mad sounds
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017
a publication for the young and daring
love & other drugs ISSUE NO. 21
photography by RILEY TAYLOR featuring LINDSEY HUGHES
mad sounds a publication for the young and daring
Giselle Melendres Editor-in-Chief, Creative Director, & Designer madsoundsmagazine@gmail.com Contributing Writers Brindy Francis, Emily Zheng, Justin Tilton, Rebecca Poole, Lea Porcelli, Penelope Mack Contributing Photographers Riley Taylor, Dillon Ivory, Riley Donahue, John Novotny, Franklin Mendez A Special Thanks To.... Lindsey Hughes, Sammi Quinn, Hillpeople Vintage, Asia Jackson, & Emma Mercury
ON THE COVER Photography by Riley Taylor Featuring Lindsey Hughes
stay rad, stay mad @madsoundsmag www.madsoundsmagazine.com @madsoundsmag
contents
photography by RILEY TAYLOR featuring LINDSEY HUGHES
introduction 009 a letter from the editor editorials 010 lucky to miss you by KATE OPRE 022 a day with t by DILLON IVORY 032 thought it was forever by AIDAN DOYLE 044 love to love you by HANNAH MINKNER written 054 fearing love by JUSTIN TILTON 058 a defense of platonic love by EMILY ZHENG 062 a nostalgia recollection by BRINDY FRANCIS features 064 Lindsey Hughes: YouTube Creator 080 Emma Mercury themessyheads.com 092 Sammi Quinn YouTube Creator 108 Asia Jackson Model, Actress, & YouTuber
photography by RILEY TAYLOR featuring LINDSEY HUGHES
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love & other drugs LINDSEY HUGHES RILEY TAYLOR This year is flying by already, and this February we thought it would be appropriate to explore the theme of love (just in time for Valentine’s Day!) However, we didn’t want to focus on only one idea of love. There’s a common misconception that romantic love is the only valid form of love, and in this special issue of Mad Sounds, we talked to four talented creatives about what love means to them. We featured Emma Mercury, Editor of themessyheads.com and The Messy Heads magazine, Sammi Quinn: an NY based YouTube creator, Asia Jackson: a Southern California based actress, model, and YouTuber, and
lastly, our cover star Lindsey Hughes, one of my favorite YouTube creators who started her channel over six years ago as Beautybaby44. As in every issue, I am extremely grateful and excited to be featuring such incredibly talented and creative people in Mad Sounds, and I cannot wait for you all to read their stories. I titled this issue Love & Other Drugs to go along with this theme of love. And this February, I hope you find the strength, courage, and inspiration to love yourself first and foremost, no matter what kind of love you choose to embrace. And with that, I hope you enjoy this February issue of Mad Sounds. Cheers!
Giselle Melendres Founding Editor-in-Chief & Creative Director
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lucky to miss you photography KATE OPRE featuring KATE OPRE & JOSHUA LANG
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photography by KATE OPRE
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a day with t photography DILLON IVORY featuring TRINITY BREE
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photography by DILLON IVORY featuring TRINITY BEE
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photography by DILLON IVORY featuring TRINITY BEE
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thought it was forever photography AIDAN DOYLE featuring KEIVEN ANDERSON & CATHERINE REEVES styling SHOP OLD GOLD
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photography AIDAN DOYLE featuring KEIVEN ANDERSON & CATHERINE REEVES styling SHOP OLD GOLD
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photography AIDAN DOYLE featuring KEIVEN ANDERSON & CATHERINE REEVES styling SHOP OLD GOLD
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photography AIDAN DOYLE featuring KEIVEN ANDERSON & CATHERINE REEVES styling SHOP OLD GOLD
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love to love you photography HANNAH MINKNER featuring SAMANTHA JAY ALLEN & HANNAH KOEHLER
photography HANNAH MINKNER featuring SAMANTHA JAY ALLEN & HANNAH KOEHLER
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photography HANNAH MINKNER featuring SAMANTHA JAY ALLEN & HANNAH KOEHLER
photography HANNAH MINKNER featuring SAMANTHA JAY ALLEN & HANNAH KOEHLER
photography HANNAH MINKNER featuring SAMANTHA JAY ALLEN & HANNAH KOEHLER
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fearing love written by JUSTIN TILTON photography by KATE OPRE You know, I like being alone. Hell, I love it most of the time. I’m allowed to go or do whatever I want because absolutely no one has a say in what I do with my life. There’s a constant feeling of self-discovery and being able to rely on myself is incredibly empowering. I know plenty of people who can’t stand the thought of being alone and thrive off of loving someone and being loved in return. That’s just not me. I could say that’s due to my natural independence or an overwhelming personal contentment, and that’s all true. But when it comes down to it, my need for solitude comes less from a desire for it than it stems from a fear of both intimacy and contentment, accompanied by overwhelming selfishness.
If friendships are hard for me then you can only imagine how ridiculous the thought of romantic love is. The idea of waking up next to someone every morning is just about the most stifling thing I can imagine. To end one day with a person and begin the next with them, with no break in-between, is something I can’t wrap my mind around, and having to involve someone in my life decisions is entirely foreign and unappealing to me. In addition, commitment issues aside: love just hurts. After getting screwed over one time, I want absolutely nothing to do with it. Eating donuts while watching Netflix seems much more appealing than allowing someone permission to stomp on my heart if they so choose.
Think about it, loving someone is continually sacrificial. Sorry to say, but neither one of those are adjectives commonly used to describe me. In the context of non-romantic love, I like to think I love and treat my friends well so long as that friendship is relegated to my convenience. As much as I may try to hide it, I always place myself first. Meaning, if my friend wants to hang out or needs to talk to me but I’m perfectly content watching Netflix for the rest of the night, you better believe I’m staying in bed watching Netflix.
