Jewellery

“It’s so much easier to be myself. If I can keep doing this forever, I’ll feel pretty lucky..”

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Sophie admits she’s been “known” for some other lewks too. “Fashion wise, it’s ridiculous online what you can find of me, like what was I thinking, and why did I think I was so cool?!” She laughs as she recalls a particular pair of leggings with a not so flattering positioned seam. “I used to wear them all the time in LA, to go get a coffee. But there were so many paparazzi, and it made me look like I had a camel toe, but it wasn’t, it was the seam in the pants. So there’s so many photos of me online if you google it, of just the camel toe. I felt like my camel toe was getting more press than I ever got.” If you follow Sophie on social media you’ll see square after square of her hilarious comedy sketches for different products, with some epically beautiful portraits scattered in between- of course! She is extremely selective when it comes to these partnerships, only promoting brands she personally uses or believes in, and loves the freedom and creative control these brands allow her.

“That’s the good thing about campaigns these days, they kind of let me decide what I want to do with it.” Her fiance Josh even does his part as videographer and editor, and apparently does quite a good job - a nice break from his usual work in neurosurgical robotics, I’m sure! With such a diverse portfolio of work, there really isn’t much Sophie Monk can’t do. She’s even toyed with the idea of stand-up comedy, and we eagerly await that day! Currently in talks with a production company about a scripted T V series loosely based around her life, and the rebooted series Beauty And The Geek airing later this year, Sophie’s unfiltered, hilarious, and kind-natured soul will continue to be a huge part of Australian culture, gracing the screens of millions of Australians for years to come. Sophie acknowledges just how lucky she is to be able to do what she loves ever yday, performing and entertaining. “Moving back to Australia, I kind of fell into a place where I was allowed to be me. It’s so much easier to be myself. If I can keep doing this forever, I’ll feel pretty lucky.” ■

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Sophie wears Gown by Constantina Danis, Earrings by Faith Jewellery


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Sophie wears Bodysuit by LaQuan Smith Earrings by House of Emmanuelle, Heels by Cosmopolitan Shoes


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e d i T h g i H Model : Jackie Sweasey @jackiesweasy Photographer: Greg Levitt @greglevittphotography Hair Stylist : Valerie Paige @valeriepaige_ Make-up : Michael Byron @makeupartistmichael

Stylist : Shamia Irshana @shamia_irshana

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Jackie wears Dos Gardenias ‘Superstar’ One Piece in Mustard @dos_gardenias Earrings by Elsie Frieda @elsiefrieda

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Jackie wears Kaftan by Elysian Goddess @elysian_goddess_ Earrings by Elsie Frieda @elsiefrieda


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Jackie wears Dos Gardenias @dos_gardenias ‘Monte Square Top’ & ‘Rouge ‘Bottom’ Earrings by Elsie Frieda @elsiefrieda

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Jackie wears Kaftan by Baacal @baacaloffical , Earrings by Saulé @saulelabel

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THIS PAGE: Jackie wears Kaftan by Elysian Goddess @elysian_goddess_ Earrings by Saulé @saulelabel OPPOSITE PAGE: Jackie wears dress by Baacal @baacalofficial Necklace by Elsie Frieda @elisefrieda


Jackie wears Kaftan by Elysian Goddess @elysian_goddess_ Earrings by Saulé @saulelabel


LA Models Curve The Career and Legacy of Agent Crista Klayman

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t’s often said that you should never meet your heroes. Crista Klayman at LA Models is the exception.

One of the most internationally respected and acclaimed Runway agents of all time, Crista has 30+ years of industry experience under her belt, working with designers like Oscar de la Renta, Gucci, Chanel, and Valentino. She is known for everything from discovering talent like Tyra Banks, to touching the lives of countless models living out their second careers like Edward Quinn on Tyler Perry’s “The Oval,” Jason Thompson and Michael Mealor as stars on “The Young and the Restless,” Brandi Glanville on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and the creation of Lizanne Falsetto’s “Think Bars.” Her expert testimony has been featured in dozens of television programs, some of the most notable being Lisa Ling’s “This is Life,” “E! True Hollywood Stories,” as well as the documentaries “Chasing Beauty” and “America the Beautiful.” Most recently, she has spearheaded LA Models Curve (which includes Curve Men), championing a diverse and elite team of models who continue to prove that every(body) is beautiful. “Crista makes me feel loved and gorgeous,” according to Jackie Sweasey, the first model in the LA Models Curve division. “I never thought modeling was in the cards for me… I would even be embarrassed thinking about wanting to model. Saying it out loud was out of the question,” she added. Since age five, Jackie grew up with low self-esteem issues, in part, due to the sexual abuse she suffered from a family friend. She later found herself working four part-time jobs to make ends meet, contributing to the pre-existing doubt and self-loathing. She notes that never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that the pain of her past and trauma would somehow man-

ifest her prolific modeling career. Since working with Crista, she’s made headway with brands like Footlocker, MeUndies, Lunya, Nordstrom and Macy’s. “As crazy as it sounds, Crista is a second mother to me. She saved me. I owe my career to her and Darienne Arnold, my mother agent.” Starting a Curve division from scratch is almost never an overnight success. It can be thankless and grueling. Despite the inevitable obstacles she may face, Crista continued full speed ahead. “I don’t do anything unless I can be the best,” according to Crista, “Jackie gave me the confidence to go all in. Once I met her it was a no brainer… I was committed to building this legacy at LA Models.” With 24 new Curve models added to the division within the past six months, it’s irrefutable that this division is building momentum. Despite COVID and its toll on the industry, Crista has continued to find ways to stay scrapy and think outside of the box. While the economy may have lost momentum, Crista’s vision did not. “Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes… it doesn’t make sense to only represent size 2, 4 models when there’s a wealth of talent out there,” Crista added, “and now I have more new faces than I have hours in the day.” Crista has architected a division she hopes may one day have a ‘beauty inclusive domino effect’ across the industry. While it’s foolish to contend that society will change overnight, it goes without saying that Crista continues to build the change she’d like to see in the world around her. “I have approached LA Models Curve in the same way that I have directed Runway for over 30 years… with dignity, grace, and a fierceness to advocate for my models.” To learn more about Crista Klayman and her career, please visit: LA Models Curve, LA Models Runway, and Crista’s Instagram. ■ 77 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Conversations With My Closet Self Expression through Fashion : Reclaiming your identity after a year of social distance WORDS BY ELISABETH HOWER

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his isn’t working, I said. “You look like a hippie cowgirl that wandered into a black tie gala and thought a scarf and rhinestone earrings would be enough to blend in.” I shook my head. So did the woman in the mirror across from me. How we’d be ready in 20 minutes, we had no idea. Tonight I was heading to a birthday party, the first major social event since things have begun to open in a post-pandemic world. In other words, it was my first major social event since rolling out of bed for a Zoom call was a major social event. Further, it was the fête of someone I barely knew, full of people I’d never met before. I’d asked more than one friend, “What the hell do I wear?” I hadn’t thought much about fashion the past year; the state of the world had captured my attention and nearly rendered me paralyzed. What was fashion during the pandemic, anyway? We’ve all seen the memes likening our attire to a mullet: Business on the top, party on the bottom, (aka sweatpants). I looked at my closet with bewilderment. Who even owned these clothes? How long has that flannel been hanging there? None of it felt like me. It felt foreign, or at least, from a lifetime ago. Which I supposed in some ways it was. Tell Marie Kondo to bring an industrial-size dumpster. It got me thinking. What will fashion be in this new, vaccinated world? Did our perspective shift? Are we simpler, have we lost the appetite for complex looks, in favor of ease arising out of… cough, cough, laziness? Or are we hungrier than ever to express? My instinct leaned toward the latter, but the problem was,

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I didn’t know what it was that I wanted to express. “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” -Rachel Zoe I’ve always felt permission to whisper, “screw it,” and mismatch patterns, pair polka dots with stripes…the nerve! But with re-entry into the world impending, the question was quickly becoming not what did I want to express, but who? Whether we like it or not, each of us faces a transition into this new normal. Our jobs have changed or disappeared. So have our relationships. Some moved work online and watched it blossom; others witnessed dreams and businesses crumble, never to recover. Cities experienced mass exodus as people sought the (relative) affordability of the countryside. I wondered, now that the world began to regain its footing, who would come back? The past year taught me to be more honest with myself and others, to set better boundaries, and perhaps most unexpected, that I’m not as much of an extrovert as I thought. I began to enjoy the time alone. And behind the scenes, confidence quietly grew. I liked the woman I was becoming. I just had no idea how to dress her. How to express her. “Create your own style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.” - Anna Wintour When things were just beginning to re-open,


I took myself to Sephora: “It’ll be heaven!” I have always loved make up. To completely transform oneself within a matter of minutes has always seemed magical to me. However, when I brightly strode into the brightly lit store, the music blared loudly. There were people everywhere. Thousands of products lined the walls and aisles just as they always have. And yet, I wasn’t excited. I was overwhelmed. Overstimulated. The volume of consumerism hit my proverbial ears at a fever pitch. Instead of empowered and playful, I felt old and woefully out of touch. I balked at prices like my grandmother at the grocery store. “$38 for an eyeliner?” I’d forgotten the price of chic. And after a year spent barely working, I couldn’t afford it. At the same time, it felt important. After all, as Miuccia Prada says, “Fashion is instant language,” and following a year of shut downs, it feels like we have more to say than ever.

