Wednesday, February 26, 2014

GLAMOUR GAL: Jessica Stevens

Jessica Stevens Health & Happiness
Glamour Gal Summer 2014 

This month's featured Glamour Gal is Gold Coast fitness trainer and model Jessica Stevens. In this exclusive interview Jessica talks about her fitness routine, her secret to ah-mazing skin and how she stays positive.  

We are thrilled to feature you as our new Glamour Gal. Jessica what makes you feel the most glamorous? 
Jessica: Thank you so much! I'm thrilled to be an Eco Glamour Gal. I love the healthy and positive message that all of your girls promote. It's a privilege to be included along side so many influential women.  
Okay so when I feel most glamorous? With my job as a personal trainer I spend most of my days in gym tights, sneakers, hair in a messy pony tail and have no makeup on. It's definitely not the most glamorous job in the world! So I really do appreciate the rare times where I get to look pretty in a dress and heels. I love the feeling when I get my hair and makeup done by a professional make up artist, that would definitely be when I feel the most glamorous. They always make me look and feel like a million dollars! 



Jessica featured in the 2014 Wet N Wild Calendar 

Sexy Stevens. In her spare time when she's not being a personal trainer Jessica enjoys modelling. She  featured as Miss October in the 2014 Wet N Wild Calendar along with 13 of Australia's hottest bikini models. She was also named the International Kickboxer Girl of the Month in the Nov/Dec 2013 issue of International Kickboxer magazine. 

Jessica was recently crowned Oz's Sexiest Personal Trainer by Zoo Weekly magazine. She has been featured in Zoo Weekly a few times in the past but it was her recent sexy and steamy photo shoot that really captured their readers. Let's give her the nickname Sexy Stevens because she also landed herself on the 2013 Gold Coast's Sexiest Women list. 

You always look so glamorous in your modelling photos. So far what's been the highlight of your modelling career? 
Jessica: There has been so much happening lately, it's been crazy that it make this a hard one to choose. Recently I was lucky enough to get a 6 page feature in Zoo Weekly Australia with photos from my first ever proper photo shoot, so I'm going to say this! The photos  were the beginning of my modelling and fitness journey so it's really wonderful to see them be such a success. This photo shoot was definitely a milestone for me as I have always admired the girls who shot with Harlem and never thought I would be one of them… they all looked so gorgeous! After training for a while and falling in love with a healthy lifestyle, I decided that I needed a specific goal to work towards which lead me to booking this shoot. I was so determined to train hard and be the best that I could be for it. When I look at these pictures, it represents so much more than just a photo shoot. It reminds me that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Set a goal so big that it scares you! This is what I did. I was only new to fitness and very fresh to the modelling scene so I really felt like the pressure was on for this shoot. Doing something different and out of my comfort zone scared me, but I have learnt that life happens at the beginning of your comfort zone. 


 
Harlem Productions

Can you describe yourself in five words? 
Jessica: Oh this is hard. I can be a little crazy and outgoing but then I can be shy and reserved at times. I think overall I would have to go with the following: independent, outgoing, determined, optimistic and adventurous. They seem to suit the way I am at this current time in my life. 



You may have noticed that Jessica has an incredible toned and tanned body. She is the face of Bella Bronze Tan, an Australian company that offers organic spray tans. For her photo shoots Jessica is tanned with 2 coats of their rapid organic solution. 

Jessica you always look so fresh and radiant. Can you tell us more about your beauty routine? 
Jessica: Thank you! Along with exercising, eating healthy nutritious food and drinking lots and lots of water throughout the day, I use organic skin care products on my skin. I cleanse and moisturise my skin twice a day with a vegan and organic skin care range. Another simple product I love to use on my skin is Coconut Oil. After I shower I use coconut oil as a moisturiser on my skin, it leaves your skin feeling ah-mazing! 


 
Angel Riley Photography 

Fit and Fabulous. 
Jessica is a Personal Trainer at Snap Fitness on the Gold Coast and shares her fitness routine with inspirational posts on her official Facebook page - Jessica Stevens Fitness. Jessica loves promoting a happy and healthy lifestyle. "I've always been passionate about being healthy and living a healthy lifestyle. I love helping others be happy with themselves." 