With this as my mindset, I keep the friends I hang out with and girls I hook up with just far enough away to maintain my comfort and independence. It works well for me. The problem is, I can be entirely happy for 23.5 hours of the day, but I still go to bed knowing that the part of me made for loving people is entirely unequipped and unused. Let’s face it, romantic or not, loving others and receiving it in return is one of the necessities of life. Youth and independence don’t last forever and sooner or later the parties will end, I’ll find money
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doesn’t mean shit, and success is never enough. When the youthful feeling of invincibility wears off, love will be just about the only thing that lasts. You see, the problem with looking out for number one is the continual isolation of myself. Always placing myself on a pedestal and putting my desires first and foremost only distances myself from those who care about me. It’s impossible to love someone else when you’re self-absorbed. Yes, being young is a time for self-discovery and that’s often accompanied by selfishness. That’s alright, because I know there’s a time for that. The thing is, that should never come at the cost of learning how to love others. Believe me, I’m entirely aware that love is irreplaceable. I want to desire love, and I want to be able to do it well. Everyone knows that anything worth having is worth working for and I’m starting to understand the same might be true for love. For some people, I know it comes incredibly easy and it’s just a way of life. However, for me, it is exactly the opposite of what comes natural. I’ve come to realize though, love is the greatest gift of life; and, in order to experience true love, I have to learn how to give it. It will be a struggle to take the focus off of my self and place it on others, but I know the result of truly experiencing love will be much more rewarding than the safety and comfort of self-absorption.
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a defense of platonic love written by EMILY ZHENG photography by AIDAN DOYLE For most of my life, I thought that true love meant romance. A charming boy who would stroke my hair and tell me the best stories. I read romance novels until I was sick. My friends and I exchanged unrealistic yet endearing ways we could meet our first loves; they involved masquerade parties, coffee shops, and spontaneous road trips. We shared our favorite cheesy poems and dreamed of a passion that would transcend fiction. But a relationship isn’t the fix for love-seekers like me. I have seen incompatible people force attraction, the late-night cry sessions to downright pettiness. My friend laying her forehead on her desk and heaving a big, deep sigh. The desire for even faux connection can override the knowledge that we deserve better. I once asked my friend what her reasoning behind hooking-up was and she told me, “You think it’s going to be satisfying, but then...it’s not.” The bonds I’ve formed with my friends over how we’re in love with love are stronger than some relationships that claim it’s “forever.” And just because we don’t go on dates doesn’t mean we can’t cherish each other fully. It doesn’t mean we can’t tell great stories and dance at masquerade parties and create joint playlists.
Sherry has a brutal honesty that makes her my goto for oversharing. Rebecca made me realize that sometimes crazy is a wonderful thing. Katia reads all of my emails with a support that never goes unnoticed. Kate’s crazy schemes and peculiar sense of humor never fail to make me smile. Katy taught me that it’s okay to have dreams bigger than reality can hold. Heather and Clayton give me “advice” so hilarious I have cried of laughter. My friends are “the one” for me, not some boy who doesn’t understand what I mean when I assign colors to emotion. I love the spontaneous emails my friend sends me with the subjects “thoughts from a swivel chair” and “running away to Russia.” I love knowing the small details about someone, like the boy who goes on long drives at night just to see how much distance he can cover before turning back. I love the unconditional support my friends give for my off-kilter ideas. I used to see the world through a filter of black and white and now everything is bursting with color. I see my emotions shift hues, once a dark grey and now a blooming yellow. All of my friends have become even more beautiful but so have I. Yes, I have hurt but I have also stayed up until 2 AM playing mafia. I have jumped in rain puddles and cried to my friends over the phone
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and shared some secrets. I am deeply and wholly in love -- not with the boy of my dreams, but with myself, with stories, with the small wonders of life. Romantic love is powerful, but so are late-night ice cream runs with my friends. When I think about love, I no longer see passionate kisses in the rain. I see laying on my driveway to the flickering stars in the night sky. I see sloppily dancing with my friends at homecoming. I see bonds more pure than stretches of romantic relationships. The truth is I will keep loving with paper walls and dreaming of a boy who will kiss me silly. Those improbable meet cute fantasies are buried deeply into my psyche. But I am in friendships more pure than any romance novel relationship, and platonic love is real love. I don’t need a boy to rescue me. I can rescue myself. When I stumble, I’ve got my team of kickass friends to catch me. We’ve got loud spirits and a never-ending supply of comforting words. We braid each other’s hair and sneak snacks into the movie theater. We love with a passion that transcends fiction. Maybe our bond is the ultimate love story. The one where all we want is to see each other flourish. Maybe that’s all I ever wanted.
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a nostalgia recollection written by BRINDY FRANCIS photography by KATE OPRE I find myself reflecting on instances I do not necessarily long to bring back, but find that moment worth resonating with.
intensely, but toys with nostalgia more than any other.
While being content with my own present liveliness, I still reminisce on what used to be. Was it the people? The time? The moments? It feels like that scene in that film that I don’t quite understand why I like. It feels like a piece of me. I resonate certain music with certain faces and certain places. For some reason, the music is always so dreary and “hazy,” as I like to say. Routy music only brings me nostalgia, for some reason, when in public platforms. It seems as though I muse over these moments purposefully when solitary and inadvertently communally. It’s funny how music hits every emotion so
Listening to a verse of importance from a painful verse of our own strikes some sort of fondness we aren’t necessarily familiar with. Why does it feel so emotionless in the moment, but sentimental after a specific amount of instants? As time ages and molds, a recollection with a past moment, sound, or occasion ignites a sense of gut-wrenching, yet sensational feelings. It’s difficult to separate what seems to be real emotions from a recollective longing. It feels like I crave what use to be, but in reality, I crave the emotion, more or less. That verse is not a necessity. The moments we think about the most were quite possibly the most inessential.
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lindsey hughes photography RILEY TAYLOR featuring LINDSEY HUGHES interview by GISELLE MELENDRES
photography by RILEY TAYLOR @rytayy featuring LINDSEY HUGHES
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Meet Lindsey Hughes, the L.A. based YouTube Creator and internet creative whose journey started six years ago as BeautyBaby44. Originally making beauty and lifestyle videos, Lindsey found her niche through the YouTube beauty community, and found a passion in connecting with her audience around the globe. Six years later, her channel has reached even greater heights, extending to over a million subscribers and delving into video topics encouraging self-love, positivity, and unapologetically being yourself. Today we talked to Lindsey about her journey on YouTube, her favorite YouTube milestones, and her advice on love and heartbreak. Read our interview to learn more about Lindsey and the voice behind the videos.