after all. The too-busy scarf would go and the drapey sweater would be replaced by a flowing striped button down, a forgotten goto tucked behind winter coats. All with five minutes to spare. The ensemble worked, but more importantly, it felt like me. I walked into the party. Quickly spotted a stranger… wearing polka dots and stripes. I smiled. Introduced myself. “Oh my god,” she said, “I love what you’re wearing.” And while none of it was new, nor expensive, so did I. I’ve renewed confidence coming into this year, as well as renewed appreciation for the expression fashion affords me. And after spending a year getting to know myself in an entirely different way, I can’t wait to take that woman in the mirror shopping. After all, she’s got some things to say. ■

I left the store frustrated that a few mere moments within it had shaken my dewy confidence. Then I remembered. “Style is not a display of wealth but an expression of imagination.” (Anonymous) My dwindled bank account needn’t shoulder the entire burden of my self-expression. And didn’t the last year teach me a thing or two about resilience and creativity? “Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.” - Gore Vidal Which brings me back to my closet and that peculiar cowgirl staring back at me. The essence of what I wanted to say is there, so was the strength to say it. My denim said I don’t mind hard work, or getting dirty, my mother’s vintage belt that I remember where I came from. The large rhinestone earrings, hand-me-downs from my best friend, remind me that I love glamour, the impracticality of it. Most of my favorite things in life are impractical; I often think that’s the very reason I love them. Perhaps I wasn’t far off 79 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Summer In The City Bare Faced and beautiful in New York City. Embrace your natural beauty this summer for an effortless chic look that works from the city to sandy shores. Model : Elena Sartison @elenasartison Photographer: Jeff Kravitz @jeffkravitz

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ROB WEISS

Cozy With

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THIS PAGE: Elena wears Dress by Desigual and faux leather Jacket by Jay Godfrey OPPPOSITE PAGE: Elena wears Shirt by Express, Skirt by ZARA

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Elena wears Top by Theory and faux leather pleated skirt by ZARA

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Elena wears faux leather Jacket by Jay Godfrey and boots by Rick Owen

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PHILOSOPHY OF PHOTOGRAPHY & PHOTOSHOP New York based Editorial Photographer Jeff Kravitz shares his perspective and practices when it comes to the art of photography.

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consider myself new to editorial p h o t o g r ap hy. As mu c h a s I a l w ay s enjoyed photography, I only started in earnest at the end of 2015. I got my first camera from my cousin. Well, I borrowed a camera from my cousin. A Canon AE-1. One of the most popular film cameras of all time. For a high school photography class, in 1985. We were mostly taught dark room techniques. The mechanics. It is what I grew up on. From the early 2000s on, a sizable percentage of my personal life was within the fine art photography world. Galleries.. exhibitions. Photography you could see in a museum. Photos that tell a story. When I look at the “greats”. The photos others have taken over the past 100 years that stand out, a large majority of them are in black and white. I can not underestimate how that influences me. Black and white to me also has more of a timeless quality to it. If you were to look at a color photo from the 1970s for instance, you would see lots of browns, greens and oranges. The 1980s, more vibrant colors in bold patterns. Early 90s,lots of plaid. Late 90s, more neon-ish. Make it black and white and that all fades away. It is no longer a photo of an era. Are there photos of others that I love that are in color? Yes. Many. Do I shoot color? Yes. All the time. But I still aim for timelessness. I’ll photograph anyone that I find interesting. That draws me in. For my paid work that goes without saying. For my personal work that still holds true. In the 5 years since I first said to someone “I need to learn how to photograph you”, I have noticed a few things 88 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04

about shooting models versus non models, men versus women. Even different types of models. I would rather shoot a non-model who doesn’t know what they are doing and hasn’t developed any bad habits, than a model with said bad habits. Those habits of course being for the type of photography we are going for. “I like to photograph anyone before they know what their best angles are.” - Ellen Von Unwerth I do feel that is sort of true. S omeone I simply want to shoot, I can talk them through what I want. I may need to teach them how to listen to direction, but then it is on me as the photographer to direct. Models are. For lack of a better word. Different. There are tons of different types of models: runway, beauty, swimwear and lingerie, instagram, gowns, nude, etc. And everyone learns skills and habits from what they focus on. If a skill becomes very ingrained, habits from one style do not always translate to another. Nerves become frayed. Shoots become longer. My favorite professional models are the ones who, while they know they are beautiful (they get told it often) it is just a “whatever”. Show me goofy. Show me ridiculous. Show me serious. Show me emotion. Show me what makes you YOU. My favorite models are the ones who are not worried about whether they look beautiful in a photo. “Photography is no longer a love affair with the beauty of reality.” - Peter Lindbergh When it comes to photoshop, let’s get this first part out of the way. Editing is not new. Profe s s i on a l ph oto s h ave A LWAYS b e e n edited. Though it was a lot harder 100 years


ago. A photo was taken, printed, “Dodged and burned” in the darkroom to change highlights and shadows. The print would then be painted.. By hand. With tiny brushes. Editing skin, backgrounds etc. and after this “retouching”, it would be photographed again with the changes. The choice of film would change how a photo would look. Punchy colors. Subdued colors. Contrasty black and white. Muted. Even the paper choice. Editing is not new. There is nothing magical about a film photo. About how “real” it is. It was never real. As technolog y has progressed it has become a lot easier to edit everything. And that ease has only sped up the past few years. When I was a teen, in the 1980s, I do remember hearing about the harmful imp ac t of t he many ads young g irls were exposed to in a given day. This was before the web. Before Instagram. Before people walked around with all these photos of the entire world in their pocket, that they could access at any time. So the problem has only gotten worse.

software used to open the file can change how it looks. Being a child of the 70s, a teen of the 80s, and in college in the early 90s, I grew up in the era of the supermodel. The superstar photographers. The advertising photos that you could see printed. Large. Matted. Framed. And hung on a wall as a piece of art. That WAS art. My 30s through today, I have been surrounded by the fine art photography world. I think the influence of my age, when I grew up, and what I am surrounded by now is evident in what I am drawn to. And how I photograph. Nothing is perfect. No one is perfect. “Pretty girl in a pretty place doing pretty things”. I’d rather show depth of emotion. - Hopefully I get close. ■

“The cosmetics industry has brainwashed us all. I’m not retouching anything. “Oh, but she looks tired,” they say. And then if she looks tired? Tired and beautiful.” - Peter Lindbergh Do I edit? Yes. Do I try to be minimal about it? VERY. Do I try to make anyone perfect? No. No one is perfect. My general rule is “if it disappears on it’s own given enough time, I’ll edit it. A breakout.. Pimples.. Etc. If it was because of the angle my camera was on, I’ll fix it (if possible). My goal is for the subject to always look like the subject. No one should see a photo and say “Is that them?!?!?!?” S ome of my favor ite photos are of p eople without any editing, as much as a photo can be unedited, that is. There are always style choices. Something as simple as the type of camera and lens can change how the photo will look. When shooting “raw” (the digital equivalent - for lack of a better word - of a film negative) the choice of

You can find frequently updated works on Jeff’s Instagram @jeffkravitzphoto 89 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


SPOTLIGHT : SYDNEY With the world slowly opening back up we were lucky enough to feature some iconic locations, fashion, models and talent in Sydney Australia for this Epic Summer Issue. So what better way to pay tribute to this glorious city, than by highlighting some of the best things Sydney has to offer once you wash up on the sandy shores! OR if you’re one of our Sydney readers and are yet to discover these hidden gems, you’re welcome!

THE HARBOR No trip to Sydney is complete without a boat cruise on the world’s most beautiful harbour, but few visitors realise it’s also the world’s largest harbour with more than 90 bays, 20 beaches and 3 national parks. And did we mention the wildlife? Sydney has its own colony of resident fur seals and fairy penguins, as well as hosting over 40,000 humpback whales who pass by the harbour’s entrance on their annual migration along the east coast of Australia.

Bec. x

secluded national park waterways and stop off for a swim or beach picnic.

Before Covid led to the closure of Australian borders, My Sydney Boat was working with all the leading 5 star Sydney hotels and hosting high profile visitors like Tony Robbins and Tom Hanks, but like every tourism operator in recent times the company has had to pivot its business and focus on local clients. “Covid may have been a blessing in disguise for us” Local charter company My Sydney Boat began says owner Dalgleish … “there’s four million trading three years ago with the intention to Sydneysiders living within 10 kilometres of show international visitors all those special the harbour and only a fraction of them own places that only the local boaties know about. a boat, so we’re now showing local families Owner Mark Dalgleish bought a high powered and interstate visitors that there’s far more to 37’ sports cruiser that could whisk guests to the Sydney Harbour than its famous landmarks far reaches of the harbour quickly, or out offlike the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. shore safely to watch the whale migration. His And when international borders finally re-open chic Scandinavian boat can also land right on we’re definitely going to need a second boat!” the beach, enabling guests to explore Sydney’s

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Whale watching on Sydney harbor with My Sydney Boat


THE SHOPPING Words By Natalia De Martin Sydney is full of talented local designers and gorgeous unique boutiques. A few of my must visit fashion stops include the divine pale pink store, Desordre located on South Darling Street, Darlinghurst. They stock some of Australia's best labels such as Christopher Esber, Toni Maticevski and Michael Lo Sordo. It is your one stop shop for the ultimate party dress. Double Bay is also home to some of the best designer labels. Check out Alinka jewellery on Transvaal Avenue which is lined with the most perfect gingerbread house style boutiques. Australian brand Alinka has created a luxurious range of diamond jewellery with an edgy feel to them. From unique ear-cuffs to black diamond ring bars, this monochromatic boutique is a true gem. For all your International high end designer brands the Iconic Cosmopolitan Shoes is your go-to destination for that luxe piece your wardrobe deserves. With exclusive rights to European brands such as Alexandre Vauthier and Redemption. This designer boutique will ensure no-one else will be wearing that special item to your next fabulous event.

