True beauty goes way beyond looks. It's about your heart. It's about loving others as you would love yourself. That being said, you need to truly love yourself. Accept yourself from the inside out and want what's best for you.

I'm a wife and mother of 3 who has dreamed of modeling since I was in my teens. I auditioned for school fashion shows and casting calls to be an extra in movies and documentaries, only to be rejected. Back then, it wasn't much of a surprise, so I gave up because I felt society's beauty standards were harsh and unattainable. I was a short, curvy teen with acne and I was constantly bullied over my appearance. To add insult to injury, I was one of the very few Black students in a predominantly Italian school. They called me a fat bear, an ugly monkey, Black this, Black that, and even the n-word. I let myself get caught up in an emotionally abusive friendship at the age of 13, which added further damage to my self-esteem. I believed all the lies that were fed to me. I felt I was trapped in a body I didn't want. I hated myself for not meeting society's standards. I wanted to be tall, a size 6, and have flawless skin. I even felt that if I wasn't Black, maybe I'd be prettier. I was ashamed of calling myself Black because I didn't feel that Black was beautiful. For many years, I neglected myself because I didn't think highly of myself. Thankfully, I found a man who loved & accepted me despite my self-worth, and greatly helped me on my journey to my self-acceptance (we're celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary this year). Only recently did I fully accept my appearance. I've never loved and nurtured myself to the extent that I do today. I believe the best thing to do during a battle is to come out stronger than before. All the experiences I've been through, including the lack of self-acceptance, were nothing but a long battle. I've come out stronger and better than before. Now I have nothing but love to give those around me, as well as myself.

I love fashion and I love expressing myself artistically as well. My hobby consists of making jewelry, which combines both.