Hi Lindsey, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us here at Mad Sounds today. To begin, can you tell us a bit about a day in the life of Lindsey Hughes? Hi! I was so happy to be asked to talk to you guys. A typical day in my life begins in my super comfy bed which is impossible to get out of, but once I finally do, I walk my dog Squirtle around downtown. Then I make a little breakfast and get ready. Typically I work a little on either editing, uploading, or emails for Youtube, and then usually I hang out with my sister Meghan most days. She lives super close to me. We like to go out to eat or hang out with our dogs. Nights I usually spend in just Netlfix-ing or chilling. That’s a typical relaxed day! You currently live in Los Angeles: do you have any favorite spots in L.A.? YES!! I absolutely love sharing my favorite spots. I’ve primarily lived in downtown LA for the past few years, so I love exploring all the restaurants and cool spots here. My favorite rooftop spot with a view and amazing drinks is Perch - it’s beautiful and also great for brunch. An incredible hidden gem that sells incredible breakfast and sandwiches is a french cafe called Madame Monsieur - also downtown. It feels straight out of Paris. And my favorite quaint spot to go for dinner is The Kitchen in Silver Lake.
Besides all the incredible restaurants, an incredible shop is Spellbound Sky - they sell a huge array of different crystals, jewelry, and other spiritual tools - even if you’re not into that, it’s a beautiful spot to check out and definitely unlike any other store I’ve been in. That’s in Silver Lake too. I also take meditation classes at Spellbound Sky and highly recommend checking them out! A secret spot you can drive up to in the hills is ‘Viso Drive’ put into your GPS. If you go there and walk quietly to the right back of the house on the hill, you can see all of LA lit up. It’s a bit hard to find if you haven’t been, but once you reach it and see the view you’ll be so happy you did! You started your YouTube channel about six years ago as Beautybaby44 making beauty and lifestyle videos; what originally made you decide to start a YouTube channel? I watched Youtube beauty gurus for a few months my freshman year of high school and became instantly obsessed and started collecting makeup. The Youtube beauty community was something niche I found that none of my friends really knew about. I made my first video in the spring of 2010 when I was 15. I just wanted to try being in front of the camera! It started very spur of the moment but once I picked up some traction and realized I
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photography by RILEY TAYLOR @rytayy featuring LINDSEY HUGHES
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was reaching people all over the world, I truly fell in love with making videos. Six years is a long time, and you’ve obviously grown and changed since first starting your channel. Can you tell us a little bit about how you and your channel have evolved over the years? I truly have changed so incredibly much! The coolest part about when I started Youtube is that it was right at the start of high school, and I made videos throughout all that: graduating high school, moving across the country to LA and starting college at FIDM, graduating college, and now living on my own. I’m 22 now and I have all those years to look back on and reflect on my life. It’s awesome to see what I was like in say, 10th grade, or to go back and see my old rooms in various apartments. But I think the best part is vlogging my traveling experiences which I do on my channel LivinLikeLindsey - being able to instantly go back and see those moments I experienced in so many different, awesome places. The biggest way I’ve evolved is by exploring and trying new things, meeting different people, and by leaving my little bubble of my small town in Georgia where I lived until I was 18. I began to know myself and now looking back I can see how independent I have become. What are some of your favorite kinds of videos to make? Vlogs are my favorite to film because they’re real and raw. I also love filming hauls or a video where I’m discussing music and festivals because that’s a huge passion in my life. Where do you find inspiration for your videos? I try to think of what my typical viewer would be able to relate to or have an interest in. Most of my audience is 18-25 year old women, so I want to appeal to them while keeping true to obviously what I want to film and talk about. :)
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As a YouTuber, you have an extremely large platform to speak to an audience. What types of messages or ideas do you hope to evoke to your viewers? What do you hope they will take away from your videos? I hope my viewers, who feel like friends to me because so many of them have been watching me for years now, can smile or laugh while watching one of my videos. I hope they watch and just know that I’m a normal twenty-something year old who is trying to figure out life just like them. I don’t ever want my videos to feel like a commercial, or something fake and not relatable. I like watching Youtubers who are real and undeniably themselves. So I like being weird and immature sometimes in my vlogs, because that’s who I am! I’m silly as fuck. I like to also empower my viewers to be their happiest selves - I feel like every day I’m getting happier and it’s a journey - there will always be ups and downs in life, but I hope my videos can bring a little joy into someone’s day. What is one of the biggest challenges of being a YouTuber? Probably worrying about if what I’m going to post is going to offend someone or make someone upset or unhappy. I always say “please don’t watch my videos if they don’t make you happy.” I don’t understand watching someone that you dislike. Why would you give them your time and attention? I’m a people pleaser so it’s hard for me to take criticism.
photography by RILEY TAYLOR @rytayy featuring LINDSEY HUGHES
photography by RILEY TAYLOR @rytayy featuring LINDSEY HUGHES
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Is there any particular moment that you feel was the most pivotal or exciting in your YouTube career thus far? What was one of your favorite memories? One of my favorite early memories was being invited fly to to San Francisco with Benefit Cosmetics when I was probably 17 - I think that was my first Youtube trip with a brand I adored, and I remember being the second-youngest of all the girls there, and getting to meet some of the Youtubers like Amarixe and Dulce Candy that I looked up to tremendously. Besides that, a combined favorite moment is every meetup i’ve had over the years - I have gotten to meet and hug thousands of my viewers who tell me their stories. I get to see their faces instead of them just seeing mine. That’s by far the most rewarding part of what I do. For our February issue of Mad Sounds, we’re talking about all things ‘love’. What does love mean to you? Love is what truly makes the world go round and keeps us going. We all need love - giving love to our friends, our pets, our family, and people we don’t even know is so important and the more love you give, the more you open yourself up to receive. Self-love is definitely as important as romantic love; what do you think are some of the best ways to learn to love yourself, become more confident, etc.? I agree with this completely! Self-love and confidence are a journey and it takes work within yourself to get there. Loving yourself begins with truly accepting yourself. Every part of you was put onto this earth in one being, exactly how you were meant to be. That’s fucking awesome. I think comparison and thinking you should be or look a certain way to appeal to someone is the hardest stuff to overcome. Do things to take care of your-
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self and your SOUL. And by all means if you want to change something about you that drives you crazy, do that if that will bring you happiness. But don’t change because someone else wants you to. Being your truest self and seeing that shine is the way to self-love. What is your best piece of advice for someone going through a heartbreak? Think of all the hard things you’ve made it through in your life. You WILL make it though this - stronger and better because of it. Every person that enters your life was meant to. Romantic partners teach us what we like and don’t like in a relationship, what we need, what we lack, and every person or ‘failed’ romance brings us that much closer to true fulfillment in love and in ourselves. And if that person is meant to truly be in your life in the future, they will be eventually. It all always works out. Do you have any advice for those wanting to start a YouTube channel or pursue a creative career such as your own? Visualization is key. Spend time writing down where you realistically want to be, what you see yourself doing, and picture yourself being happy in every aspect of your life. Write it down and what it feels like. Be very detailed. Then spend time everyday visualizing this life and make small goals to get you there - make things happen for yourself and always remember your end goal and come back to that. :) And believe without a doubt that you can do whatever it is you want with your life.
