Jenny AluningArticle by: Dasein
StarCentral Magazine’s Beauty Guru of the Month for April 2014 is not from the US, Canada, UK, or even Australia, but from the lovely country of Croatia. She only started posting videos on YouTube two and a half years ago, but she has already been recognized as an authority in fashion and beauty. In a very short span of time, her viewers have grown from hundreds to thousands because her approach for looking good suits almost everyone.
Adriana Braje sees beauty as a celebration of the uniqueness of every individual. “What I love most about beauty and fashion is that it never looks the same on anyone,” she explains. Her style is aimed on showcasing the beautiful differences of each person regardless of skin color, body shape, or anything that sets us all apart.
The 18-year old beauty expert was not really a fan of makeup or cosmetics. She was a serious student and most of her time was spent studying and improving her academic rank in her class. However, one day, she stumbled on a nail art video on YouTube and found it quite interesting. After she finished watching the video, she searched for more of the same content, and Adriana was hooked by the end of the day.
Currently, Adriana, who reveals she cannot live without a blush, is juggling school work and making daily YouTube videos. She does not really consider what she does as a career but more of a hobby, and a way to relax from an exhausting day at school. Also, she enjoys reading a lot of beauty books, especially the ones from her favorite makeup artist Bobbi Brown, and browsing the internet for more amazing ideas for her blog.
Moreover, she feels being in junior high is quite an advantage. “High school gives me the opportunity to see makeup looks that haven’t been retouched and I think that’s also a really important part of the makeup world to see,” she clarified. “If you want to be a good makeup artist you shouldn’t start from the perfect looks, but from the common mistakes to learn how to correct them in your work.”
Aside from acquiring more knowledge about which lipstick color to use, or how to put on mascara, she has also gained a better understanding of herself, and life in general from her experiences. The most valuable lesson in this point of her life is the realization that you just cannot please everyone. She expresses, “if you are constantly trying to please everyone you’ll never know who you truly are. The moment you stop doing that everything starts falling in its place and people who really matter are still going to be there for you.”
And certainly, those that really matter in her life have always been there for Adrianna. Her parents and the rest of her family, who have supported all of her effort, are very proud of her. She considers them a blessing and feels extremely lucky to have her parents.
Undoubtedly, Adrianna is one focused and intelligent young girl. And as for her future, she imagines to still be posting more and more videos for her site, and continue to help and provide beauty tips to her viewers. She also plans to work in the beauty in industry someday, after completing a degree in Pharmacy or in Business, which she hopes to study in another country.
‘LIGHTNING FAST’ Round:
1. What is the one beauty product you can’t live without? Blush, I think it makes big difference in your appearance.
2. What is the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to change your looks? For me it was cutting my long hair. I didn’t cut it too short but it was short enough to look like I’m a different person. I do like short hair on me but I also miss having long hair so currently I’m growing it out.
3. What is in your makeup bag when you travel? A good eyeshadow palette with both matte and shimmering shades, favourite foundation and concealer, Mac mineralize skinfinish natural, favorite blush, mascara,eyeliner and of course, lipstick/lipgloss combo.
4. What is the one “flaw” you wouldn’t change about yourself? My teeth. They aren’t straight and that’s something I hated about myself for a long time. Today I think it suits me and I don’t want to straighten them.
5. Your best guilty pleasure… Ice cream. I could eat them 3 times a day, and I usually do.
Official blog: http://www.TheTeenOpinionOriginal.blogspot.com
YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTeenOpinion
Jenny Aluning
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Jason Harris
