AleanElston.com

Category: Featured

  • Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show…Did you see me on CBS?

    Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show…Did you see me on CBS?

    If you are in Philadelphia Area and stayed up to watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, I hope you stayed up a bit longer and watched the news to see me giving you my runway and smizing tips!

     

    Special thanks to CBS 3 and Tori Woodill for having me! I hope to come back for the 2018 show!

     

    Just in case you missed it click here to watch!

     

    If you learned anything from it, be sure to comment below and let me know what you think.

    And if you are looking for my tips on what you should wear on a casting click here!

  • Absolut Lime Launch Party : My Recap [VIDEOS] #absolutlime

    Absolut Lime Launch Party : My Recap [VIDEOS] #absolutlime

    Pause the music…

    Atlantic City, NJ

     

    Premier Night Club

     

    January 23, 2017

    I was there…

    I was at the launch for Absolut Lime Vodka and I had sooooo much fun!

    If you were following my Instagram Story you would have felt like you were there, forreal!

    Let me lay it all out for you…

    When I walked in, this is what I saw

     

     

    Absolut Lime Models

    I mean, I expected a lime green atmosphere, but I didn’t expect this! It was so fun to be around and generated the energy I expected, which was the sense of a night where anything is possible.

    As I made my way through the green atmosphere, got a quick pic with the Absolut Lime Models,

    then I made my way to our favorite place, the bar. 😀

    Before I came to this event, I heard about the launch of lime and already had a ton of ideas about the cocktails that one could make with Absolut Lime. I even bet myself (yes, you can do that) that there would be a cosmo on the menu…and ya know what…it was there.

    My First Drink – Absolut Lime & Soda

    I started off with the Absolut Lime and Soda because I really wanted to get a taste to see how intense the taste of lime was in a cocktail. I’m not a big fan of doing shots while I’m out, so for me, trying vodka with soda is perfect for getting the full flavor of flavored vodka. On the first sip, I honestly couldn’t taste the lime too much. It was a subtle texture of lime flavor but it didn’t over do it. As I took my 2nd sip, I could taste it more and a bit more as I continued on with my drink. It was as if the lime flavor was building on top of what I tasted in prior sips but still didn’t overpower the simplicity of vodka, soda and lime.

    My 2nd Drink – Absolut Lime-ito (right) / Absolut Lime Cosmo (left)

    Next I decided to try the Absolut Lime-ito. I figured since lime is a pretty important part of a Mojito, a “Lime-ito” would have to have good attempt to measure up to the classic cocktail, and it did, BUT. (There’s always a but) I think the bartender took away from all the drink really could have been because he didn’t muddle the mint. The cocktail was great, but I was looking forward to really getting that “mint spritz” lol (you know what I’m talking about).
    ​​​
    The Absolut Cosmo pictured is my friend’s cocktail and I opted not to get a full version of that drink. I did, however, try a sip of hers and it was pretty much what I expected from a cosmo. I guess with the lime flavor already in with your vodka, if cosmos are your thing, you don’t have to go the extra step/ingredient to making your Cosmos.

    There was another cocktail that was available to try, but I opted not to for several reasons, the main reason being I didn’t want to drink too much at one time, the other being I didn’t want a super (what i perceived to be) sugary cocktail. That cocktail was the Absolut Cherry Limeade which consists of:

    • Absolut Lime
    • Sprite
    • a splash of grenadine
    • cherry/lime garnish

    But enough about the drinks, you should see the party!!!!!

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    It wouldn’t be a brand launch without a photo booth right?!

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    Oh and can we talk about how this girl was going AWF on the violin…yes, a violin!!!

     

    Me in front of the Marquee! 😀

     

    I had a ton of fun at this launch, this was definitly one for the NJ launch books!

    Thank you Absolut for the invite.

    I can’t wait until the next one!

  • The Gin Lab: My Recap

    The Gin Lab: My Recap

    Recently, I had the opportunity to attend an event called The Gin Lab. Being that I don’t have much knowledge about gin compared to other spirits, I figured it would be a great event for me to attend and learn a thing or two.