photography by RILEY TAYLOR @rytayy featuring LINDSEY HUGHES
photography by RILEY TAYLOR @rytayy featuring LINDSEY HUGHES
Alright now time for some random questions! Coffee or tea? COFFEE. 100%. I’m off 3 cups of cold brew right now, and i’m feeling incredible. Vintage or designer? Vintage because it’s unique and no one else will have it. Northern or Southern California? Southern, only because I have lived here and know how much I truly appreciate the diversity of LA and all the awesome areas close to LA - Joshua Tree, Malibu, Big Bear, San Diego -- there’s so much awesome-ness! However, I’m IN LOVE with San Francisco and the whole energy of the Bay Area. I hope to live there in the next few years. If you could live in anywhere in the world, where would you move to? Probably Vancouver, British Columbia. OR I would go far and move to Australia - maybe Byron Bay. I would live in both - 6 months of the year in Australia and 6 months in BC! What is one item you cannot live without? GOOD LIP BALM. I can’t go anywhere without it… I’m definitely addicted. What are some of your winter beauty essentials? Winter fashion essentials? Glamglow Wet Lip Balm, Glamglow Dream Duo moisturizer, and self tanner wipes cause I’m insanely pale and love a hint of color: my favorite are the Tan Towels Plus. As for fashion, I swear all I wear is jogger sweatpants, Vans or my Fenty creepers, and fun hoodies. I like comfort more than fashion these days. Keep up with Lindsey: Instagram: @livinlikelindsey Twitter: @lindseyhughes youtube.com/beautybaby44 youtube.com/livinlikelindsey
photography by RILEY TAYLOR @rytayy featuring LINDSEY HUGHES
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emma mercury photography FRANKLIN MENDEZ featuring EMMA MERCURY interview by PENELOPE MACK
photography by FRANKLIN MENDEZ @franklinmakeout featuring EMMA MERCURY
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Click through the Messy Heads blog and you’ll immediately see a theme. The simple yet revealing photographs, the candid stories from contributors, and the clear cut design all point to a love of portraying the world as it is. No sugarcoating, no ads, no “make yourself perfect with x, y, and z.” It relies on natural beauty and grace. Emma Mercury, founder and editor in chief, conveys the same message. “Young women and men are so much more than their shell and I want to really drive that home with the magazines I make,” she tells us. Built from scratch, The Messy Heads is an all-encompassing and breathtakingly-designed print magazine and blog. We talked to Emma about her work, life in New York City, and, just in time for Mad Sounds’ February issue: Love & Other Drugs.
Hi Emma, thanks for taking the time to talk to us here at Mad Sounds today. To start off, can you tell us about a day in the life of Emma Mercury?
You’re currently based in NYC--What’s the most underrated thing to do in NYC, the thing that all the tourists miss but should know about?
Yeah! Depending how late my roommates and I were up the night before painting and discussing conspiracy theories, I either wake up early or at noon. My apartment is on the first floor so it doesn’t get much light. First thing in the morning I have to get outside to get my mind and energy going. I’ll either go for a run and my boyfriend will trail behind me on his skateboard, or I’ll grab a coffee and go for a walk around my neighborhood. Then “work,” aka writing, taking photos, brainstorming, or something that relates to the blog or magazine. Then I really have to learn something. Sometimes I’ll round up my roommates and go to Barnes and Noble and sit in the philosophy section or I’ll take an online class or read a few chapters of a book from home. When I’m creating content I need to counteract that output with some input. Then make dinner. Most nights my boyfriend makes tacos and we all huddle together around the couch and talk about our plans and our day and politics and whatever else.
I think that not a lot of people go to the West Village but it’s one of my favorite corners to explore in NYC. It has brick, neon liquor signs, bodegas overflowing with fresh flowers, and an abundance of coffee shops. Different areas of New York feel like different eras to me. Go to the Lower East Side and you are back in the 90s; go to Brooklyn and it feels like the 80s; go to the East Village and it feels like the 60s. But the West Village feels very timeless New York to me. You can find great brunch spots, cozy plant filled coffee shops, and bookstores! Oh, I love bookstores.
