2017-1-28 Andreja Pejic: "I'm Not a Perfect Person, but I Am Here Telling My Story"

On Being the Face of Make Up For Ever

"It means a lot of different things. On a personal level, it was a great achievement in my career to have such a unique and a forward-thinking brand choose me to collaborate with. I feel like our messages are interchangeable, and it’s just a very good fit. It’s even more exciting to keep the collaboration going and come out with a second campaign. I feel like both of us have grown together over the years. People love our campaigns. Whenever I go, [people] compliment [me] on how important it is to them — [it’s] a lot of young people in the LGBT community."

Feedback on Her Make Up For Ever Ads

"People say, 'major' and 'slay' [laughs]. . . . I feel like it's giving other brands the green light. I’ve seen a few more steps being taken in that direction, which is really exciting! It feels like I’m a part of something new. It's worth noting that for a lot of trans women makeup can be more then just about looking pretty. It can represent a sort of armor that helps them 'pass' in daily life and avoid discrimination. Make Up For Ever is very good at recognizing that — spreading that message — as well as the wider messages of having fun and playing around with makeup."

On Being Called a “Role Model”

"I always say, for me the idea of what a role model has become in pop culture is someone that is expected to be this perfect person, an angelic being. And as soon as people see that they are not, they flip out in some way — as humans do — because no human is perfect. They get criticized so much. So I’ve told many interviews, I’m not a perfect person. I don't do everything by the books. But I am here and I am telling my story. I’m trying to affect some sort of change. You’re given this platform and this exposure, and you have this influence on people."

On Inspiring Her Fans

"It happens daily. Sometimes I don’t feel inspired very much. The world that I’m in, that we’re all in, can be very fickle, very superficial, and quite selfish. So it is natural to lose inspiration sometimes. I go on my Facebook messages and my Instagram messages, and I see people in the LGBT community who find my career and my story inspiring. It has helped them come out to their parents, own their truth on the playground, or keep strong in the face of bullying. [There are also] people who aren’t even in the LGBT community — middle-aged moms! — who find my story very interesting and are inspired by it. It’s a compliment. It's nice when you can build bridges between communities. And it inspires people from all different walks of life. At the end of the day, I am a human being and this is a human experience like anything else. I can learn from you and you can learn from me."

How the Face and Voice of Beauty Has Changed in 2017

"There is more variety. I feel like the traditional dictators of beauty, large corporations, have a certain kind of palette. They have decided what beauty is. The grip on that is loosening. You have social media influencing everything and kids on YouTube doing their makeup in their bedroom and their videos are going viral. Their aesthetics are completely different from a huge company in Europe. But people are responding to it. It’s becoming more democratic. And it’s becoming more diverse. There is a push to do something different, to do something challenging, that's not just about a pretty face anymore. Like the new America’s Next Top Model: you can’t just be a pretty face. There’s a good point in that. When I started out, it was very different. Models weren't expected to talk about anything. It was frowned upon to do interviews and much less activist stuff. But now it’s becoming important and expected of you to do so. Beauty is becoming more exploited."

Her Makeup "Gateway Drug"

"I think I was like 3 years old [when I started wearing makeup], going through my mom's makeup kit and trying on her lipsticks and blushes. Makeup was such a fascinating thing throughout my childhood. It defined what it means to grow up as a woman. You go to work, put on your lipstick, and that’s what my mom would do. I would watch her and was forever fascinated. Probably the first product that I adopted for personal use would have been black eyeliner, when I was 14 or 15. I was a bit of a scene kid, emo if you’re more familiar with that term. I listened to metal. That was the aesthetic. And a pale foundation. I wanted very pale skin."

What to Eat For Clear Skin

"Sometimes what you take in has a bigger affect on the skin than you think. I have gotten into the habit of doing a smoothie every morning. I have my own recipe, which I should patent. But I will tell you the secret. I put in spirulina powder and organic matcha, which is amazing. I put raw olive butter and raw honey. I add raw organic pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseed meal, spinach, berries, and avocado. It's my breakfast. I’ve been getting compliments on it since I’ve been doing it."

How She Enhances Her Bone Structure With Makeup

"I like to sometimes work against my face, and sometimes I like to soften it a little bit, because I do have strong features. I do a lot of contouring. I try not to contour in severe lines. Obviously blending is extremely important. Make Up For Ever taught me a lot about going over with another brush and really blending the blush and the highlight together. I’ve been beginning to bronze lately, too, which I feel like I stayed away from since I was a kid growing up in Australia. Bronzer is a little overused, but just a bit on the cheeks warms up the face."

Her Favorite Lipstick Shade

"I just got the new Artist Rouge by Makeup Forever. There are so many good colors. This product really stays on forever. I’ve gone out and eaten three courses, and it doesn't move. For Winter I’m really getting into the M500. It’s a warmer red, like Bordeaux even. For Summer, I’ve been getting into oranges. C303 is good. For lips I try to plump them up a little bit and make them bigger; I outline with a lighter lip liner than the actual lipstick. So that creates a more natural, plumper look. I’m not a huge fan of the overly overdrawn lips. I don’t want to make them look fake."

Beauty Trends to Try in 2017

"I feel like makeup is moving into a not-so-perfect direction. I guess its a reaction to the YouTube videos where everything is so perfectly drawn with perfect lines. I’m getting into more smudged and a little messy makeup. I don't do it as much for the red carpets because I have to be a bit more natural and glam for that. But definitely for festivals and parties. I love to throw a bit of glitter on my eyes. Make Up For Ever has amazing glitter. Part of the new Artist Collection is the artist's eye pencils, which come in a crazy amount of different colors. And I like mixing blue and purple and yellow and different shades and smudging it."

----來源: popsugar