    This event was held at Sbraga in Philadelphia. I had never been there before, but I’ve heard great things about the venue so I was even more excited to attend this event. When I arrived, I was late, but I don’t think I missed too much from the start of the event. I seemed to arrive when the brand rep was explaining the history and process of making gin.

    I learned a lot that I never knew about gin, especially about how essential Juniper is in making Gin. I think its fair to say that its as important as when making whiskey and they types and treatment of the casks that make the spirit as great as it is. I also learned that in making gin your own, there are endless combinations of Juniper and herbs and fruits, in terms of what can be added to it in order to make it something supremely unique.

    To start with our hands-on portion of the educational process, we sampled 3 different types of gin by Tanqueray. Among the 3 were Tanqueray London Dry (original), Tanqueray 10, and Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin (pictured above). If you can’t see in the picture, (I listed the tasting notes in each) It was a bit hard for me to distinguish exactly what I was tasting in each so I just went with what it felt like to me or what it reminded me of. Tanqueray London Dry, I tasted woody/oak notes and various types of sour/tart fruits. In Tanqueray 10 I picked up scents of floral notes and tasted light hints of juniper, and an essence of some sweet that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. In the Nolet Silver I kept tasting a lot of floral notes and citrus. the scent smelled a biton the sweet side kinda similar to candy and at the same time was “perfumey”. (yes I know that is not a word)

    After tasting the 3 I can say that I preferred the Nolet’s Silver overall mainly because it felt like it finished smoother and seemed to have a fruitier/sweetness to it instead of the spicy notes that I was picking up in the original Tanqueray. Next fav out of the 3 would be the Tanqueray 10 because of the scent that I picked up before it touched my lips. The scent was very floral and almost minty. It was very refreshing and more palatable than the other Tanqueray.

    After that exercise of the tasting I could more so see what it is about each gin that I liked. I obviously prefer the fruit notes of gin, and with our next exercise in the lab, we were able to make our own gin via a whipped cream dispenser.

    yep….a whipped cream dispenser

    So, with the whipped cream dispenser it was totally new to me, but apparently not to a lot of other people, that you could use it for infusing gin with whatever botanicals, fruits, herbs, etc. (mind blown). To do this we were paired with the person that sat across from us and we picked 2 ingredients that we wanted to make our gin with. I selected Jasmine and Lime and my partner selected Thai Chili and Sage (sounds interesting right?!)

    So we went to the foraging table (pictured above) and selected our items and Juniper. Came back to our table to add in our distilled spirit and charged it in our whipped cream dispenser and after straining it into a wine glass… viola!

    Behold, our one of a kind custom made in the the Gin Lab, GIN!

    I loved the way it tastes. Before sipping it, you could smell the Jasmine and the lime. Upon tasting it you could really taste the earthy-ness of the sage and the citrus of the lime. The Thai Chili showed up as a nice spicy finish that made for a more developed taste in my opinion.

    Once we finished sampling our Gin, the true test came when it was included in a gin and tonic cocktail and honestly, I think it held up great. Unfortunately, when added it with ice and tonic, the jasmine scent went away, and the earthy notes from the sage seemed to be less noticeable, but the lime and the chili stayed and made an awesome flavor profile.

    And that was the event in a nutshell!

    Would I consider myself a fan of gin now? No, but I definitely have gained a new appreciation and a lot of knowledge for it. I feel like I can now offer more recommendations to clients of Pour Models and friends who are looking for something new to drink or something with a bit more customization and uniqueness to it compared to the popular spirits. Im currently, in the process of learning more about these whipped cream dispensers so I can get one of my own and start doing some things with other flavor ideas I have for gin. Who knows, I might have to start the process of making my own gin one day!

    Cheers!

  • “I don’t fit the casting description, should I still go?” – #ModelTipTuesday #ModelAdvice

    “I don’t fit the casting description, should I still go?” – #ModelTipTuesday #ModelAdvice

    Another #ModelTipTuesday post for ya! These posts will be dedicated to your questions about modeling. If there are any questions you have, send them to me via any of my social media sites, or email me your questions. I will either respond to them directly or respond to you and post the question as a blog post for others to learn from. So, Here I go!