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Where is the best cup of coffee in NYC? What’s your favorite spot to hang out at? I actually really love shitty, burnt, black coffee. Whenever someone in our house heads to the Deli for a sandwich, cigarettes, gelato, I ask them to bring me back a cup of black coffee. It’s so bad it’s good? Reminds me of trying my dad’s Dunkin Donuts coffee when I was little. I would highly recommend going on a walk through the East Village and stopping at Dun-Well donuts on St. Marks and grabbing a black coffee and sprinkled donut (THEY ARE VEGAN!). Let’s talk about your website and magazine, The Messy Heads. What inspired you to start The Messy Heads? I love photos, art, and writing and so, naturally, loved magazines growing up. I spent all my allowance on every typical publication for young women out there, and then started to discover more indie magazines like Frankie, Yen, and i-D. I was definitely more inspired by those publications-they felt more authentic and artsy. But overall I still felt like there was something major lacking from current printed media & most media geared towards young women. Almost all articles and ads, if not all of them, focus on the physical form. ie: hair, makeup, body, fashion, etc. How you look. How you present yourself. Young women and men are so much more than their shell and I want to really drive that home with the magazines I make. You are not your body, you just happen to live inside it. Once I realized that in myself, it set me free creatively. I am not defined by a form, I am defined by my mind, my actions, my dreams, my spirit. And further, I am not defined at all. I am just me. What was the biggest challenge getting the publication up off the ground? Looking back on my whole process of turning the Messy Heads, just a blog at the time, to print...it was just sheer stupidity that drove me. I neverdoubted myself or thought that I couldn’t make it happen. I went for it full force. I think the biggest
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personal challenge was that I was still in school when I was making the magazine, so I would finish my homework as fast as possible, then work until maybe 3 in the morning on the magazine, and at the same time keep up the blog because I didn’t tell anyone I was making the mag. So I would be up late with dark circles and empty paper coffee cups strewn by my twin sized bed in my dorm, and then wake up for my 7 AM philosophy class and do it all again. I didn’t talk to my friends or family or really care for my health during that time because I was so focused on making this happen. What inspires you to create everyday? My younger self keeps me creating. Kids are such natural creatives, making up stories and painting with their fingers or writing stories all the time. They never judge themselves. Somewhere along the line we start to worry if our art or personal work is good, and that gets in the way of creating. You should just do it out of the sheer necessity, because you are human and we are inherently creative beings before we were taught to be ashamed. I am most inspired by this Andy Warhol quote: “Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” Do you think everyone has the ability within them to be creative? YES! What are your solutions or advice to help writer’s/artist’s block? Two things. First thing is to release judgment. I think most artists get in their own way by only creating when they feel their best or think they can produce their best work. So what if you don’t have a quiet space, the best camera, the perfect lighting? Make something anyway. If it’s not good, you don’t have to show anyone. When you put in effort on your off days that is practice, and it makes you even better when you are feeling most inspired because you have put in the work. The second is
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photography by FRANKLIN MENDEZ @franklinmakeout featuring EMMA MERCURY
photography by FRANKLIN MENDEZ @franklinmakeout featuring EMMA MERCURY
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to give your mind a break. We move in seasons of inspiration and creation. If you are feeling really really uninspired, put away your pen, your brush, your camera, whatever for a few days and just soak in the majesty of life. Go for walks, listen to music, consume novels and movies. There is so much vibrancy and light in life just waiting for you to bask in. Who are some of your fashion inspirations? Adwoa Aboah is my biggest style inspiration. She has been through a lot with her personal life and mental health, so to see her emerge confident and express herself is so liberating to watch. She also really has no regard to gender norms in her clothing and carries herself with such ease. The biggest thing is she is finally comfortable in her own skin and her clothes and it really shows. She literally glows.
Because this is our February issue of Mad Sounds, we’re talking about all things love—self love, romantic love, platonic love, and more. What does love mean to you? Love is God, in the sense of the universe, the divine, whatever you want to call it. Don’t picture a patriarchal God, picture a serene place where you just belong without question and are fully accepted for you. That place exists inside you and in the hearts of others and that to me is pure love. Can you tell us a little bit about your first love or an experience in love? I think this is a difficult question to answer. I really don’t believe you can fully love someone until you love yourself, and you should be the very first person you fall in love with. Falling in love with yourself is a lot harder than you think because you have been conditioned to feel inadequate and unworthy of love from society, parents, school systems, advertisements, etc. The day I truly loved myself was the day I stopped comparing myself to anybody, including past versions of myself, and just accepted who I was today in full and it made me feel limitless and enough.
What is your signature clothing item or look? I have a little golden star necklace that I always wear. Most of the time you can’t see it because I have been wearing turtlenecks and sweaters, but it makes me happy.
What’s your biggest advice for someone going through heartbreak?
What is one thing you could not live without? My journals. I carry one with me wherever I go and fill up one every two weeks. If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why? My goal for 2017 is to get coffee with Patti Smith. She to me is the embodiment of a true artist, she never ever cared about fame and didn’t limit her artistry to one medium. She paints, writes, sings, is a musician, and overall just a spastic badass.
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Fill up a journal with everything you are feeling. Every few pages write down what you are grateful for. A balance of grieving and being appreciative. We are lucky to get to experience such intense emotions and we don’t need to give bad feelings to bad feelings.
Keep up with Emma: Instagram/Twitter: @emmercury themessyheads.com
photography by FRANKLIN MENDEZ @franklinmakeout featuring EMMA MERCURY
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sammi quinn photography JOHN NOVOTNY featuring SAMMI QUINN interview by REBECCA POOLE styling by HILLPEOPLE VINTAGE
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photography JOHN NOVOTNY featuring SAMMI QUINN styling by HILLPEOPLE VINTAGE
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Combine a vintage soul with spunk and youthful energy and you get content creator Sammi Quinn. Living in New York City and studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology, this nineteen year old is styling to the beat of her own drum - probably a beat from the 1960s at that. Since joining YouTube in 2014, she’s gained a following that appreciates her eye for a rare find at a thrift store or a new must-have beauty product raved about in a “current favorites” video. While many YouTubers have been trying to shed their social media skin with intentions to pursue other endeavors completely, Quinn is instead breaking the mold: proving the fashion/ beauty online space isn’t as confining as many like to peg it as. This unique flair shown on her channel is one she carries with her when finding inspiration in the city she dwells in. We had the chance to chat with Sammi on everything from love to her dream collaboration, and overall how to be your genuine self online.
Hi Sammi, thanks so much for talking to us here at Mad Sounds. To start off, can you tell us about a typical day for Sammi Quinn? During the week most of my time goes into schoolwork. I usually head to campus around 8 am and get back sometime in the afternoon. After class I always make time to do things I enjoy, whether that’s working on Youtube videos, reading, or getting inspired by scrolling through Tumblr. It’s so important for me to recharge and have some alone time. I usually reserve the weekends for spending time with friends and exploring NYC. You currently live in NYC and attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. What are you currently studying? Do you have any favorite spots in New York?
it’s really the only place you can find some nature in New York. What made you want to start a Youtube channel? I first discovered beauty and fashion vloggers back when I was in 6th or 7th grade. Ever since then I’ve been obsessed with Youtube and have always dreamed about having my own channel. I started making videos during my senior year of high school. I had just quit a retail job and I needed something to do to help pass the time before making my move to New York. I was finally in a place where I was decently confident in my style and in myself so I figured why not make a channel! It’s something I’ve never taken that seriously and it’s amazing to have such a fun way to express myself creatively.
