AleanElston.com

Tag: model

  • Detroit, MI – #afeTRIPPIN

    Detroit, MI – #afeTRIPPIN

    [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”1″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″]

    For a random time in my life this year, I’ve spent about 2 months living in Detroit. This gallery is a snippet of the visuals that I encountered during my time there. I was able to take the time to view some of the city’s beautiful site and drink in what Detroit has to offer. I will be updating this gallery as I finish goint through all of the pics on my phone…lol

  • Should You Pay to Join A Modeling Agency?

    Should You Pay to Join A Modeling Agency?

    Should you pay to join a modeling agency?

    Lemme get straight to the point….NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    The End

    via GIPHY

    But seriously…No, You do not have to pay an agency to represent you.

    When it comes to getting representation by an agency, you will have a percentage deducted from your check that will pay the agency for representing you. it can be anywhere from 15% – 25% depending on the agency and your contract. When it comes to spending money in regards to working with an agency, they may ask you to get your pictures done to their standards or to take acting classes. They may have a list of recommended photographers or acting coaches that would be able to help you but you don’t have to use them its completely up to you. They give you these reccomendations because your model tools may not be the right tools for them to use to market you properly.

    For example, you may have a ton of photos in your portfolio in the style of an editorial or high fashion model. The agency that is interested in working with you feels that you would make the most success as a commercial model, so they suggest you get a few shots done that represent your commercial look. If you get them done, great, you should start having work in no time. If not, expect that it will be hard for the agency to “sell” you to clients.

    If an “agency” asks you to pay money to have access to various jobs that are available, it’s not an agency, its a job listing service and if they are portraying themselves as an agency and not a listing service, don’t bother spending money with them. That just screams SCAM to me.

    As a model, or with any profession, you don’t need to pay to get work. With the internet and social media, you can find information on various bookings and agents that can help you along in your journey, you just have to do your work and build your network to help you grow.

    Read my post on how I got started in my modeling career!

    Alean Elston, Pay to join a modeling agency
  • Black Models and “Professional” Hair

    Black Models and “Professional” Hair

    Black models hair is so unique and versatile. One of my most Frequently Asked Questions is, How should I wear my hair to a Casting?

    More specifically, I get that question from Black aspiring models the most.

    So how should you wear it to a casting…Its a simple answer really.

    Wear it HOWEVER you want, just make sure it is out of your face.
    In essence:

    via GIPHY

    If you have a huge afro…wear it (as long as its out of your face)
    If you have a lace front…wear it (As long as its out of your face AND looks natural)
    If you have a weave…wear it (As long as its out of your face)
    If you have a relaxer…wear it (as long as its out of your face)

    via GIPHY

    …see where I’m going with this?

    You can wear your hair out, up, down, and swirled around town. Just make sure it is out of your face.

    BUT

    Be prepared to possibly be told that they will want to style your hair differently to fit the look for the booking. If its something your aren’t comfortable with, be professional and say “thank you for your time” and politely decline.

    Then move on to the next gig.

    Want to know if you should wear braids to a casting?
    Check out my post about braids.

    Alean Elston, Model, various hair styles and focused on black models hair
  • 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!

  • FAQ: I have braids/weave, should I wear it to a casting? #modeladvice

    FAQ: I have braids/weave, should I wear it to a casting? #modeladvice

    I get asked this question all the time from young models of color who want to break into the biz. In my experience, you should not wear your braids or a weave to a casting. Personally, have never worn braids to a casting but I can tell you that when I have been considered for bookings (after being submitted via a photo casting) and we start discussing the look for the show/event/shoot and I tell them that I currently have braids or faux locs… I can almost guarantee that I won’t get booked unless I am willing to take them out and have my hair styled according to their guidelines/desired look. Have I ever taken them out for a booking, YES and I only did it if the pay/project was worth the time and energy to take them out. It sucks sometimes but that is, unfortunately, the nature of the business.