     

    I recently had a comment on one of my posts asking this very question. The reader basically said that there was an audition that she was going to go to but she didn’t fit the height requirement for one of the characters that she was auditioning for. She wondered if she should go…

     

    My advice?

     

    I don’t think she should go or at least audition for an other role where she fits the description.

    The casting directors put out the requirements for the roles or the booking a certain way for a reason. It could be that the clothes for the shoot or show are a certain size or the height of the model has to be a certain height in order to fit into a particular set setup with a model or actor of a complementary height.

    There aren’t too many chances that you not fitting the requirements are going to change the director or the agent’s mind in regards to you winning the role just because you showed up and auditioned for it, simply because its not what the role calls for.

     

    And that’s my 2 cents!

  • The Real Truth About How My Modeling Career Inspired My Business Idea [VIDEO]

    The Real Truth About How My Modeling Career Inspired My Business Idea [VIDEO]

    Hey all!

    It has been since about January since I have blogged but I am back and I have been working hard in that in between time. I PROMISE YOU!!!

    Since I have posted the previous post I was invited to be on TV!

    Thats right!!! I was recently featured on a TV show called Whats on Tap hosted by beer expert extraordinaire, Gary Monterosso and the lovely Kimmy Kocktail. In this episode I talk about how I started my business and how my life as a model was the basis for starting it. I also talk about how my business works and make one of my favorite cocktails, the Remy Marin 1738 Sidecar.

    Please check it out and let me know what you think.

    Don’t forget to leave a thumbs up and share with your friends on social media!

     

    Until my next post!

     

    Alean xoxo

  • “How do I know if its a scam?” Part 1 #ModelTipTuesday

    “How do I know if its a scam?” Part 1 #ModelTipTuesday

    Day 4 – Still kickin it on Alex Beadon’s Blog Challenge and today’s challenge is to answer a frequently asked question in a blog post. I think that this is something that I;ll add to my blog on a weekly basis. #ModelTipTuesday will be dedicated to your questions about modeling. If there are any questions you have, send them to me via any of my social media sites, or email me your questions. I will either respond to them directly or respond to you and post the question as a blog post for others to learn from. So, Here I go!

    One of the constant questions that I get asked about is scams. This modeling business can be shaaaady baby! I like to think that most people are inherently good but the ones that aren’t make it hard to decipher the good ones from the bad. I know it makes it hard to know who to trust and who is really there for your best interest or theirs, but there are a few things that you have to look at in order to really understand if something is a scam or not.

    Check this out

    Signs this might be a scam (according to Alean):

    1. If they contact you by email
      1. They are speaking in is broken English, or text message slang, or slang period
      2. The email address that they are emailing you from is non identifying (ex: 7394xytty@gmail.com) OR it doesn’t match the name of the person sending it (ex: Im Lisa Johnson but my email address is MartinElizabeth@gmail.com)
      3. They tell you they work with a well known brand or designer like, Ralph Lauren or Gucci (No high fashion brand is booking models sight unseen via the internet)
      4. They tell you that you have been selected to work for that big name client and want to pay you a large sum of money for your work but part of it will be paid upfront. (NO AGENCY WILL PAY YOU UPRONT AND ASK FOR THE MONEY BACK!)
      5. In order to you to be paid you have to provide them with a ton of personal information and your bank account information (ALL THAT INFO IS NOT NEEDED ESPECIALLY BANK ACCOUNT INFO)
      6. They leave no contact info (phone number, address, etc.) for you to contact them if you have any questions or want to look them up.

    Take a look at this email that was sent to a model friend of mine.

     

    Hello,

     Good afternoon to you over there and hope you are doing fine today?

    thanks for your response, Presently the company (Ralph Lauren)

    needs a model to advertise their new outfit and i am one of the

    favored supervisor for the project coming up next month in your state.