Fashion & Celebrity Stylist Natalia De Martin

The Intersection in Paddington has an impressive array of boutiques and has been labeled the style destination for top Australian fashion brands such as Zimmermann, Scanlan Theodore, Dion Lee, Camilla and Marc and more, many who are Ethical Clothing Australia accredited. Tucked away from the infamous Oxford Street. This small strip is home to the who’s who of homegrown talent recognised on the global fashion map. A must visit for every fashionista! Crossing over the bridge to Mosman and you will find the charming Mode Sportif, which carries an array of local and international brands. One in particular which is really having a moment, Aussie label Bondi Born. The brand carries an ongoing commitment to uncompromising quality, ethical production and sustainability, with each garment being crafted with love in Sydney. They are also committed to donating at least 1% of their annual sales to environmental related nonprofits. ■

Transvaal Avenue Double Bay, Rose Lamond / Shutterstock.com 91 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


THE BEACHES Words By Micahel Teh

Locals know how to avoid tourist traps and they know the hidden gems that most tourists miss when visiting their hometowns. When it comes to my beautiful hometown, Sydney in Australia… even the tourist traps like the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb and Bondi Beach are really worth a visit… the first two for their unique architecture and incredible views, and the latter for the coastal walk, Bondi Icebergs pool, the beach, café and restaurant culture, not to mention the people watching. As much as I love Bondi, and while it has its own beauty from different angles, it is probably the most built-up, urban beach in Sydney (and quite possibly Australia), with a lot of unappealing architecture and many less trees around it, compared to other Sydney beaches. For those looking for more natural, tree-lined beachscape beauty, one has to explore the slightly more distant suburban beaches. Most visitors to Sydney, sadly miss its most beautiful ones, my favorite being three of the northern-most: Bilgola, Whale and Palm Beaches. These are worth at least a day trip, if not a few day escape.

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Bilgola Beach is a tiny one, set in a gully with a sub-tropical microclimate and the palm trees to match. Whale Beach, with a headland that supposedly looks like a whale… is the beach I summered at as a child, staying at a great aunt and uncle’s (and like most Aussie kids, nearly drowned at multiple times over the years, being “dumped” on bigger surf days :). And last but not least… the focus of this article… Palm Beach. Located about an hour and a quarter drive north of the city’s CBD (downtown), Palm Beach, Sydney’s northern-most surf beach, is completely unique. It is set on a narrow peninsula, a long spit of sand, reaching north to what was once (probably millennia ago) the rocky island of Barrenjoey. Atop this cliff-lined outcrop sits a lighthouse marking for ships and yachts, both the rocks and the entrance to Broken Bay – the beautiful, tree-lined harbor, a flooded river valley and estuary that marks the northern edge of suburban Sydney. This peninsula is blessed to have both a long surfing beach (with waves) – Palm Beach - on the eastern side of the peninsula, and a protected, flatwater side and beach on the western or Pittwater side - Pittwater being that part of Broken Bay. The leafy, southern end of Palm Beach is often referred to as Kiddies Corner, as it is seasonally

Palm Beach Penninsula, RugliG/ Shutterstock.com


Pittwater Palm Beach, Godron Bell/ Shutterstock.com

frequented by families with small kids, and is often a little more sheltered by the headland there. Like many of Sydney’s beaches it features an ocean-fed, ocean-side swimming pool carved into the rocks, and is surrounded by multi-million dollar mansions, their trees and gardens and a couple of exclusive clubs. This part of the orange-sand beach offers beautiful views east towards the Tasman Sea (this part of the South Pacific =) and northern views down the long beach to the lighthouse atop Barrenjoey. This end of the beach can get busy with during the Summer school holidays, especially on warm weekends during and around this season, as most of the houses - nestled in the eucalypt and sub-tropical forest or gardens in this northernmost suburb - are the second homes, the beach houses of Sydney’s wealthy elite. However, if you visit, say, during a still warm weekday in March (perhaps the best time to go, when the water has had all Summer to warm up), you could have much of the beach to yourself. If you’re not into surfing, boogie boarding or bodysurfing, or after a swim, I recommend (grabbing your refillable water bottle and) walking north along the surf beach to where it’s less crowded. You’ll pass a few more folk near the second, North Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club (where they shoot the Aussie soap opera Home & Away – this area is after all, the mythical Summer Bay), but then you’ll often have much of the beach to yourself, as you walk to the beach’s northern corner, under Barrenjoey’s cliffs. There’s a big sand dune there to climb, and a hidden path through the bush westward, over the narrow spit to Pittwater, the flatwater side. If you can’t find the path, cross at the northernmost beach parking lot on the spit.

Flatwater folk (perhaps those who prefer the Mediterranean :) can avoid the waves on this side of the peninsula, on another long beach, great for stand-up paddle boarding, swimming and all the other water sports that don’t require waves. You’ll spy many sailing boats enjoying the safe harbor, calmer waters and enjoy the view west across the water to beautiful sparsely populated green forests, on the other side of Pittwater. This is a great place to picnic at sunset. On the northern end of the Pittwater side, you’ll also find a rocky path that allows one to hike up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse, and perhaps the highlight of your visit, the stunning 360-degree views of the Hawkesbury River, Palm Beach, Pittwater, the Tasman Sea and other beaches across Broken Bay. Once you hike back down, one can walk south along the flatwater beach to The Boat Shed for a pricey, but delicious Aussie brekky (breakfast) or lunch. And a bit further south, over a little rise on the road, you’ll find a few Pittwater shops, restaurants and a wharf. When you’re leaving the area, take this road on the Pittwater side south back towards the city center, as it’s very picturesque, as you’re driving through a forest on a hillside with glimpses of the water. Just south of Pittwater (and Palm and Whale Beaches) is the town of Avalon. Here you’ll find many more restaurant and café options. I hope you enjoy this more chill, beautiful part of Sydney as much as I do. You can always put on your party pants and head back to Bondi when you feel like socializing again . ■

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THE DINING Words By Bec Doyle Nestled in the trendy Sydney neighborhood of Surry Hills, Mark & Vinny’s is the restaurant Sydney has been waiting for. Slightly behind the curve when it comes to vegan cuisine, Sydney is not bustling with tons of plant based options. I spoke with Vince Pizzinga, of Mark & Vinny’s, and he explained how they intend to change that. While living in LA, Vince says his eyes were opened to the possibilities vegan cuisine had to offer, and credits his first visit to Cafe Gratitude as a catalyst to his interest in plant based food. “One day I had this idea that I wanted to give vegans the experience of having eggs on toast. It was really as simple as that.” Well Vince, we vegans thank you for it! After discovering a process called reverse spherification that was widely used by chef ’s, Vince says he ordered some equipment on Amazon and prototyped the very first vegan egg! After sharing this idea with restaurateur Mark Filippelli, Mark was all in, and two years later the pair opened their first restaurant together - Matcha Milkbar, a completely plant based restaurant, and it was a huge success! In their latest venture, Mark & Vinny’s, the pair sought to bring all they had learned and developed at Matcha Milkbar to a pasta bar! They innovatively include nutrient rich ingredients in their dishes, particularly their pastas like their spirulina linguine, or activated charcoal pasta found in their Lasagne Vegana. “Spirulina is just this incredible ingredient, it's a high potency form of protein, astronauts use it.” With their menu changing seasonally the possibilities are endless. Vince says they like to keep the menu new and exciting for their regular customers and give their chefs the opportunity “to stretch their legs and be creative.” Vince also says that using seasonal produce is extremely important to them. Local, fresh produce is always going to taste better than something that's travelled thousands of miles. “Not to mention the amount of resources it takes to ship ‘a blue-

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Vince Pizzinga, photographed by Glenn Nutley, inside Mark & Vinny’s

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Popular plant based starter, Fiora Di Zucca

berry’ from continent to continent.. It’s part of a bigger problem that we have in modern society, that we demand that all things are available all the time.”

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Offering an 80% plant based menu, vegans and non-vegans alike frequent the restaurant, and that’s no accident. We all have that friend who thinks vegan food is gross, without really knowing anything about it. Mark and Vinny’s has succeeded in introducing plant based dishes to non-vegans in a very unobtrusive way. Vince says many of their customers are surprised to learn that the majority of their dishes are vegan. “All of our starters are vegan, so people come in, even if they’re not vegan and order a starter and realize, without even knowing it, that they are eating something delicious. It's a really powerful tool to dispel any preconceptions they might have had of vegan food being boring or tasteless. So you’ve converted this person into having a whole new outlook.”

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Vince describes the Charcoal Bucatini as the standout dish of the restaurant. “The idea was that we wanted to have a pasta carbonara on the menu, my favorite Italian dish, but we wanted to make it plant based. In place of the emulsion that you would normally get in a pasta carbonara, which would normally be made from a real egg yolk and parmesan cheese, we make it out of cashew cream and serve the vegan egg on top of the pasta,” - with smoked mushroom pancetta as their clever alternative to the classic recipe. Mark and Vinny’s feature a Gnocchi special and pasta special, which are rotated seasonally. When one is vegan the other is not. At present they offer an insanely delicious Vegan Gnocchi with pumpkin seeds and a soy milk ricotta, made fresh everyday by head chef Nicole Coelho, who is also vegan. This delicious, fresh vegan ricotta, is also featured in their Fiora di Zucca, stuffed zucchini flowers, another highlight from their plant based selection of starters.


