I’ve always been undercover about this, but when Cosmo on Campus and Levi’s Curve ID set up their station right on the library lawns today, I went. I went, forsaking all logic and common sense, to stand in the snaking line in the scorching heat so that I could be fitted, made-up and photographed for my very own “cover photo”.
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| The promotions team gave us umbrellas for the sun- top form. |
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| Ladies busy with the fitting inside. But really I took this picture because I thought the collage on the door was cool. |
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| The setup outside was really creative. The jeans on the ladder, the beach chairs and the suitcase of flowers are just so cool and casual. |
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| I love the theme they chose for the decor of the station. I’m hiring them to do my apartment one day 😉 |
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| The make-up station. *sigh* Oh, to be a kid in the candy store of bronzers, blushes, and amazing lip colours… Revlon, do you hear me?? |
So. I was in the line, I made a few friends, and I was “practicing” poses in my head.
I got measured, and then I was sized-up- literally, this girl said: “…it’s my job to look at people’s bums and tell them their size. I know my stuff”- and given a pair of jeans to try on. The first pair failed me dismally. Mostly because it was a 32, and I’m a 38 (on a good day). The zip would not close, so I asked for another pair. It had occurred to me while I was still standing in line that these fancy brands might not have regular sizes, but for a mini-makeover I’ll give anyone the benefit of the doubt.
The next pair was a 30. A 30 – not even my little sister wears that size. But, I visualised flashing lights and a fan in my hair, and actually found myself thinking “okay, suck it in”. In the space of 10 minutes I went from ‘if it’s not in my size, it’s just not worth it’ to ‘I will suffer for beauty’. If ever there was an oxymoron, hey?
Anyway. I tried on the next pair. Wait, let me be honest: I pulled the jeans on with a lot of shuffling and squeezing, and finally buttoned them up. Wow- “suffering for beauty” indeed.
Next was hair and make-up. Or, in the case of a girl whose hair doesn’t really require much “doing” outside of an afro comb, just make-up.
The two ladies who did my make-up (yes, two: one for eyes and face, another for lips and cheeks- they had a sort of assembly line going) did a really good job! It would be nice if I could look like this every day:
Then it was the moment of truth: picture time.
I was deciding how I would stand, while I watched the other girls take their pictures. The girl who went directly before me was so good, I almost asked her if she’d done any modelling before! I was intimidated, even though I knew that the whole thing wasn’t nearly as serious as I was making it out to be.
When it was my turn, I attempted a “sideways over-the-shoulder” pose, and then a regular “hands on hips with a smile” pose. I chose the second picture for the “cover”, because I looked less…well, frumpy, in that one than the first one, which no one besides the photographer will ever know about.
In the end it was just a matter of picking the lesser of two evils, though, because this scowl I have on my face here was not part of my plan either!
I don’t think this is what Tyra means by “fierce”.
Oh well, I tried. I still want to be featured in a magazine one day, though. But maybe not as a cover star, because sucking things in and posing around isn’t really my style.
I was irritated by the lack of jeans sizes, and I’m still not sure how I really feel about this picture, but I think I did pick up a “tip” from the photographer about these hands on hips poses. All he said to me was “…one hand must be higher [up] than the other…”, but I think if I combine that with the “…push the part of your body which you want to appear smaller, further away from the camera…” which I got from one of Tyra’s shows, I’ll always be “photoshoot ready”.
Eish. Life of a “modlara”. 😉
*Both decor pictures found at the Levi’s Jeans For Us site.
Nkhensani Manabe 