Guess What You Can Find In A Thrift Store: A Fox Fur Coat

So, I went to a thrift store in PG County Maryland and guess what I found…A Fox Fur Coat! Yes! I was so excited! It was exactly the fox fur that I wanted (white, mid-length) but didn’t even think to buy for one reason or another. When I saw the price, I almost died. It was only $15! So of course I had to buy it.

The sleeves are just a little short and it is engraved with someone’s initials. But hey, who cares. I’ll wear extra long gloves. And no one will have to see the inside of the coat. HAHAHA!

Kim Kardashian, Rosa Acosta, Draya Michele and More Spotten Wearing Hair Chains. But Are They For Everybody?

It seems like everybody is jumping on the hair chain bandwagon. Kim Kardashian was spotted a few days ago in LA wearing a golden hair chain while shopping with her buddy Joyce.

And a few of Hip-Hop’s favorite Video Vixens have teamed up with Haute Headz Hair to promote the spring 2012 collection of hair chains. Girls like Zena Foster, Rosa Acosta, Sheneka Adams and Basketball Wives of LA star Draya Michele are all models for the line.

Though some celebs seem to love their new accessory, I’m not sure how hair chains will look on the general public. Though hair chains are fabulous on some people, they can easily look like a hot mess on others. A poorly placed chain, the wrong hair style, or even an oversized head can cause a hair chain to look more like a construction workers helmet light. Not cute at all.

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Ashley GaGa Interview: Andrea Archer Dishes On Life As A Makeup Artist, Working With Divo's And The Item She Can't Leave Home Without

So, how do you know if you’re a makeup artist? Well, if you’ve ever studied the eyeshadow combinations on your Barbie dolls or even arched a few eyebrows in your high school cafeteria during lunch, you are probably a makeup artist.

That’s exactly how Andrea Archer knew she was a makeup artist. This Glam Diva has been playing with colors and arching brows since before she could drive. And those skills have led her to a very positive career.

In an exclusive AshleyGaGa interview, Glam Diva speaks with us about how she got into the business of beauty, what it’s like to work with diva’s and what makeup trends she would gladly see die.

When did you fall in love with makeup and how did you enter into the beauty industry?

My love affair with makeup dates back to about 8 years old!  I would love studying the eye shadow combinations on my Barbie dolls.  I also remember being fascinated with the makeup looks on the Soap Opera stars. Their makeup was always so perfect. 

I unofficially entered the beauty industry by arching eyebrows for my closest friends in high school during our lunch breaks!  My official start, however, was with Mary Kay Inc. shortly after the birth of my first child (she is now 9 years old). I fell in love with the way my clients always felt beautiful after our appointments.  Later on, I decided to take a part time job at Macy’s at the Benefit cosmetics counter because I was just so in love with the art of transforming women’s viewpoint of themselves simply by teaching them a few key makeup tricks. After child #2, I took a short break from makeup, but I couldn’t stay away for too long.  In 2006, I completed a Basic Professional Makeup certificate program at Il Makiage in NYC, and the rest is pretty much history in the making!

Who have you worked with so far?

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More Behind The Scene's Footage Of My Rue 114 Shoot

The images from my Rue 114 shoot are finally in and I can't WAIT to show you all the pictures!
The video above is an actual behind the scene's look at me and Allison (the other model) on set that day. We had such a blast!

Remember how I told you that the brownstone we were in was super dusty, which made it difficult for everyone to breathe? Well, thankfully the issue with the dust didn't come out in the photo's.

See more pics after the cut.

A Behind The Scenes Look At Joan Smalls In Chanel's Spring 2012 Campaign Shoot

I couldn’t be happier for Joan. She’s such a stunning beauty. You probably see her all over the runways in NYC, Milan, and Paris and in almost every single Vogue you can think of. And I’m sure you’ve seen her in campaigns including: Gucci, David Yurman, and Estee Lauder.

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Interview: Allison McGevna Talks Life As A Plus-Size Model, What She Can't Leave Home Without And Why It's Important To Love Yourself

Allison McGevna, model, fashion reporter,pretty much does it all. Though you may be unfamiliar with the name, I’m sure you’ve seen Allison before doing her thing for Apple Bottoms, Baby Phat and Roca Wear, or between the pages of Sister 2 Sister, Jet Magazine, and Black Enterprise (to name a few). And if you think all of this success has gone to her head, you couldn’t be further from the truth. What I love most about Allison is her humility and willingness to help others. She’s such a down-to-earth chick.

Recently Allison McGevna, my newest model buddy, agreed to do an interview for AshleyGaGa.com. Her insight into the world of modeling on the other side of the scale, how she’d like to impact the world, and the importance of loving yourself for who you are, are priceless.

Big Jump-Start Question: What got you into modeling, how long have you been modeling and how did you get started?

I always wanted to model because I am a total ham in front of the camera, but I never thought it would be something I would be blessed to call a job for me.

I modeled as a child all through college, doing local shows and catalogs, but I didn’t begin pursuing it professionally until I started working for Baby Phat when I entered a model search they held [4 years ago.]. At that time, it was both a professional and financial blessing and one that, when I was initially submitting, I never thought I would get.

I got started after working as a fit model for Baby Phat after I entered a search. They called me in and offered me a job on the spot doing fit work for them. I worked my way up from fit to catalog to eventually getting to do web campaigns. From there, I started learning about getting an agent, getting professional photos done and becoming a professional model.

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How To Become A Model Pt.1: Two Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Get Started

So you want to be a model. Well, welcome to the pool of millions of other girls who want to be a model, too. Every morning, girls from all over the globe wake up with dreams of bright lights, fabulous clothes, glitzy runway shows, and makeup and hair in their eyes. And every evening, those same girls come home tired, dazed, and confused because no matter how hard they tried that day, they are no closer to their dreams than when they woke up. So, what’ s a girl to do? What can a girl to do between the time she wakes up and the time she goes to bed that will make her that much closer to her dreams?

In this new Ashley GaGa series “How To Become A Model” I’ll reveal to you the real deal behind Model World. I’ll explain to you all the secrets of how to find an agency, book your own gigs, and essentially, become a model.

Two Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Get Started

There are two things you need to think about before you begin striving towards a career in modeling and they are: 1) why do you want to be a model and 2) at what point in my life will I call myself a model. These are very important questions because they alone will help you determine how far along in this industry you will go. If you want to model for the love of the art then you probably will be a model for a major part of your life and if you call yourself a model at the appropriate time in your career, you will be taken more seriously. Your answer to both are crucial and will help to determine how smooth of a ride your journey towards  modeling will be.

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