Although known for their delicious pastas, there are a few other items on the menu that would be criminal not to indulge in. Yes I’m talking about dessert. Their vegan Orange Blossom Panna Cotta paired with dehydrated fruits and persian fairy floss, and vegan Apple Crostata are a highlight for any vegan usually starved for after-dinner dolce options. It's also worth noting Mark and Vinny go that extra mile and ensure they feature vegan wines on the menu, including the Nunc Pinot Noir from Victoria, 5452 Watervale Riesling and Tarot Prosecco, both from South Australia.

Orange Blossom Panna Cotta

So if you’re in Sydney, or plan on visiting this glorious city, and you're looking for an incredible dining experience that you can enjoy with a group of friends, regardless of food preference, Mark & Vinny’s is the answer. And who knows the experience might just enlighten your non-vegan friends to the delectable world of plant based cuisine. ■ Vegan Gnocchi Special with Pumkin Seeds & Soy Milk Ricotta

vegan Apple Crostata

Charcoal Bucatini, Mark & Vinny’s vegan take on the Classic Carbonara 97 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


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y t u a e B

Sexy Summer Hair

The must-have prodcuts & Styles for beachy vacay hair

SUMMER BEAUTY EDITION 21

BEAUTIFUL BUSHY BROWS How to achieve enviable perfectly defined brows

Lash Lifts Ditch the falsies and enhance your own natural lashes

Clear & Brilliant

The go-to Hollywood Facial for gorgeous glowing skin

ALLI SIMPSON Beauty S tarts From Within


ALLI SIMPSON Photographer: Glenn Nutley @thecontentcollective Make-up & Hair Stylist : Michael Brennan @michael_brennan Wardrobe Stylist : Natalie Jacobson @natjacobson_ Words by : Bec Doyle @becdoyle_

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F

or Aussie model and actress Alli Simpson growing up in the public eye had its perks and downfalls. Moving to LA at a young and impressionable age, Alli’s early teens were spent on the road touring with her brother Cody, thrust into the fast paced and exciting world of the entertainment industry. Her close family and core values aided Alli in navigating what can at times be a harsh industry. Alli has stayed true to herself and is happier than ever living and working in Australia, after a decade of living in LA. In what was supposed to be a temporary move, work brought Alli back to her roots in Australia in 2019, and the timing could not have been better. With the pandemic just around the corner Alli felt lucky to be home with her family during the crazy times of 2020. Now in a relationship with Real Estate Agent, Mitchell Lambert and buying and renovating their first home together, Alli couldn't be happier, living just a short walk away from her family on the Gold Coast. With lots of exciting projects on the horizon including her first feature film “Death Link” set for release later this year, Alli remains grounded and strives to use her presence on social media to be a positive role model. Growing up in LA and in the spotlight, constantly having her hair and make up done, a full face of makeup and perfectly styled hair was a daily occurrence, which led to her feelings of inadequacy. Once masking her insecurities with make-up, she now see’s beauty as having confidence and a strong sense of self, and make-up as more of a tool to enhance natural beauty, rather than mask it. “I felt like I was always wearing makeup and wearing a lot of it, coming back here, and just getting older, I realize I feel a lot better when I'm wearing less,” Alli says. Exuding natural beauty, and living a healthy active life, the

gorgeous model and actress believes beauty starts from within. With gorgeous skin and enviable looks Alli shared some of her go-to products and beauty secrets with us, just in time for summer! Q. What is beauty to you? A. True beauty to me comes from the inside-out. Coming from personal experience with this I always look and feel more beautiful on the days I am feeling happy on the inside. As I have always been attracted to other individuals that exude confidence, and I find that always comes from a sense of comfortability in oneself. My favourite quote when it comes to beauty is by Audrey Hepburn and that's; "For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” Q. When do you feel most beautiful? A. I feel the most beautiful doing things that I love. Coming out of the ocean after a surf or a swim. Running to epic music on the treadmill. Getting dressed up and going to dinner with the girls. Surrounding myself with people who I’m closest with and love me for me! This is a genuine conclusion I have come to since moving back home to the Gold Coast, from my past 10 years growing up in Los Angeles. It’s a sense of grounding. I used to think I felt the most beautiful when I was saturated in makeup, hair extensions, fancy clothes etc. but as I’ve grown older I found that I was probably using more makeup than I should have, as I felt I was masking my insecurities. So I always feel the most beautiful now when I’m internally happy and feeling my healthiest. 103 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Q. You’re a beauty ambassador for Garbo & Kelly, what do you love about the brand, and what are your go-to products? A. I swear by Garbo & Kelly’s brow products! Especially the cool blonde brow powder & brush. My brow game leveled up as soon as I started using it. My ultimate fav product is the Masked of Illumination Kit. The best highlight palette ever. My 3 fav & go-to lip kit colours are Encore, Obsession & London. So chic. Q. Are sustainable/ cruelty free/ vegan products important to you? A. Absolutely! That’s why I love Garbo & Kelly so much. Q. What beauty product could you not live without? A. I’d say waterproof mascara! Amazing for the beach & chill lifestyle I’m living at the moment. Q. You often do your own makeup for shoots and red carpet events, have you always loved makeup? Are you self taught? A. Growing up in sport in Australia I wasn’t much of a makeup girl when I was young but in my last few years in entertainment I’ve fallen in love with makeup! I often do my own & have learned 100 and more tips and tricks from my two favorite makeup artists Glenn Nutley & Natalie Malchev. I’ve always been comfortable doing my own now because I am in complete control & I know what suits my face. I now have my best friends wanting me to do their makeup for a night out!

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Q. What is your daily beauty and make up routine? A. On a daily I usually stick to a really light foundation or even a tinted moisturizer & focus on lip balms, blush & highlighter. To keep it really glossy, glowy, dewy and natural. Q. What’s your favorite go-to makeup look for Summer? A. Lots of bronze highlights and liquid blush across the nose and cheek bones and glossy baby pink lips! For a healthy summer glow. Q. What's a trend you’ve been loving and wearing recently? A. Two trends I’m in love with lately are stained lips & dewy skin. So not super defined and heavy just a light lip oil with pigment that just stains them with natural colour. Dewy skin meaning just a light coverage but not matte. So super glowy and wet looking. Keeps you looking healthy and natural. Q. Have you had any makeup/beauty blunders? A. I've been pretty lucky to not have any makeup/beauty blunders over the years except for maybe wearing a little too much sometimes. Q. Who is your ultimate beauty icon? A. My ultimate beauty icon has and always will be my mum Angie! She has taught me so much over the years about beauty, fashion, grace, class & makeup. She inspires me everyday! ■


Alli wears Chanel Earrings, Necklace by La Bribe & La Blonde, Rings By Rosark. Sisley Paris Rose Infusion Creme. Ultraceuticals Ultra Hydrating facial mist, Georgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation Georgio Armani Power Fabric Concealer, Cheeks : Sisley Photo-Blush Twist “01 Petal”, Lips : Charlotte Tilbury Hyaluronic Happikiss “Enchanting Kiss” Mascara : Iconic London Triple Threat, Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise “Copper Sunrise”, Eyebrows: Amy jean Micro stoke pencil “Blonde 01”


THIS PAGE: Alli wears Hat by Lack of Colour, Chanel Earrings, Cuffs by Roseark. Charlotte Tilbury Latex Love “Berry Nude”, Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette of pops, Georgio Armani Neo Nude A-Blush no.31. OPPOSITE PAGE Alli wears Necklace by Lucyfolk. Mac Cosmetics Power Kiss lipstick “Honey Love”Fenty Beauty Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick

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Alli wears Necklace by Laura Lombardi. Georgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation Georgio Armani Power Fabric Concealer, Pat Mc Grath Loose Powder, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Liner and Lipstick, Amy Jean Micro stoke pencil in “Blonde 01”, Ardelle Demi Wispies lashes, Marc Jacob Velvet Noir Majour Volume Mascara, Tom Ford Eye Colour Quad “Golden Mink” Hair (All Looks): Firstly Maximasta Thickening spray was applied to roots and mid lengths on damp hair Imperial Blowout Styling Creme applied to mid lengths and ends. Royal Blowout heat styling spray was applied to assist in the hair drying faster and creating the ultimate blowout using Dyson Pro Hair Dryer. When fully dry Dry Texturising Spray was applied to roots and mid lengths to create movement and texture. Supershine Moisturizing Creme was applied to create the ultimate shine and finish. For the first two looks the hair was kept straight and smooth . Movement was created for the second two looks using Hot Tools Curling wand 25mm

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Clear and Brilliant Karina Ritter on the go-o Hollywood facial for gorgeous glowing skin

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y name is Karina Ritter and I am a family nurse practitioner specializing in cosmetic and medical D e r m at o l o g y. I am i n c re d i b l y e xc it e d t o t a l k about my favorite topic SKIN. I thoroughly enjoy helping patients navigate through all the MANY options when it comes to their ideal skin care routine. My goal for each patient is the same - healthy, clear, beautiful skin that just glows. For the most part I tr y to keep routines ver y simple and affordable. I n my o p i n i o n , s k i n c a r e r o u t i n e s a r e n’t t r u l y complete without laser treatments. Of course there are about a million different options and choosing the right laser to invest in can seem over whelming. But I can share with you my favorite combo that works well for most skin types. Now let’s talk about that “glow”. You may have heard of Clear And Brilliant and yes the name is spot on- results are clear and brilliant skin. I love this as a year round laser (yes even in Cali summers) that has practically no downtime (minus tomato red face for on average 6 hours) and amazing results. Think of this laser as a ver y mild resurfacing, using fractional laser technology to create lots a little controlled treatment zones to help stimulate collagen, even out skin tone, help with fine lines and pore size. Of course you should talk to your provider about your skin type but in general this is a ver y

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The Skin Medix Office , Hermosa Beach CA


safe laser for almost ever yone. I treat Rosacea, acne and melasma patients w it h e x t r a c a re but s t i l l a b s o lut e l y treatable! If y o u a s k a ny of my p at i e nt s t h e y w i l l t e l l y o u I l ov e t o a d d o n IPL or Vbeam right before the Clear And Br i l liant w hen appropr iate. We g e n e r a l l y s e e am a z i n g re s u lt s a f t e r just one tre atment wit h t his comb o. The IPL really helps bring up and f l a ke of f any s u n d am a ge or brow n spots, and the Vbeam works wonders on anything red. Patients always ask how many treatments are needed and my answer is simple, it’s totally dependent on your skin, and let’s see how we look after one session. Most of my patients typically come in ever y 4-6 months for their glow which often includes a sprinkle of Botox.