    Subsequently,The date is between 28th and 29th of June (NOTE THAT ON

    YOUR CALENDAR) and the shoot location will be somewhere very close to

    you and i will let you know it after details have been received…

     Beside how much is your charge for 4hrs in a day (WE PAY $250 TO

    MODELS FOR PER HOUR SHOOT) and you are gonna do that for 2 days (Total

    $2,000 for 8hours).

    Transportation allowance will be included as we continue to work

    together,you could be invited over to the company to sign a contract

    with us if you pose pretty well. In order for this effect i would

    implore you to provide me with your statistics (SIZE) as soon as

    possible? so that what you need would be taken care of asap…

     You will first receive $300 to start with,which will be sent to you

    immediately,this is for your transportation allowance only (NOTE: This

    payment is for your transport ONLY and your full payment for the job

    will be paid to you in cash immediately after the shoot in the

    location).

     The photo shoots will be taken and sent to the company and it will be

    display on our online web and magazine (worldwide).

     The company have personal photographers and makeup artist,so we have

    made all necessary arrangement for your good looking on that day and

    also our photographers are available to give you best directive. They

    will be contacting you for proper

    arrangement of time and location after payment has been made.

    Bonus: The cloths you will be wearing for the shoot.

    ESCORT:As matter of choice,you can bring along any one of your choice

    to the shooting venue. All traveling Expenses, Food and

    Accommodations/Hotel would be covered by my company. my company will

    cover all the expenses on your escort.

    EXPECTATIONS: You must have positive ID.

    You must have a nice pedicure and manicure.

    You must have nice smile and humble personality.

    You must be willing to pose very well and good.

    No hairy armpits.

     Reference and other forms/documented papers will be send to you via

    courier service a week before the shoot.

     Guess the arrangement is understood? In order for payment to be made

    to you on time,i would need you to provide me with the following

    info…..

     

    Name in full:

    Residential address:

    City:

    State:

    Zip-code:

    Phone number(cell and home):

    Age:

    Charges $2,000(8 hours):YES/NO

    Transport allowance $300:

    OCCUPATION:

    AGE:

    ATTACH 2 RECENT PICTURES:

     

    Measurements:

     

    Best Regards,

    Rick McNeil.

     

    This kind of scam is a variation of the Nigerian Email scam. You know those emails that say they are a random Prince from some unheard of land and  they want you to claim your inheritance left by a distant relative, and they want to send you a check for the amount but you have to pay them money back once you cash the check… Yeah they took that to modeling. Check out this link that details more red flags you should be on the look out for if you happen to get a random email like this one – http://www.newmodels.com/Nigeria.html

     

    Good luck out there in model land! and remember a Good Model is a Smart Model!

     

    Be smart lovelies!

     

    xoxo, Alean

  • Before you start (or restart) your modeling career, you NEED to ask yourself this first!

    Before you start (or restart) your modeling career, you NEED to ask yourself this first!

    I’ve been a little under the weather and super busy since my last post. But I’m back ready to continue where I left off and get back to Alex Beadon’s Blogging Challenge. This post is my response to the Day 3 prompt and I hope you enjoy it. Feedback and questions in the comments is HIGHLY encouraged!

     

    About 11 or 12 years ago, I started my journey as a model. Over the years I learned a lot and there have been many times that I have revamped my brand, my image, and my strategy. This year I will be at my 12 year mark in regards to my modeling and I have been thinking about the work that I have done and the goals that I haven’t achieved and how the hell I am going to achieve them! One of the things that I realized is that I never asked myself (and you should ask yourself this too) the most important question in regards to starting a modeling career:

     

    What kind of modeling am I best suited for?

     

    I know most of you would like to think that you can book any type of campaign or you should be able to get any type of work just because you are the fabu you! But the industry doesn’t quite work that way. Like Meek Mill says “There’s levels to this” in modeling, there’s categories to this. And you shouldn’t waste your time shooting and building imagery (your brand) if you don’t fit into a particular category. Of course there are exceptions to that but these that are the exceptions have already established themselves in other areas and can easily move into other categories if you get what I mean.