I’m currently studying Fashion Business at FIT. It’s hard for me to pick just one favorite spot in New York…I think I’d have to say my favorite place is anywhere I can sit and people watch. Everyone in the city is so inspiring and it’s interesting to just observe the scene. I also love Central Park since
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photography JOHN NOVOTNY featuring SAMMI QUINN styling by HILLPEOPLE VINTAGE
photography JOHN NOVOTNY featuring SAMMI QUINN styling by HILLPEOPLE VINTAGE
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How do you find the balance to upload videos while also being a full-time student?
ly stand out against other Youtubers trying to be something that they aren’t.
It’s definitely hard and something I constantly struggle with. I love making videos so I always try to schedule in time during the week that way I know I will be able to film or edit.
Watching a couple of your videos, you can tell you love a good thrift store. Any tips for thrifting for beginners/how to scout out those signature pieces?
Your videos definitely have a retro/old school vibe to them, can you expand on that and what inspires you most from different eras?
I think one of the most important things is to go in with an open mind! Obviously you never know what you are going to find, so if you are focused on just looking for a specific piece you may miss an amazing pair of jeans or something you didn’t even have an intention of buying! It’s also important to just buy things you like. That sounds really obvious but I think a lot of the time people are so focused on creating a certain style for themselves that they don’t even like half of the clothes they buy. Your style will become so much more signature and interesting if you just buy whatever catches your eye!
I find everything about eras such as the 60s and 70s to be so fascinating. From the music to the way of thinking to the style of dress; I love how those periods were a time of such radical change and they’ve inspired so much of our current culture. Is there someone in your life who has impacted you the most in terms of following your passions? Probably my dad. He always encouraged me to think outside the box and follow my intuition. He’s made an amazing career and life for himself out of nothing and he’s so passionate about what he does. What is your dream collaboration? Honestly, my answer for this makes no sense but if I said anyone else it just wouldn’t feel right... Stevie Nicks. I have no idea what we would collaborate on but I find her to be such an insightful and inspiring person. She’s just so cool and to even meet her would be a dream. Do you think it’s hard to stand out on Youtube now, or does that just push you more to think more creatively? To be honest it’s not something I think about much. I never think of myself as a “Youtuber” and I just try to create content that feels genuine and very much in line with me. I think a lot of people try so hard to stand out when starting out on Youtube that their content is no longer a reflection of themself. It’s so important to just do what you feel is right and is a true reflection of the inner you. In my opinion if you do that, you will kind of natural-
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photography JOHN NOVOTNY featuring SAMMI QUINN styling by HILLPEOPLE VINTAGE
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What are some of your go-to beauty products? Glossier’s Boy Brow is something I will repurchase until the end of time. I also love a good lip gloss, my current favorite being Too Faced Lip Injection in Milkshake. Winter fashion essentials for college students? Anything that feels like pajamas but still looks cute. I get SO lazy in the winter months so I always make sure to have some cozy pieces that I can still put looks together with. I love going to the sleepwear section at Goodwill and finding cool silk pants that are made for sleeping but can still look acceptable for the daytime if styled right. Also, big sweaters are always a necessity for winter. What about being in NYC inspires you the most in terms of personal style? Everything. Literally every single detail. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by how inspired I get in that city! Everyone has such a unique flair to their style that it makes you want to really and truly dress for yourself.
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photography JOHN NOVOTNY featuring SAMMI QUINN styling by HILLPEOPLE VINTAGE
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photography JOHN NOVOTNY featuring SAMMI QUINN styling by HILLPEOPLE VINTAGE
NO. 21 — LOVE & OTHER DRUGS
Within our February issue, we’re exploring topics about love: romantic love, platonic love, selflove, and more; what does love mean to you?
New York is the backdrop for many romantic comedies - do you have any New York dating stories to share?
Love is something that is nearly impossible for me to describe. It’s more than just a feeling- it’s an energy and kind of an approach to life for me. So many people think of love as purely romance and relationships but it’s so much more than that. It’s so important to have love in everything you do and have a true understanding and appreciation of everything that word means. It’s weird because I really can’t put into words what it means for me but it’s so clear to me what it is--you kind of just know when it’s there.
Other than meeting up with a tinder boy or two, I haven’t had much of a dating life in NYC. I’m more of the person who waits to meet someone I really like rather than stressing and going on dates with every boy I meet just to be in a relationship.
Can you recount the first time you experienced heartbreak? Do you have any advice to our readers on how to deal with heartbreak? I’ve actually never experienced heartbreak on a romantic level. I’ve never been someone to focus on dating. In high school I was pretty shy and ever since moving to New York self-love has been such an important concept to me that being in a relationship was just never really on my mind. It sounds weird, but I actually can’t wait to experience heartbreak someday. The pain shows how much you were able to give yourself to a person and be vulnerable, and truly experience love for all that it is. It’s hard for me to give advice since I’ve never been through it…but I think it’s important to keep yourself busy and surround yourself with people that care about you. How has your experiences with love shaped you into who you are today? Like I said earlier, I’ve been really focused on self-love this past year. I think the most important thing we can do in life is learn to fully love and appreciate ourselves. I’ve learned that only good things can come from self love! It’s really hard to be fully comfortable with yourself, but now that I am, I think any relationship to come will feel a lot more effortless. I think I’m a much more confident person because of my experience with self-love.
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Lastly, do you have any advice for those wanting to create a YouTube channel, or pursue a career in the fashion industry such as yourself? Don’t try to do what everyone else is doing, especially Youtube-wise. You will feel so much more satisfied with your content when you are being true to you. So many Youtubers feel trapped because they think they have to make only clickbait challenge videos to keep up with everyone else. It’s more important that you enjoy what you are doing rather than having millions of subscribers! Be true to yourself and people will naturally be drawn to whatever it is you are doing.