When asked about the pros and cons of laser, I generally only see pros, when lasers are used wisely. However, c o s t s c a n b e a b a r r i e r t o e nt r y f or many with treatments adding up quickly. It’s important to have a game plan and initiate conversations early with patients around overall care and costs. My go a l is for EVERYONE to have amazing skin that they love, so f i g u r i ng out w h at w i l l wor k w it h i n budgets is part of my job. Thankfully I love my job and take great pride in the care and satisfaction of my patients. Of course this is a brief intro to the wonderful world of lasers so if you have more questions or interest, our office has amazing Providers and staff that can walk you through your skin journey. We’re here and ready to help get you started!

Feel free to give our office SkinMedix a call 310-374-6600 for any questions or concerns.


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Sophie’s Beauty Breakdown

By renowned celebrity Make-up Artist Normie Gonzales

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o achieve Sophie’s summer glow, I started with excellent skin prep (skincare is my everything). By hydrating the skin first, you don’t need to use as much foundation to have flawless skin. After cleansing with Kora Organics Cream Cleanser, I applied Kora Noni Bright Vitamin C Serum, followed by Summer Skin Australia Hydrating Cream. Perfect for summer as it’s a lightweight moisturizer with a velvet-matte texture. A little eye cream also goes a long way to help makeup sit well in this fragile area. So, I pressed Innisfree Intensive Hydrating Eye Cream with green tea seed, around the eyes. After allowing these products to absorb and work their magic, I then applied a smidgen of Perfect Skin Foundation by Ayu. It’s a sheer matte foundation that’s buildable. (I’m loving Ayu —not only are the products beautiful but also cruelty-free and vegan.) I created a full brow to frame Sophie’s incredible blue eyes with Anastasia from Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil in Soft Brown. After filling in her brows, I added my secret ingredient for maximum fluffiness: Mirenesse Secret Weapon 4D Lash Primer. Gently brush this through brows for instant volume. Keeping the eye look minimal, I used M.A.C Paint Pot in Layin Low. It’s peachy colour really makes blue eyes pop. I then lightly contoured with warm brown tones from Makeup By Mario Master Mattes. These tones were also added to the lower lash line for a natural definition. I applied Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara in Very Black, followed by Sweed Lashes Nikki No Lash Lashes for extra-eye-hotness. To contour Sophie’s face, I used my favourite: Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer in Hunnie Glaze 04 (it glides seamlessly onto the skin). Then for the maximum healthy-glow-effect—a splash of pink with Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Cream Blush in Petal Poppin on the cheeks, teamed with another Ayu must-have: Radiant Skin Cream pressed on cheekbones for a luminous highlight. I finished off Sophie’s sun-kissed, glamorous look with the creamy Aveda Liquid Color Balm in Camilla Rose. Perfect for luscious lips. 113 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Sexy Summer Hair C

elebrity Hairstylist David Keough, takes us through four looks to achieve sexy vacay hair this Summer. With over 40 years experience and clients including Elle Mcpherson, Miranda Kerr, Sarah Rafferty, Robin Wright, Mike Meyers, Rachel Hunter and more, this Australian born, LA based hair stylist has seen and done it all. Although not always glamorous, David says the adventure and creativity he derives from his work is what drives his appreciation for the industry. Using Sustainable and vegan friendly products David details each step to help you achieve perfect looking vacay hair to turn heads this summer.

Summer is just around the corner and I am a great believer in having fun with your hair. For me this means good texture and good products. I really don’t know any woman that doesn’t like the feeling of salt water hair. Once the hair dries it feels gritty and somewhat thicker than normal.

If you don’t have the time or access to get to the beach for a swim, then there are a couple of products that can give you that similar feel. On wet hair I like to use a golf ball size (depending on length) of R&co Highest Volumizing Mousse. Then blast it dry, throwing your head over, to get as much volume as possible.

Once dry, give the hair a bend either form a Curling iron or flat iron or one of the double or triple barrel curling irons (like The Mermade Waver). Have fun with the wave process! There are no rules, it’s about sexy texture.

To finish it off you can use a light finishing cream, like John Frieda Secret Weapon, just to tame it down a little. Dry shampoo is another product you can play with, I reccomend the R+Co BLEU Retroactive Dry Shampoo.

And who doesn’t like a good messy top knot or ponytail?! I like to leave some pieces out around the front hair line, and once you have the knot in place, the key is to pull it apart a little, to get the ideal shape.

Always have some elastics and pins in front of you just in case for ease in creating the perefct updo. Summer hair IS sexy texture.

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Model : Hanasha @hanashac Photographer: Glenn Nutley @thecontentcollective Hair Stylist : David Keough @dklahair Make-up Artist: Michael Byron @makeupartistmichael 115 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Complexion: Kevyn Aucoin The Stripped Nude Skin Tint, The Etherealist Super Natural Concealer, The Sculpting Powder, The Neo-Highlighter The Loose Setting Powder Eyes: Haus Labs “Everyday” Four-Way Eyeshadow Palette The Edge Precision Brow Pencil, Lips: Haus Labs Le Monster Matte Lip Crayon, Le Riot Lip Gloss 116 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


On slightly damp hair I prepped the hair with Prep Spray from R+Co and filled by the Park Avenue Blow out Balm. Using my Harry Josh lightweight blow dryer I created some volume using my paddle brush. I then placed the centre part, and using the Harry Josh 1.5 inch curling iron I took fairly big sections and curled away from the face. I then pinned it into place on the head and let it cool. Once cool, I then released the pins and once again I used my paddle brush to create this very beachy sexy glam look. To finish it off I used a quarter sized amount of the High Dive Moisture and shine creme by R+Co

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With Prep Spray from R+Co and filled by the Park Avenue Blow out Balm. Using my Harry Josh lightweight blow dryer I created some volume using my paddle brush. I then placed the centre part, and using the Harry Josh 1.5 inch curling iron I took fairly big sections and curled away from the face. I then pinned it into place on the head and let it cool. Once cool, I then released the pins and once again I used my paddle brush to create this very beachy sexy glam look. To finish it off I used a quarter sized amount of the High Dive Moisture and shine creme by R+Co

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119 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


For this Look I added a little of the R+Co BLEU Lifestyler Volume & Texture spray. I kept the texture from the earlier looks and went over it with a Harry Josh flat iron, to add another layer of texture. I then proceeded to whip it into a high fun ponytail, giving it the illusion of a shorter hairstyle. 120 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


With this look I placed a little R+Co BLEU Super Style Creme, which helps with fly aways and the appearance of dry hair. I Kept some of the shorter layers out around the face to create that sexy summer vibe. I then proceeded to place the hair in a very high pony tail and carefully started to wind the hair back down on itsself securing it with pins. And finally; I always like to pull the top notch apart a little just to give it that bed head look.

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MERMADE HAIR

The perfect tool to get that sexy beach wave this Summer Cre ate big , sh iny, b ou nc y, e pic w ave s in s e conds w it h t he Me r ma de Hai r 3 2 mm Profe ss iona l Wave r. T his must - have hair to ol cre ates b e a chy, b oho or g l am w ave s in s e conds , ma k ing it sup e r e as y for anyone to d o. It’s t he g ame - change r for hair – any l e ngt h or te xture. It fe atu re s e xclus ive e x t r a -l arge b ar rels , t he l arge st w ave r b ar rels on t he marke t. Simply cl amp dow n and rel e as e for inst ant , big , lush, e ven wave s . T he p e r fe c t s olut ion for b ab e s w ho st r ug g l e to c url or wave t he ir hair. It’s t he hai r to ol you didn’t e ve n k now you ne e de d. Wit h h ig h -g r a d e ion ic c e ramic b ar rels to prote c t your hair f rom u n ne c ess ar y d amage. T he w ave r w i l l s e a l c ut icl e s , inf us e moisture, el i m i nate f r iz z and c re ate shine. T he Cr imp- f re e de s ig n of Me r ma de PRO has its ow n e xclus ive de s ig n to cre ate b e aut if u l r ippl e, b oho or b e a ch wave s t hat won’t l e ave your hair w it h any cre as e s or “cr imp e d” l o ok. T he e xclus ive d e s ig n w ave s your hair 5 0 % faste r t han ot her wavers on t he marke t. C l amp your hair and hol d for 3 - 5 s e conds to c re ate a s mo ot h, luxe w ave

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Three XL barrels create big bouncy waves with the largest waver barrels on the market

Multiple heat settings to suit all hair types and looks

With Auto-shut off automatically turns off after one hour

Heat resistant soft touch handle – for easy styling + lush waves

2.5m Swivel cord and spring lever for professional use

·

Comes with Pink heat protector glove to save your fingers from any Mermade heat


The Lash Lift

Gone are the days of smudged mascara and rogue lash extensions Words By Brittany Paige @peckisme

Have you ever wished you could wake up with already curled lashes and the definition of a light coat of mascara? A lash lift can make that dream a reality for you. It’s the perfect service for that effortless glam summer look. Lash lifts have quickly become a beauty service favorite. With summer on the horizon, this service will have your lashes looking great in and out of the water with no worrying of smudged mascara! What is a Lash Lift? Essentially a perm for your lashes, this beauty ser vice curls and defines your natural lashes giving your eyes an open lifted look. The lash tint blackens the lashes root to tip which often can create a longer lash look especially for those with blonde lashes and light lash tips. How long does this service take / How long do the results last? Taking up only about an hour of your time, this ser vice will leave you with glamorous curled lashes for up to 6 - 8 weeks.