    Some examples of various types of models:

     

    • High Fashion Model
    • Commercial Model
    • Alternative Model
    • Parts Model
    • Glamour Model
    • Hair Model
    • Urban Model
    • Promotional Model
    • Spokes Model
    • And the list goes on…

    Once you have figured out what type of modeling you are best suited for, you should do one of 2 things. Find an agency that specialized in the type of category that you are suited for or you should begin to develop your portfolio and other model marketing materials (comp cards, business card, social media, websites, etc.) in regards to the categories that you fit into. (If you sign with an agency they will assist you with developing the proper portfolio and materials to best “sell” you.) If you are 5”4’ and 125 lbs, you are not a high fashion model, don’t try to develop a high fashion image. You would most likely be a commercial model but not high fashion. Your pictures should reflect commercial imagery and not attempting to be a replica for editorial ads. For example, if you are a commercial model your pictures should look like this:

    Source – Pinterest

    And not like this:

    Image Source – Pinterest

    When building your portfolio and looking for some inspiration for the type of look you should be shooting for, get onto my FAVORITE inspirational app – PINTEREST! When you look on there, search for categories as it relates to you but end it with photography or photoshoot, for example, for myself and a beach shoot that I am currently planning on executing I searched “beach fashion photography” or “beach photoshoot” and it turned up thousands of examples that I could use to put together for my shoot, as well as taking note to the poses and angles that the models were doing to make those swimsuits, and clothes looks so great.

     

    Some factors to consider that will play into what type of modeling you should be pursuing:

    • Your age (Not your actual age, but the age that people perceive you to be, you can be 30 but look 18, modeling is about the look not the actual age)
    • Your body type (if you are slim, thick, muscular, etc. it determines they type of modeling you should pursue)
    • Your height
    • Your personality (if you aren’t comfortable talking to strangers, promotional modeling or being a spokes model would not be the best thing for you to pursue)
    • Your look (do you look high fashion aka a unique/strange beauty, or do you look commercial aka Your face is relatable and friendly for consumers)
    • Your location (your location will determine the type of work that is typically available to you, for example, NYC known for high fashion models, some acting. While in LA or Miami they are known for commercial models, acting, and glamour models.)
    • Your overall goals

     

    Ok, I think this post is getting a bit too lengthy so I’m gonna stop typing now! Lol

    Next post, I think I’ll address scams! Stay tuned!!!

    Comment below if you have any questions. Your answer may be addressed in my upcoming posts!

  • How I got started as a model…

    How I got started as a model…

    The header pic, is a pic from about 10 years ago, maybe more an 10 years, of my first swimsuit shoot in Atlantic City. I thought I was DOOOOOOING IT! lol Thank goodness that was the beginning and there was a lot of improvement to be had!

     

    Day 2 of the 7 day blogging challenge by Alex Beadon, and the challenge is to write about how you got your start as an entrepreneur. Since my modeling is how I got my start as an entrepreneur, I decided to detail that. If you want to know how it got me to start my business, I’ll be detailing that in the future on my company’s blog, “The Pour”

     

    Here Goes!

     

    What initially drew you in to become a model?

     

    I have a cousin that was a model when I was a kid. I remember looking at her pictures in her portfolio and some of her tear sheets from the ads and print work that she had done and thought to myself, I want to do that. The pretty, perfect, and polished look that she portrayed was what initially sparked my interest in modeling. I think I was around 9 years old when I realized a model is what I wanted to be.

     

    What challenges did you face?

     

    Well, the number one challenge that I faced was getting started. I didn’t know how or where to start, who could point me in the right direction, how to get work, what did I need to be a model, what was a scam and what was worth pursuing? And so forth.

    My first comp card. Thank the Lord for growth lol (that email address, I no longer use by the way)
    My first comp card. Thank the Lord for growth lol
    (that email address, I no longer use by the way)

    How did you overcome them?