KEEP UP WITH SAMMI: Instagram: @sammi.quinn youtube.com/sammiquinn
photography JOHN NOVOTNY featuring SAMMI QUINN styling by HILLPEOPLE VINTAGE
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asia jackson photography RILEY DONAHUE featuring ASIA JACKSON makeup by LUCKY SIN interview by LEA PORCELLI
interview by LEA PORCELLI words by ASIA JACKSON
photography by RILEY DONAHUE @rileyjdonahue featuring ASIA JACKSON
NO. 21 — LOVE & OTHER DRUGS
Meet Asia Jackson: a Southern California based beauty and fashion vlogger, actress, and inspiration behind our February issue that focuses on “love.” Even though Asia is fairly new to the YouTube world, she has already inspired thousands to stay true to themselves, get involved in politics, real-world issues, and express their creativity through fashion and beauty trends. Asia’s face is one you won’t easily forget, whether it pops up on your YouTube homepage, Twitter newsfeed, or TV while watching “Modern Family” or “The Goldbergs.” Today, we had the opportunity to sit down with Asia and talk about her life not only as a content creator, but as an actress, an activist, and the voice of a new generation.
Hi Asia. Thanks for sitting down with us today at Mad Sounds! To start off, can you tell us about a day in the life for Asia Jackson?
What inspired you to start making YouTube videos? What’s your favorite thing about the YouTube world? Least favorite thing?
Thanks for having me! My typical days entail waking up early, getting ready to work out, deciding to not actually work out, prepping for auditions, auditioning, sitting in traffic for 4 hours, going to dance class, going to acting class, filming/editing a video, then sleeping by 10:00pm. I’m not even joking. I’m not a night owl by any means. I’m definitely a morning person. I like to be productive within the first hour of waking up.
I wanted to start making YouTube videos because I wanted to stay creative. Acting is a great creative outlet, but your career is so dependent on other people. I didn’t like waiting around for someone to hire me. I didn’t like waiting around for opportunities, so I started to create my own. My favorite thing about YouTube is that I’m able to have a platform to reach such a large audience. Before the internet, people could only do that if they were a public figure in a magazine or on TV. Now you can reach a mass audience, right from the convenience of your own home. Representation is also important to me, so I also wanted to create content that girls who look like me could watch and relate to. The worst part about YouTube is the anonymity granted to commenters. People get really bold behind a keyboard. But all in all, the good totally outweighs the bad. For every bad comment, I have hundreds of positive & motivating comments from very lovely people. And if I had a dollar for every negative comment I received…oh, wait. I do.
You only started steadily posting videos to YouTube about a year ago and already have quite a large following. Were you surprised by the sudden jump in numbers on the screen? Honestly, yes. It took me almost 9 months to reach 10,000 subscribers then within the next 30 days, it doubled to 20,000 and it’s still growing super quick. I’m still in shock at the rapid growth rate, but I’m just happy that people find my content helpful & entertaining.
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photography by RILEY DONAHUE @rileyjdonahue makeup by LUCKY SIN @makeupbylucky featuring ASIA JACKSON
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Your channel is a mix of fashion, makeup, and film-style videos. Which style of video is the most difficult to make? Which style is your favorite?
What are some of your favorite spots in California? Restaurants? Photo opportunities? Hang out spots?
My favorite style of video to make is also the most difficult to make! I love creating film-style videos, and that’s the type of content that I want to create more of this year. I’m really intrigued by the fashion film genre. I’d love to explore that style of filmmaking and create my own!
People really underestimate the hiking/nature culture here in SoCal because it’s overshadowed by the hustle & bustle of Hollywood tourism. But SoCal has some really cool & beautiful nature spots! I love the hike to Hermit Falls in the Angeles National Forest. I also love the hikes in Malibu and Palos Verdes, and the tide pools in Laguna Beach are insane! As far as food goes, I think Long Beach has the best Southeast Asian food, hands down. Long Beach has a very high population of Southeast Asians, so the food is pretty authentic. I love going to family-owned restaurants like Sophy’s Fine Thai & Cambodian Cuisine for Thai boat noodles, pho, pad see ew, and banh xeo… they make ‘em the best! I’ve also had some of the best sushi I’ve ever had, in a place called ‘Sushi Kara’ in Long Beach. Koreatown obviously has the best Korean food. My favorite Korean BBQ spot, ‘Hae Jang Chon’ makes the crispiest, most delicious kimchi pancakes I’ve ever tasted in my entire 22 years of living. Wow…I could literally talk about food all day.
I really enjoyed your ‘2016’ recap video. What was one thing in the past year that stood out the most and why was it so important to you and your career? One thing that stood out the most in 2016, was definitely co-starring on Modern Family. It was a huge step in my career because that first speaking role on network television is always the most difficult role to book, and it was really great to be able to achieve that in such a short amount of time. Especially on an amazing show like Modern Family! You live in Southern California, as do many other YouTubers and social media creatives. Do you find it hard to set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd? How do you do so? Well let me start off by saying that I never ‘try’ to intentionally set myself apart from the rest of the crowd, because I don’t try to be anything else but myself. If being myself makes me different, then that’s just the way it is–I never seek to be so. I’ve always been ‘different’ in every community, state, or country I’ve ever lived in. I’m used to it. I’ve always been the only black girl, the only mixed girl, the only American, the only girl in computer science classes…I’ve always been different and that is something I’ve just learned to embrace. I just hope that everyone, whether you’re in the social media world or not, recognizes that being fearlessly authentic is a lot less boring and a lot more rewarding than trying to emulate another personality.