BEFORE

Is it a “One size fits all” service? Nope! A lash lift is completely customizable. You have options for tightness of curl and darkness of tint. Who are good candidates for lash lifts? Almost anyone, especially those with smaller eyes or lashes that wont hold a curl even with a lash curler.

AFTER

Brittany Paige has been in the beauty industry for 18 years. She is currently working at Inception Art Collective @inceptionartstudio in Riverside, CA, doing lash lifts, brow lamination and soon will be offering Nano Brows. Follow her on instagram for more lash lifts, brow lamination and beauty tips. 124 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


THE PROCESS STEP 1 After choosing the specific rod tailored to your eye shape and desired curl, we then adhere the lashes to the rod, carefully combing them so they’re straight and evenly spaced

STEP 2 We then carefully apply the lash lifting cream toward the root of the lashes. Duration will be determined by your lash professional based on your lash health and treatment history

STEP 3 After removing the lifting cream we then apply the neutralizer lotion

STEP 4 After removing your neutralizing lotion, the lash tint is applied to create added drama. Lash tint color and intensity can be customized during this step

STEP 5 The final step after removing and cleaning off the lash tint - is to apply a moisturizing serum that will lock in nutrients. This serum will stay on for 24 hours 125 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


CORAL REEF This season we’re all about pops of vibrant hues. So we served up four gorgeous ways to wear coral this Summer. Each look is completely mascara free - to highlight the stunning results of aLash Lift Model : Lana Cunningham @_lordxlana_ Photographer: Greg Levitt @greglevittphotography Makeup Artist: Brittany Paige @peckisme Editor : Bec Doyle @becdoyle_

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Tarte shape tape glow wand “Alight”, By Mario soft sculpt shading stick “Light Medium”, By Mario soft pop blush stick “Soft coral”, Ben Nye lipstick “Hot Coral”, Eyes: Danessa Myricks color fix “UFO”, Cozzette matte eyeshadow “Sunup”

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Tarte sh “Alight” shading By Mari “Soft Co and lip, liner sti


hape tape glow wand ”, By Mario soft sculpt g stick “Light Medium”, io soft pop blush stick oral” *used on cheeks , Eyes: NYX epic wear icks “Blue Trip”

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130 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


131 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Tarte shape tape glow wand “Alight”, By Mario soft sculpt shading stick “Light Medium”, By Mario soft pop blush stick “Soft Coral” *used on cheeks and lip, Fenty lip paint “Unattached” *used as eyeliner

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Tarte shape tape glow wand “Alight”, By Mario soft sculpt shading stick “Light Medium”, By Mario soft pop blush stick “Soft Coral” *used on cheeks and lip, Eyes: Danessa Myricks color fix “ Jellybean”


Beautiful Bushy Brows Naturally By Stevi Christine keeps it real when it comes to achieving your best brow game

M

y name is Stevi Christine, Im an award-winning celebrity brow and make-up artist with over 15 years of experience. Known for perfecting iconic natural-looking, effortlessly chic brows, and coining the term “the un-done, done brow.” I started my career as a freelance artist working for Laura Mercier, where my recognized talent soon led to working high-profile, film, music and red-carpet events. I have been featured in Glamour, OK!, Health, The Zoe Report, BYRDIE, Refinery29 and many more. I was named “Best Brow Artist in Los Angeles” for seven consecutive years in Allure magazine’s prestigious “Best of Beauty Director.” As one of LA and New York City’s most in-demand brow artists, my next step was creating the “best of eyebrows” products with the launch of my eponymous line, NATURALLY by STEVI CHRISTINE. And Now my flagship storefront sanctuary beauty boutique will be opening in Summer 2021, NATURALLY by Stevi Christine - The Boutique. “To achieve effortless perfect eyebrows, our suggestion is to see a professional to guide you through the process. You will be surprised to know you have been doing too much tweezing and/or trimming, TRUST ME. My other suggestion is DO NOT FOLLOW TRENDS. It’s cute for a rad editorial photoshoot but not for everyday beauty. Sorry, not a fan of the unibrow or the overfilled brow with highlight (plus you remember the overly tweezed trend in the 90’s that left so many with regret). I prefer soft, uplifting, naturally enhanced and perfectly full brows, to compliment your face and eye shape. You never want your brows to walk in before you do, and I see that so much now with all these brow trends - the brow lamination sticking straight up (which we WILL be doing at the boutique but a personally crafted version - not the surprised up to your hairline look). Everything we do is created just for you! I’ve been working closely with our Lead Artist, Matthew Bour, who’s not only a talented eyebrow artist, but also a skincare guru. For our beautiful model Hettielly, Mathew tweezed, shaped and suggested a shade lighter brow product then her natural hair color. We both felt her brows were a bit too dark for her face. As you see we left her brows full and naturally filled in. To lighten we used the Naturally by Filler in Light (lightly throughout) and to define the arch we used Naturally By Definer in Light. For her beauty I wanted soft yet sultry. So I created a bronzey, soft smokey look. Since her brows were just done, I wanted to keep the accentuation to her eyes. Giving her an elongated cat liner. And a just kissed lip look. ■ 134 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


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PHOTOS BY @GREGLEVITTPHOTOGRAPHY MODEL @HETTIELL Y


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Skin Prep: Sk-11-Essence, Agustinus Badar moisturizer, Kate Somerville Line Release, Fresh lip balm. Complexion: Laura Mercier Primer, Giorgio Armani Foundation, Cle De Peau Concealer, Hourglass Blush/ Highlight, NATURALLY BY Brow products, Too Faced Eyeshadow Pallet, By Terry Hyaluronic Setting Powder, Charlotte Tibury Mascara, Kat Von D Eyeliner


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Adelaide wears Dos Gardenias


S UMMER G LOW

Words By Andie Lane Photo by @greglevittphotography

Ev e r y o n e w a nt s b e au t i f u l t a n n e d glowing skin for summer, I mean we really want that perfect tan all year round! But as the days get longer and warmer we want to hit the beach and the pool looking like we’ve already spent a week on a tropical vacation! Attaining that perfect sun kissed look should not mean hours of exposing your skin to harmful UV rays and sun damage. The days of laying in the sun and baking not only your skin, but your organs, in a tanning bed should be way behind you.

I’m A n d i e, I h ave a m obi l e spr ay tanning business in Los Angeles and I am also a certified makeup artist. I’ve been in the tanning industry for 16 years, focusing pr i m ar i l y on my m o bi l e s pr ay t an n i ng business for the last 6 years. After years of experience, and bottles and bottles of solutions, I’ve discovered the perfect natural tan with clean pro duc ts do es exist. Not only do I want you to feel confident in your skin but I want you to feel confident in the products I am using. While there are hundreds and hundreds of tanning products on the market, not all are created equal. You CAN get a spray tan that is customized to your needs and likes! The sunless industry has come a long way from orange, smelly and sticky spray tans. Many companies now carry solutions made with organic products, paraben free, vegan, cruelty free, nut free and scentless! Spray tanning not only instantly gives you that golden bronzed glow you’re looking for, it is also the safest choice to protect your skin. I don’t know how many clients I have

seen that have had cancerous moles or skin spots removed. Everyone’s biggest regret is always the years they spent in the sun and in tanning beds unprotected from harmful UV rays. One of the most important things to remember when getting a spray tan is that it does not protect you from the sun, you still need to wear your SPF! Did you know that having 5 or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma? Don’t be fooled just because that sunburn turns into a nice tan, you’re still doing so much damage to your skin in the process. It’s not one shade fits all when it comes to spray tanning. Hair color, eye color, the color of your veins and if you tan naturally in the sun can all play a role in customizing a blend that is right for you. Also the time of year, seasons, a special occasion or event can also determine how much color a client wants or needs. Make sure you take the time to talk to your technician about any concerns or questions you might have regarding color, pre or post care and any skin sensitivities. Spray tan artists are in the business to make you feel beautiful and confident. I t a ke pr i d e i n k now i ng my cl i e nt s are provided with the best clean products and top of the line equipment. I strive for a quick, comfortable, easy and hopefully fun experience when you’re in my tanning tent. Many of my clients have become my friends, and friends take care of friends. Drink your water, wear that SPF, look at the ingredients on beauty labels and have a bronzed and glowy summer! ■ 139 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Bosso Beauty