A job in the fitness industry is obviously a very rewarding career. What's your favourite thing about being a personal trainer?  
Jessica: Becoming a personal trainer is honestly one of the best things I have ever done! It's so rewarding to be able to share my passion for health and fitness with others and help them be the best person that they can be. It never feels like 'work' because I am doing something that I genuinely love to do and wouldn't want to be doing anything else. As they say, if you do something you love you will never work a day in your life! My favourite thing about being a personal trainer is that I have the opportunity to change peoples lives for the better. People come to me wanting to increase their quality of life in some way and I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to help them. I'm so grateful to have the chance to help others and also to have such a great network of people around me who are helping me learn and grow into the best trainer I can be. 


"Find what you love and do it daily. What you love to do is a sign of what you are meant to do. You can only express the very best parts of yourself when you are living in accordance with what you really want to be doing." ~  Jessica Stevens 

When it comes to your own fitness routine - how do you like to stay in shape?
Jessica: I love to have variety with my training routine. There are so many different styles of training available at the moment and it's so exciting trying them all out. The gym I currently work at has a functional training room so I have been playing around a lot in there, it's like a little Cross Fit box so it's different to your standard weights gym. In the past I have kept to a fairly consistent weight training routine but since mixing up my training style I am having so much more fun! At the moment I am doing a weight training routine around 3 times a week, boxing around 2 times a week and also some other functional training classes maybe once a week. Each week is different which keeps it very exciting and never boring. I love to mix it up and try something new whenever I can and I am always up for something new when I have the chance. One the weekends I like to stay active as well, you will usually find me down at the beach, bike riding or exploring the beautiful hinterland that the Gold Coast has to offer. Active living is a way of life and something I am so passionate about. I hope that sharing my daily life with those around me inspires them to live an active life as well. 


Obviously diet plays a key role in keeping a trim figure especially in Summer! What's your secret to maintaining a healthy diet? 
Jessica: Diet is definitely so important in order to have a healthy body and mind. Everybody has something different that works for them and for me I find that eating a whole food diet based around vegetables, fruits, nuts with chicken, eggs and seafood is what works best for me. I try and steer clear of any packaged processed food and nearly always read the ingredients list on what I'm eating. It's important to know exactly what you are putting into your body and I feel the best when I eat foods that have had little or no processing or haven't  been genetically modified. I buy organic when possible to ensure the quality of my food is the best that it can be. We only have one body and need to look after, respect and nourish it as much as we can. Drinking approximately 3 - 4 litres of water a day is also one of my secrets. 



Joyful Jessica. 
Jessica's smile is stunning. Her happy and positive attitude is so refreshing. You just need to scroll through her instagram photos to see her gorgeous smile in every photo. "I am a bit of a selfie queen."  Jessica knows that the key to success is happiness and doing what you love. 

Jessica you have such a beautiful smile. What's your secret to living a happy, healthy life? 
Jessica: Thank you so much! I really believe that positive thinking is one of the best and simplest ways to live a happy life. We all face challenges in life and struggle with our battles but it's up to us to make sure they don't negatively affect the rest of our life. I really find that being grateful and appreciative on a daily basis helps remind me how blessed I am to be living the life that I am. I think that we need to go through the hard times, heart ache and failure to be able to understand this properly though. Everything that I have been through has made me who I am today and given me the strength to be happy in bad situations, strong in hard situations and know what I truly want and deserve. 

How do you stay positive? you have a favourite quote or motto you live by? 
Jessica: I have so many favourites! I have an inspirational board in my room full of positive quotes and pictures on it to remind me on a daily basis what my goals are and what's important to me. I change what's on there on a regular basis depending on what is going on in my life. Starting your day off with a positive thought and reminder of your goals is a powerful tool that I would recommend to everyone. Too often people wake up and immediately worry and stress about what's going on in their life. Having an inspiration board in my room guarantees what each morning I start my day off with a positive visualisation to put me in a good frame of mind for the day. Three quotes that I have on my board at the moment are: 

  • Think it. Believe it. Achieve it.
  • Be stronger than your excuses 
  • Too blessed to be stressed 

There's no doubt that with Jessica's healthy and happy lifestyle, drive and determination to reach her goals and strength to overcome obstacles this woman is destined for success! We are thrilled to feature Jessica as our Summer 2014 Glamour Gal. Be inspired by Jessica and follow her journey via social media. 


Jessica Stevens
Facebook: facebook.com/jessicastevensfitness
Twitter: twitter.com/JessicatStevens
Instagam: instagram.com/jessicastevens
Tumblr: jessicastevens4.tumblr.com

a glamour gal embraces a natural healthy lifestyle, her inner beauty shines bright. She is a dreamer and inspires others to live a positive earth-friendly lifestyle. 
Jessica Stevens is a Glamour Gal. 