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You’ve had many exciting acting opportunities over the years. Have you been interested in acting since you were a child, or is it a newly discovered passion? It’s a newly discovered passion. I remember always being interested in acting as a child, but I was just way too shy. I remember during my first audition ever, it was a commercial audition and I was 4 years old. The casting director asked me my name and I was too shy to even look at him. I know it may seem hard to believe because of how seemingly outgoing I am now, but I was a very shy & socially awkward child. Though if I’m being honest, I’m really glad that I didn’t start acting as a child. As a child actor, you’re being judged before you even know who you are. I’m actually glad that I started in this industry after I’d already found and became secure with who I am.
photography by RILEY DONAHUE @rileyjdonahue makeup by LUCKY SIN @makeupbylucky featuring ASIA JACKSON
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You talk a lot about politics and bring up social issues regarding race, the election, etc. This isn’t always something that you see from content creators. Why do you think it’s important to discuss? I think most creators don’t bring up social justice or political issues because they’re afraid of making people uncomfortable, and that compromises their subscriber counts. I believe that in order for the world to be a better place, people need to put their personal discomfort aside and TALK about these issues. You have to have discussions with diverse voices and opinions. That’s how you learn new things, and social media is a great platform to do that. I’ve learned a lot through social media. In addition to creating content for YouTube and working as an actress, you also model. How did you get into modeling? What type of shoots do you enjoy the most? Casual, everyday looks or highly styled looks? My model story is actually pretty funny but I also feel like it’s quite common these days. A clothing brand called Foreign Exchange found me on Instagram and asked me to come in for a casting. I’d never really modeled professionally before this encounter. They loved me & I shot a campaign and some e-commerce work for them. I’ve been modeling ever since! Editorials are definitely the most fun to shoot, but most modeling work in the L.A. market is commercial, commercial-fashion, and e-commerce. They’re not the most fulfilling of modeling jobs, but they are the highest paying ones, so really, who am I to complain? You seem to have traveled a lot as a child and have had the opportunity to live in a variety of diverse places. What has been your favorite place that you’ve lived? What aspects of it set it apart from living in Southern California? Honestly, Long Beach is probably my favorite place I’ve ever lived. It’s such a diverse city–racially, ethnically, culturally, even economically. I went to school with the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor. We have second generation Europeans, Mexicans, Colombians, Cambodians, Samoans, Haitians, Jamaicans, Filipinos, Vietnam-
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Thai, you name it. I love living in a diverse place because I don’t feel so ‘different’…everyone here is different! I’m not only surrounded by cultural diversity but also by diversity of thought, which I really like. However I will say that second and third places go to Baguio City, Philippines and Fussa-shi, Japan. Those two cities were a huge part of my childhood. This issue of the magazine focuses on love. Since many of your viewers are young girls, do you have any advice for tough/first breakups? Hahaha. I’m literally the worst when it comes to relationship advice. My friends never come to me for relationship advice because I never tell them what they want to hear. But here it goes–my version of relationship advice: Ladies, it’s okay to be single. It’s okay to focus on your education and try to better your lifestyle, independently. It’s also okay to want to do these things with a significant other! However, if a relationship isn’t adding any value to your life, or it isn’t positively affecting your life in any way, then it’s okay to be single until the right person comes along. You don’t have to compromise just for the sake of being in a relationship. That being said, if you’ve just left a relationship with someone you had very strong feelings for, and you had a great time being with them…then my only advice is to just let yourself feel every emotion that your mind, body, and soul wants to feel. It’s never healthy to deny your feelings. You’re stronger when you embrace how you feel and work with your feelings, not against them. [Drake voice] Own it.
photography by RILEY DONAHUE @rileyjdonahue featuring ASIA JACKSON
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photography by RILEY DONAHUE @rileyjdonahue featuring ASIA JACKSON
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Now for some random questions: what are your top 3 handbag essentials? What can’t Asia Jackson leave the house without?
Is there any specific actor or actress that you would love to work with on a project? What about them inspires you to further your acting career?
I can’t leave my without my phone, my vlogging camera, and…chapstick. Don’t nobody want no crusty lips. What does your everyday beauty and skincare routine look like? Any standout products that our readers need to know about? I definitely spend a lot more time, money, and energy on skincare than I do on makeup. My makeup looks are always very low maintenance, minimal, and pretty natural. Glossier & Milk Makeup are two brands that I really love because their products are created with the on-the-go cool girl in mind ;) I love Glossier’s Boy Brow for a super quick brow enhancement. I’m also in love with Milk Makeup’s Holographic Stick for a fun, subtle highlight and their new Blur Stick is pretty cool too! I like to use the Blur Stick when I’m not wearing any makeup because it keeps my face matte. Also, I think everyone reading this should look into the 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine philosophy. My personal philosophy is ‘skin before makeup’. It seems like you enjoy expressing yourself through fashion. Who are your style inspirations? I love Rihanna and A$AP Rocky. I think their styles are so effortlessly cool and I love when they mix high-end designer pieces with streetwear brands. I also think Zendaya is the queen of red carpet looks. Iconic. Honestly. Truly.
There’s honestly no specific actor or actress that I would love to work with. I just want to work with other passionate actors, no matter who they are. However, I will say that I really admire Jessica Alba. She’s an actress but she also created a billion-dollar beauty & lifestyle brand. She still acts, but these days she just chooses projects that she thinks are fun, regardless of the critical acclaim or award season potential. She’s just tryna have fun all while running a company and I think that’s really cool haha Lastly, do you have advice for those who aspire to have a creative career and lifestyle? Are there any things that you wish you knew when you were first starting out on YouTube and social media? The only advice I can give is make sure that you’re passionate about what you’re doing. Here’s the truth: If you’re not passionate about your craft, then you’re never going to be happy. In a creative career, be prepared to not make any money for a long time. Never get into an industry or career path for the money or fame. You’ll drive yourself insane. Just keep creating, keep building, and commit yourself to growth. Everything you create will get better with experience and persistence. When you dedicate yourself to your craft, others will take notice and everything else in your life will truly start to fall into place.
Keep up with Asia: Instagram/Twitter: @aasian youtube.com/PersuasiaAsia asiajackson.com
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photography by RILEY DONAHUE @rileyjdonahue featuring ASIA JACKSON
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photography by RILEY DONAHUE @rileyjdonahue featuring ASIA JACKSON
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stay tuned there’s more mad sounds on the way! madsoundsmagazine.com DO YOU WANT TO BE FEATURED? email madsoundsmagazine@gmail.com with a cover letter & link to your online portfolio not all submissions will be featured for publication
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