THE STORY OF A BEAUTY ENTREPRENEUR Words By Kimberley Bosso

Vera Wang, Ariana Huffington, Julia Childs. What do these successful women and I have in common? We all began our careers later in life and were unwavering in the belief that success was ours for the taking and your mindset is everything that determines your success. I knew myself at an early age because I’ve always been innately deep in my thoughts and analytical about, well, just about ever ything. I’m a Scorpio. I studied myself, my idiosyncrasies, my tenacity, my manners, my social skills, the way people perceived me. And it didn’t stop with me. I studied people. I studied their stories fascinated by their journeys, their adversities, always inspired, always curious, always learning. You can damn well say I was an analyzer and was intrigued by success stories and powerful women, one being Madonna. I studied everything about her and learned the ways of the streets when I left home as a teen to make my way cross country to grab what was mine. And she was my main strength. At that time, as a young girl, she was all I had due to unfortunate circumstances. What I didn’t know was that I’d end up running a successful five entity makeup business in Beverly Hills. But, who does when they’re climbing up the ladder not knowing exactly where their ambitious journey is going, but just riding high on the adventures of life? I did know though that I’d do something in t he ar ts and enter t ainment f ield and live in California. That was certain. There was nothing else for me. I just knew no matter what I did, I had to enjoy my work, be around creative and successful people and the money would follow. 140 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04

As a young girl growing up on the East coast, I studied dance and piano at an early age and fell in love with both. Anything to do with music had my heart. Entering high school, I chose a vocational one where I was able to study theater arts 3 hours a day and spend less time on the “banal” subjects. I mean I knew I wasn’t going to be an entrepreneur so why give math that much effort. Oh if I knew then what I know now! Ha! I became THAT entrepreneur. (Kids, learn your math!! You will need it at some point if you plan to make 7 figures on your own) So, what’s my secret to success? I’ll take ya back about 12 years ago when my then French boyfriend (aka Frenchie) went back to Paris after almost 4 years of being together, and horrifically my dog of 15 years died that same month. It hit me hard and my world came crashing down. It was then I had a breakthrough. I needed to get up off my ass and not let these tragic moments determine my outcome. It’s typically through adversity when the amazing “turns” happen in my life. C orners I turn that I can never go back. Check this out…I was already a makeup artist with some celebs under my belt. How did I get those? I’ll make this short and say a photographer working for Popstar Magazine called me on the fly finding me on Google when Google was just a wee baby then and it spiraled from there. But back to my point… I was done cr ying and boohooing over what I lost and decided I need to take life by the balls again, like I did before


the Frenchie smashed his croissant into my Hollywood heart. So, I placed a tiny ad on of all places Craigslist! Yes, Craig was my new loyal boyfriend making sure to keep me focused on my rise to success. Back then “Craig” wasn’t as seedy as it is today. Actually, I didn’t place just one ad, but many, in various different states across the US. I had a strategy up my sleeve. I’d get so many people intrigued that they’d click on my link in the ad leading to my website KB oss o.com and I’d gain tons of t raf f ic to my site. Yes! I was doing Search Engine Optimization (aka SEO) by default before it was even a thing. I was way ahead of the game already. Afterall, it was just me and two other makeup artists on the front page of Google back then, but I soon dominated and was the pioneer of intensive makeup courses. There was no other in the early 2000’s. My ad read: Want to become a C eleb Makeup Artist? Ever dream of working behind the scenes in movies and editorial or high-end weddings in Hol ly wo o d? G et ma keup cer t if ie d by Celebrity Makeup Artist Kimberley Bosso, just steps from CBS studios where American Idol and Dancing with the Stars are filmed. 4 Inte ns ive D ay s . Ma x i mu m 4 s tu d e nt s accepted. Taught by Celeb MUA. $2499.00

educational makeup course that I believed that could set anyone up with being a success in the makeup field. I could do this. S h e s h owe d up Mon d ay l ay i ng an e nvel op e on my c of fe e t abl e i n my one bedroom bungalow style apartment in Weho and we went to work. I gave her my blood sweat and smiles, (because with me there’s never tears), making sure she knew the ins and outs of the makeup world and all I have learned on my path thus far. She called me up months later to tell me how grateful she was and that she moved back to Texas, got married and opened her beauty business that she was always wanting to pu rsu e. Sh e a c tu a l ly u s e d t h e word s “Thank you for teaching me and setting me up for success.” B o om. That was it. I k ne w w hat I needed to do. Educate people. Help them. Set them up. There was something to this. Something bigger. ►

Edit, click, post! It was live. I went to bed. The next morning, I got a call from a girl that told me her passion was makeup and she despised being a reality star agent at a very prominent agency in BH, and she wanted to take my course and asked when the next one was. I told her, “next week” and after answering all her questions and giving her my history and leading her to my website, she decided she was taking the course. We hung up. I was excited and panicked at the same time. Shit! I didn’t have a curriculum put together! I worked the next 72 hours barely sleeping until I had a solid 30 hour extremely

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Fast forward to a few years later, I got students calling me from all around the U.S., and then the word spread internationally. Ya gotta remember, these are the days before Instagram and the ver y start of Facebook, so people found me word of mouth or from blogs that students who graduated from my course were writing. At one point, I had so many Aussies’ enrolling that I started calling everyone mate for about a month. LMAO! I s o on re a l i z e d my wor t h and how my popularity and knowledge was of great value, so my price doubled and I added a 6 day intensive for triple that, that included business and marketing and more extensive airbrush education.The gates were wide open and people were flooding in. Life was good. But there was another area of makeup I was curious about. Fashion week. I wanted to work on a team. I called up an old colleague in Milan and I was able to finagle my way in to work Dolce Gabbana with my friend. Voilla! That was it for me. That insatiable mix of fashion and beauty. More please! From then to the present day, I’ve lead my team(s) (17+ of my graduates) on fashion weeks in Paris, LA, and New York and still counting. Being lead is crazy fun, exhilarating, draining AF, thankless, and yet fulfilling, but I’d do it again and again bc I love the rush and satisfaction when the week is done and you see the footage and how everyone as a team

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(directors, hair, makeup, designers, models) all came together to create such eye pleasing entertainment. S ome w here in b et we en a l l of t his I had a baby boy and couldn’t get enough of motherhood. Hands down the best time of my life, so I decided to slow down and absorb all I could of fleeting toddlerhood. No regrets. My heartbeat. God knows, I didn’t want to have a Steve Jobs mentality and miss what was important. You have to know when more is enough because my “more” was/is Brooklyn Rome. He fulfilled every part of me. Slowing down is good and necessar y. I turned the volume up inside of me and said he’ll be older before ya know it so take it all in now. Beauty isn’t going anywhere. Just like sex drugs and rock and roll. Eternal. I’ll go back when the time calls. Well, time whispered, when Brooklyn was about 4 years old. I got the inspiration from the heavens and decided to launch my very own makeup line called BOSSO Makeup Beverly Hills. Vegan formulas were my goal from the start and now over half of my line is Vegan. So proud of that! In my career, I achieved designing a successful makeup course in Los Angeles/ B everly Hills that was recognized globally along with a second course in Florida. I had publicists and managers calling me to work with the likes of Marissa Tomei, Matt Damon, Paul


not your average makeup how-to book. It’s so much more. So much deeper with trials and tribulations. When my brain isn’t swirling in beauty, I still love to sit at the piano dabble in singing/ songwriting and teach my son about the arts, travel, business, Broadway, the French language and culture (thanks Frenchie), love, life, and letting go of any fear he’ll inevitably encounter at random and not so random moments in his life. McCartney, Taryn Manning, and Al Pacino. I had mentions in Magazines like Instyle, Women’s Health, New Beauty, Wedluxe, LA Confidential, Basic, and international features on me in the Spanish and Chinese Fashion Magazines Imagen y Belleza, and International Pheonix, and repeatedly invited to be a Beauty E x p e r t on t e l e v i s i on s h ow s s u c h a s T h e Doctors (Paramount) and Home and Family (Universal), was the national spokesperson for Ultherapy upon its launch.