Monday, February 24, 2014

ECO ANGEL: Katy Perry

Katy Perry Prisms and Pearls 
ECO ANGEL Summer 2014 

This season's Eco Angel is pop princess Katy Perry! This sassy singer is known for her candy inspired outfits, coloured hair and number 1 hit songs, but there is much more to Katy Perry than just being a pop star. 

California Girl. 
Katy comes from very humble beginnings. Born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, she grew up listening to gospel music. Her mother and father are Pentecostal pastors so Katy attended religious schools as a child and sang in churches until she was sixteen. In 1999 she left high school to pursue a career in music in Nashville. After recording demos and playing guitar she landed her first record deal with a Christian music label. She recorded Christian rock songs and released her debut album in 2001 titled Katy Hudson. Unfortunately the album was not a success, so her record label dropped her, but she didn't give up! She moved back to her home state of California to pursue her dream. In 2004 she signed with Columbia Records but they wouldn't give her full creative control of her music, her album was cancelled and she was dropped from the label in 2005. Soon after she started working on her own recording songs for an album titled Fingerprints. Not to be confused with actress Kate Hudson she began to use the stage name Katy Perry.  It wasn't long before she was signed again to another label, this time it was Capitol Music Group. Third times a charm! In May 2008 Katy released her first single I Kissed A Girl followed by her 2nd album One of the Boys in June. The song was a huge hit and "Katy Perry" soon became a household name. In 2009 Katy got a cute strawberry tattoo on her left ankle to commemorate the success of her album One of the Boys


Hummingbird Heartbeat. 
The year following her album release, Katy announced her engagement to comedian Russell Brand after the pair had been dating for only a few months. They were married in 2010 in a traditional Hindu ceremony in India. 

Following the success of her first album and her first headline tour she began working on songs for her next album. In 2010 her candylicious number 1 hit song California Gurls lead the way for her third album titled Teenage Dream. The album was a smash hit and Katy became the first female to achieve 5 number 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 from one album. Katy commemorated her Teenage Dream album with tattoo of a smiling cartoon peppermint candy on her right ankle. It matches the peppermint font used on the cover of her Teenage Dream album. Katy always had a playful, fun nature and she showcased this during the album promo with her multi-coloured hair and candy inspired outfits. Hot off the heels of her California Dreams Tour Katy made her film debut as the voice of Smurfette in the family movie The Smurfs. 


Part of Me. 
During her California Dreams Tour Katy filmed an autobiographical documentary movie titled Katy Perry: Part of Me, which was a glimpse into her life in the spotlight. 
The film was released in 2012 and revealed the highs and lows of her life on the road. It exposed a vulnerable side of Katy that we had never seen before. Katy's husband Russell had filed for divorce in 2011, only 14 months after they married. Katy was devastated but she was in the middle of a world tour and as they say in show business the show must go on. 

After taking a break from music following the painful divorce, Katy released a new song titled Part of Me which many believe was about her recent break up. The song's lyrics included "You ripped me off, your love was cheap, I fell deep and you let me down." Although fans expected a new album, Katy wasn't ready, so her record company re-released her album Teenage Dream with bonus tracks under the title Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection

Prims and Pearls. 
2012 was a turing point for Katy. After the release of her movie she began dating singer/song writer John Mayer. Their relationship ignited a new passion and she began writing songs for her next album. "I know exactly the record I want to make next. I know the artwork, the colouring and the tone. I'll be very pleased if the vision I have in my head becomes a reality."  She titled her new album Prism after doing some self-reflection following her divorce. "The reason why I called this record Prism is because I actually finally let the light in and then I was able to create all these songs. [After] doing some self-reflection and just kind of working on myself."


Katy revealed her new sounds with her first single from Prism titled Roar. An inspirational female self-empowerment anthem about picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and how to keep going. "I got the eye of the tiger, dancing through the fire, 'cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar." In the music video Katy featured as Queen of the Jungle dressed in a leopard print bra and grass skirt. 

Prism features a new song titled Spiritual that Katy co-wrote with her new beau John Mayer. The song describes love as a feeling like your flying high as a kite and being under a spell. "Flying high as a kite on your love, lost in sweet ecstasy, found a nirvana finally." Katy seems very happy with John and she showed their love and devotion for each other in a new debut called Who You Love that features on John's latest album Paradise Valley. The song is about falling in love with someone. John Mayer said "Who You Love is a sweet melody that tells the story of opening your heart up and allowing yourself to fully love the person in your life."