     

    I did a lot of researching, back when I was starting there were a few ‘urban’ models who had websites that displayed their portfolios and resumes and also gave a lot of tips on how they got started (before blogging was popular) so I took some of their advice from their sites as well as other modeling advice sites and started out on pursing my career. A lot of what I have come to learn has been from trial and error and research to figure out what path would be the best path for me to try. Through my research, I learned that pictures are the main thing that will get you booked and without them you won’t be taken seriously as a model. SO I set out to do a photo shoot. I found a few social networking sites dedicated to models and photographers and I put a few pictures of myself on there that opened myself as looking to shoot in order to build my portfolio and I had a number of photographers respond willing to shoot me and a few even for free! I decided to shoot with one photographer (I paid him) and ended up learning a TON from my initial shoot and used those pictures to book more shoots in order to perfect my posing and my port, and thus I began to seek out work and the bookings started to come.

     

    How did you get your first booking?

     

    My first booking was fashion show that I was referred to do by the same photographer that I did my very first shoot with. It was for a local designer, I can’t remember her name, but I was booked for that show based on the pictures he showed her that he shot of me. I didn’t even know how to walk the runway I was a PURE newbie, Lol But I booked it!

     

    What has been your biggest lesson as a model?

     

    The biggest lesson I have learned as a model is the vital fact that pictures and your network can and will take you places. Without the pictures and without knowing people you won’t get far. It’s like the saying goes, “Its not always what you know, its who you know and who knows you.”

  • Allow me to reintroduce myself…

    Allow me to reintroduce myself…

    My name is Hov, (Oh) H-to-the-O-V.……..
    But not really tho! Lol

    Hi I'm Alean

    If you haven’t figured it out by the domain name of the site, my name is

    Alean Elston

    (AL-leen ELS-ten)

    and welcome to my digital space!

    I’ve been modeling for 12 years now (and still getting stronger) and as I’ve gone about in my career I’ve come across some awesome people and learned a lot about business and a ton about myself. What I’ve realized is that I learned the most when I shared with others and when they shared with me. It enabled me to grow and I hope that I’ve enabled others to grow as well. With that being said, my goal is to connect with the aspiring models, the professional models, the drinks and business enthusiast, and the beverage and modeling/entertainment industry folks who want to follow along with me in our journey with my blog. I believe that if you are one of those people, then we have a few things in common.

     

    I love modeling, modeling led me to start my own business, starting my own business enabled me to work with various beverage brands and sparked the passion of me working within the beverage industry. All of these things are very connected in my life and if you have a passion for any one of those things, there is where we share our connection. I’ve been in your shoes as the inexperienced model, looking to find out how to get started and how to start booking shoots, shows, and getting paid. I’ve been the business owner that struggled (sometimes I still struggle) to get the first client and develop the momentum to continue to build a customer base. I am the person passionate about cocktails and wine and beers and wanted to learn all I can about the business of it, I’m also the blogger that lives life just like you but my goal is to share my experiences and ideas and to connect with those who share the same sentiment, and build and grow.
    The one thing that I hope that you take away from my blog is that you can have multiple goals but they mean nothing if you don’t pursue them. All it takes is a few baby steps towards your goals for them to gain traction and watch it grow faster than the speed of light. I’ve watched it happen to a number of my peers, and now it’s my turn.

    Watch me work.
    If you need to reach out to me with any questions, or you would like to work together please don’t hesitate to email me – alean@aleanelston.com

  • How to Get Work as a Promotional Model #modeladvice #modellife

    How to Get Work as a Promotional Model #modeladvice #modellife

    Follow my blog with Bloglovin
    It’s a lot simpler than you think. If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen that I work a lot of events as a model for various beverage brands, in addition to the work that I do with my company (Pour Models) as a special events bartender and model. I make a good portion of my income as a promo model for various brands and I am always asked how others can get started doing this type of work. I know if looks fun and it is, fun that I get paid for having and I get paid to travel to do.

    Me as a Promotional Model for Remy Martin!
    Me as a Promotional Model for Remy Martin!

    With that said, here’s my advice on how you can get started working as a promo model making anywhere between $20 and $50 per hour and more!