S o, my entrepreneurial advice? Take big chances, hustle tirelessly, stay optimistic, chuckle at the naysayers, read as much as you can, listen to the wise ones, roadblocks are temporary, find your tiny trustworhty squad, keep them close, lift everyone up around you, meditate, envision, smile, manifest, and go fucking crush it out there! ■

But, I couldn’t resist the next offer made to me by one of my graduates from Hong Kong. I made an international deal with a b e aut y store ( Arg us ) i n Hong Kong t hat carried only American beauty brands. My first export deal. BOSSO Makeup Beverly Hills was overseas. Just. Like. That. More notoriety came with news spots such as Fox and NBC, (and many more) and recently during Covid, BBC News invited me to discuss the pandemic and how it’s affected the beauty industry as a whole. During 2020 when the California governor shut us all down, I created online makeup classes that became an instant hit, and made other deals of interest outside of beauty. My latest venture after the slowdown of 2020, is going 100% vegan with the BOSSO makeup line. As of now, our contour, blush, eyeshadows, concealers, glosses, HD powder, and face primer are vegan. I’ve also started writing my long overdue beauty stor y. It’s 143 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


B ODY S CULPTING

Working out tirelessly but not seeing results? Body Sculpting could be the answer to help achieve the shape you’ve been striving toward. Iayasha from Framework Body Sculpting breaks down the treatments. Iaysha Samad, Founder of Framework B ody S culpting, is on the forefront of redefining beauty i n a c o m mu n i t y t h at i s h e l p i n g wome n u nd e rst and t hat phy s i c a l health is more than just a number on a scale. Iaysha has been in the beauty industr y for over 11 years, sp e cia lizing in hair and ma keup, her work has been featured in American Salon Magazine, B each L aunchpad, California Weddings, and more. Framework Body Sculpting is located in Long B each, California and offers cutting edge fat reduction and anti aging ser vices. Body sculpting is a collection of n on - s u r g i c a l pro c e du re s t h at remove stubborn fat deposits. The c o m b i n at i o n o f b o d y s c u l p t i n g ,

healthy eating habits, and an a c t ive l i fe s t y l e a l l ow s wom e n to reach their body goals faster than t h rou g h d i e t and e xe rc is e a l one. As a l ice ns e d and ce r t if ie d b o dy s c u lpt i ng s p e c i a l i s t , Iay s h a u s e s non-invasive methods to enhance your natural beauty from the inside out . Whe t he r you are l o ok i ng to p e r m an e nt ly t arge t f at c e l l s , l i f t s a g g y / l o o s e s k i n , or re du c e f i n e lines, she has you covered. Iaysha treats her patients using ultrasound c av i t at i o n , r a d i o f r e q u e n c y, l i p o l a s e r, a n d w o o d t h e r a p y. T h e s e m o d a l it i e s h ave b e e n te ste d an d prove n to b e e f fe c t ive i n s e ve r a l medical studies. All of these treatments are so non-invasive that they have zero down time and can be done before or after a work day.

Wood therapy tools 144 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Ultrasound cavitation is a non-invasive treatment that uses sound waves to break down fat cells. This allows you to target those “difficult to lose” areas of your body and has shown to accentuate your natural curves by significantly reducing your waistline. This can be combined with radiofrequency skin tightening that uses heat and energ y waves to stimulate the production of collagen. Iaysha also offers wood therapy to reduce cellulite, increase blood flow, and help contour the shape of your body. As a female entrepreneur and single mother, Iaysha strives to empower the women around her. She has a passion for helping women reach their health goals and to help them feel comfortable in their own skin. She believes that beauty comes in all frames. No matter the shape, size, or tone.

Iyasha Samad leading a body sculpting workshop

Before and After of Framework Body Sculpting Client

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B EAUTIFYING F OODS

Words By Vanna Rasmusen

Have you heard of the phrase, “Put your money where your mouth is”? Why throw away half your paycheck on temporary beauty solutions, when you can pick up authentic beauty enhancers at a p l a c e y o u v i s i t r e g u l a r l y. . . t h e grocery store.

Next time you are strolling through the local market, realize that you are selecting your cellular makeup. An investment that will determine how much energy you will have, influence your mood and give you that “just left the spa glow” better than any product or p r o c e d u r e , i f y o u c h o o s e w i s e l y. After all, eating and drinking are two things that we must do every d a y, w h y n o t l e a r n e x a c t l y h o w t o d o this to our greatest advantage? Everyone knows that drinking (1/2 your body weight in oz.) water helps us to purge toxin and improves our skin. There are also essential edible components, if consumed r e g u l a r l y a n d p r e p a r e d p r o p e r l y, c a n drastically improve our appearance: Vit amin A, Ant ioxid ants and Ke y Minerals. We h a v e a l l h e a r d o f t h e s e mystical molecules, let me share w h a t t h e y d o i n t h e b o d y, w h i c h foods have the most of them, and the best ways to preser ve these precious little gems in the cooking process. 146 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04

Vitamin A (beta-carotene) A main contributor to the health of o u r h a i r, s k i n , n a i l s , e y e s a n d t e e t h . This vitamin is usually associated with foods that are red, orange and y e l l o w i n c o l o r. F o o d s t h a t c o n t a i n high amounts of vitamin A include: sweet potato, winter squash, dark greens like: kale, chard and collards, turnips, carrots, red peppers, mango, cantaloupe, and grapefruit. Antioxidants These are molecules that combat oxidation (death) of a cell, known as a free radical. Antioxidants, such as Vit amin E and C, defend your body on a cellular level. Food that rank especially high in antioxidants include: black berries, blueberries, mint, oregano, basil, cinnamon, pomegranates, artichoke, avocado, walnuts, pecans, and cacao (chocolate nut). Key Minerals There are many essential minerals that play imperative roles in the b o d y. H e r e a r e t h e t o p t h r e e t h a t majorly contribute to the quality of our overall appearance: Selenium – Improves the skin by combating inflammation, soothing redness and dry skin. Found in: Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, mushrooms and green/brown lentils.


Zinc –Reverses aging, protects against the sun, helps produce col l agen and rep airs DNA. Found in: hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, lentils, cacao (chocolate nut), pine nuts, peanuts and cashews. Magnesium- Effective in reducing stress and increasing restfulness, a l l o w i n g t h e b o d y t o r e p a i r. F o u n d in: cacao (chocolate nut), avocados, almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, many seeds, basil, coconut and bananas. Raw cacao nut (chocolate) Kirlian Photography – A form of photography that captures the e l e c t r i c a l p o t e n t i a l a n d v i t a l i t y. Us i n g t h i s t e c h n o l o g y, w e c a n s e e and measure the lifeforce a food supplies.

Cacao captured by Kirlian Photography technique

If you are going to shell out the extra bucks to get high quality ingredients, do yourself a favor and protect this investment. According to the Mayo Clinic, 5 0 - 8 0 % o f o u r f o o d ’s n u t r i e n t s a r e lost in the cooking process through heat, oxidation and evaporation.

147 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


This is

H.O.W.

to protect your beauty enhancing compounds: HEAT

Turn down the heat! Resist the urge to crank up the heat when cooking. Low and slow is the way to go to keep in the goodness. Nutrients are lost rapidly when cooking temperatures exceed 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which include: frying, steaming, boiling, most baking and certainly the microwave.

OXIDATION The exposure to light and air, the nemesis to our lovely antioxidants and the cause of aging. For example, to minimize oxidation most supplement are often packaged in dark containers with a label suggesting to store in a cool, dark place. The same idea applies to food preparation and cooking. Minimizing the exposure to light and air protects the vibranc Orange Bisque y and nutritional density of food. This means cooking with a tight lid on, stirring as little as possible and a limiting the use of the oven. Note: if your food is losing color, it is losing nutrients.

WATER Often added in the cooking process to tenderize and keep foods from sticking and burning. However, if this moisture is evaporated or drained off, so are the water-soluble nutrients. To prevent this: add a minimal amount of water when cooking and keep the lid on as much as possible. Note: if you smell foods cooking, you are smelling evaporated nutrients. As you can see, beauty is an inside job. By simply choosing the right foods and preparing them with these tips in mind, you can look your best, and feel absolutely incredible! After all, we are what we eat, so eat beautifully.

For more info on tools, tips and recipes in the kitchen: @cookwithvanna Youtube: cookwithvanna 148 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Blended Beauty 1 cup frozen blueberries 1 cup spinach ¼ cup hemp seeds ¼ cup cacao powder 1 cup coconut milk 1 tbsp cinnamon Honey or dates can be added for sweetness Blend with a high speed blender until smooth.

149 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Orange Bisque 2 red/yellow bell pepper 3 medium tomatoes 1 yellow onion 4 garlic cloves 1 cup raw cashews 1 cup water 12 oz. coconut cream 1 handful of fresh basil (for garnish) salt & pepper to taste Roughly chop the veggies into 1”chunks and put them into 3-5 qt. pot with all the other ingredients. Cover & cook on medium heat, unopened for 15 minutes. Open and blend, then garnish with fresh basil.

150 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


Green Goddess Dressing 1/2 English Cucumber 1 avocado ¼ cup olive oil 2 lemons with skin removed 2 garlic cloves 1 handful of fresh herbs of choice ½ cup sunflower seeds 1 tbsp pink salt Blend in a high speed blender until smooth. Add water as needed until desired texture is achieved.

151 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


S p ec i a l t y S ummer Co c k t a i l by @CaliCraftCocktails

1 oz Lime 1/4 oz Rosemary Agave 1/2 oz Mango Puree 2 oz Tequila

Photo by @peterson.design.photo

Mango Rosemary Margarita 152 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


For our Summer Cocktail M. Citizen Magazine once again turned to the professionals at Cali Craft Cocktails, and they delivered with a twist on the classic Margarita. With a few simple ingredients you’ll be flashing mixologist moves at your next social hour. Cali Craft Cocktails is a mobile bartending company specializing in high-end, hand-crafted cocktails. All their drinks are made fresh onsite with premium, organic ingredients and nothing artificial. They have provided the bar at over 500 weddings, plus countless corporate gigs and private parties. And the best part; they bring everything to fit out the bar area including the bar itself, back bar, shelving, everything right down to the trash cans! An all inclusive, white glove service.

Why Is The Bar So Important ? The bar is the first vendor there, the last vendor to leave and the one who will be spending the MOST face time with your guests. We are on-site, until the bitter, drunken end. Getting to know your guests, making the out-of-towners feel welcome, looking out for them, developing a rapport with them throughout the night and how we make your guests feel WILL be remembered. The bar is an atmosphere, an event in itself, an experience. It is beckoning you toward it, with soft string lights, free booze and great conversation. This should be remembered and budgeted for accordingly.

Sarah Lawrence Owner/ CaliCraftCocktails

Photo by @lily_tapia_photography

153 M. CITIZEN MAGAZINE | ISSUE 04


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