By the Grace of God. 
Katy has always been a very spiritual person. After growing up in a strict religious household her views about God have changed over the years. "I believe there's this 'bigger than me' thing thats looking after me. I'm not a buddhist, I'm not Hindu, I'm not Christian, but I still feel like I have a deep connection with God." Katy's first tattoo was the word Jesus tattooed on her left wrist. In 2013 Katy became a global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador with a portion of her Prismatic World Tour going to UNICEF and other charities such as St Jude Children's Research Hospital and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. 


Dressin' Up.  
We all know Katy Perry loves to dress up so it was only natural that she would create some beautiful fragrances for her fans (known as KatyCats). Her debut fragrance Purr was released in 2010 and her love of cats influenced the bottle's design. The scent is fresh with a citrus twist featuring peach nectar, pink freesia and vanilla orchid. Frisky and feline, Purr's fruity floral scent is ready to pounce. 
She followed the success of her first signature scent with her second fragrance Meow! Katy describes the fragrance, "It's a sister fragrance. Purr to me was a bit more floral and Meow! is a little bit more sweet." Meow! features pear, honeysuckle and vanilla. 

 

Last year Katy created her third fragrance Killer Queen that features a gold and ruby red jewel shaped bottle design. The fragrance is sophisticated, powerful, edgy and reflects Katy's rebellious spirit. The sexed-up scent features wild berries, red velvet flower and liquid praline. 
 

In 2014 a limited edition of Killer Queen was released called Killer Queen Oh So Sheer. This light floral scent features a beautiful radiant lilac bottle similar to the original Killer Queen. This enchanting fragrance features purple plum, blackberry, red velvet flower and purple lilac. 

 

Roar.
Even though she's only 29 Katy has already overcome some major obstacles in her life which has made her a strong woman. Her journey so far and determination to follow her dreams is an inspiration to many. She is also inspired by strong women. "I love Angelina Jolie. Big time. There is something really mysterious about her. I think there is something always to be discovered about that woman, she has got such incredible mystique and she's so, so strong." 

Katy Perry is one pop princess taking control of her life and working hard to create a long lasting career. She is talented, driven, determined and approaches every project whether it be music, acting or being a Covergirl with a smile on her face. She is sassy, strong and intelligent and we know she is the one to watch for many years to come.  

Katy Perry
Official: KatyPerry.com
Twitter: twitter.com/katyperry
Facebook: facebook.com/katyperry
Fragrances: katyperryfragrances.com

This article is the featured cover story for our Summer 2014 issue. 

Saturday, February 15, 2014

SUMMER GODDESS: Renee Somerfield


Summer Goddess 
RENEE SOMERFIELD 


Glamour Gal and Maxim cover girl Renee Somerfield is our featured Summer Goddess



 

Luscious Lips

In Summer Renee opts for a lipstick that is fun and fruity to make her tan pop! 
Her favourite Summer lipstick is Lime Crime Geradium Lipstick, it's bold, bright and beautiful! 



Goddess Glow 
Renee loves to spend time outdoors especially at the beach and she always has a great tan! Renee gets her goddess glow with Naked Tan! "I've been a fan of Naked Tan products for years. I appreciate that they have always been cruelty-free. I love the Bronzing Mousse in winter and the Goddess Shimmer to enhance my natural tan in summer!" 



Ocean air, salty hair.
Renee uses Lush Sea Salt Spray to add body and volume to her golden locks. She loves effortless beach waves and this spray is one of her summer beauty must haves! The Sea Salt Spray from Lush gives shine to her hair and has a beautiful perfume of orange flower and grapefruit.  


Renee is wearing the Glisten bikini in Lime from Veve Glamour Swimwear. 


After scoring the 25th spot on Maxim's 2013 Hot 100 list Renee landed herself on the cover of Maxim Australia (February 2014) with fellow Glamour Gals Ellie Gonsalves and Sheridyn Fisher! 



Renee follows a healthy vegan lifestyle and in Summer she loves juicing! 

"I juice whatever I have in the fridge, usually what is in season."




"I can't go a day without my morning green juice! This chlorophyll-rich concoction insures I get my daily dose of super foods even if my day doesn't go to plan and I don't eat super healthy. What makes me feel beautiful is being kind to my body, my mind and my spirit. Nourishing my body with the food it needs, living my life with passion, love and happiness. Feeling beautiful on the inside will reflect on the outside." - Renee Somerfield 




Renee Somerfield 



If you love this article, you may also like these articles featuring Renee: 

 
Glamour Gal Interview                  Aussie Earth Angels