    When you go to an in-person casting, more than likely the job they are booking you for is not going to be styling your hair in braids and even if they are, they need to see what the current state of your hair looks like. Most models of color are not wearing their real hair in the first place and if they are it is in an afro (kinky or curly) or it is a low cropped cut.

    My Advice:

    Wear your hair how you like it. Be sure it is out of your face and make sure it shows off your face in the best light. With that said, I advise against wearing braids to a casting. Braids don’t show off your hair in its current state and if you wear a weave make sure it looks realistic, don’t wear bangs, and be easy on the baby hairs. Also, Stay away from the lime green and other unnatural hair colors.

    The key to hairstyles for a casting: make it look as natural as possible even if it is a weave.

  • 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!

  • “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

  • I changed my name…on Social Media ;-)

    I changed my name…on Social Media 😉

    For the past 10+ years on various social media networks my screenname was “CompleteBeauty”. In 2015, I turned 30 (dun dun DUNNNNN) and I took a look back on my digital life and re-evaluated how I am known online and if it really reflects me. I have been modeling and working with various beverage brands for 8+ years and most people that know me offline know about my passion for beverages. I realized that the “CompleteBeauty” name no longer reflects all that I do. I love doing shows, shoots, and being in front of the camera, watching and being a part of the business and marketing of it, and especially the events. For me the modeling and the beverage industry have gone hand in hand. It’s opened a lot of doors for me and enabled me to go places that I haven’t gone before and start a business that I never dreamed that I would start. I wanted my online persona to reflect that and thus I am now:

    @TopModelWithBottles on Instagram and

    @TopModelwBtls on Twitter

    I am still keeping my website name the same. AleanElston.com won’t be changed anytime soon, but you can expect more content about my passion for beverages in addition to my modeling and model advice/tips.

    My online life is finally going to be a reflection of my real life…and that’s Modeling and beverages 🙂

    Follow me! – If you let me know you found me via my blog, I’ll follow back!!!! 🙂

    Follow-Instagram

    Follow-Twitter

  • Reader Question: I have Pimples. Can I Still be a Model?

    Reader Question: I have Pimples. Can I Still be a Model?

    Recently I have been getting a lot of questions about modeling and going to castings, but this one I decided to share because it seems to be a recurring theme, especially among teenagers who want to pursue modeling. Check out the reader’s question below and my response.

    Reader’s Question:
    I have casting this coming Sunday. However my face has some scars and white heads and I’m just wondering if they’ll look at all my white heads and all because I’m sooo not flawless…. But I’m still growing. I know I’ll have clean soft skin if I don’t have these pimples. So I’m wondering if they don’t really care about the scars because makeup artists are able to do makeup for me next time, or do they really want clean face girls? I planned to cover up with foundation and concealer but you said they want to see you as you are. So I’m really not sure. What if I cover up and next time they are shocked to see my face scars?

    My Response:
    Your skin condition will be looked at when you attend a casting, you are being judged on your appearance, it’s the nature of the business. They may ask you about it, they may not, but you should be honest about its condition if asked about it. With that said, if you attend the casting, you should wear makeup to cover the scarring and even out your skin tone. Makeup won’t cover the pimples from being seen it will just take away the color of the scarring or redness, which will still allow you to be seen as a blank canvas. Should you get booked for the job, you should communicate your condition with the person who booked you so they can prepare for production.
    Will your skin count against you? It’s possible. It takes more work/resources ($$$ for editing, makeup artists, [which isn’t always provided], etc.) to work with a model with problem skin compared to one without them. People in business like to control costs and stay within budget and time constraints and problem skin could hinder that. To increase your chances of being booked in the future, I strongly advise adapting a regimen that will help you achieve smoother skin. Usually a pimple here or there most agents look past it.

    *The reader’s question has been edited.

    So what do you think, am I right? What advice would you give to this reader? Do you have a question that you want me to answer about modeling? Comment below and I’ll do my best to get back to you ASAP.

    This question originally appeared as a comment on Model Advice: What to Wear to Casting Calls and Go-Sees