Alicia Irizarry (Wilmington, Delaware) |
|
Name: Alicia Irizarry
Location: Newark/Wilmington, Delaware Age: 23 y/o Height: 5' 3" Weight: 129 Tattoos/Piercings: No Tattoos/Couple piercings For inquiries please click here...
Click here to listen to Alicia's podcast, "Through Blue Lenses"
|
What sparked your interest in modeling?
I started dreaming of being a model in high school. I was a very shy person, and still am, especially in front of the camera but I imagined I could one day be that super pretty, sexy model you’d see in a magazine, on a billboard, or a website. An old co worker of mine is a photographer and asked if I would like to model for a shoot with him when I was about 18. That was the first shoot I was ever a part of and from there I continued to work with him and branch out into the industry.
I started dreaming of being a model in high school. I was a very shy person, and still am, especially in front of the camera but I imagined I could one day be that super pretty, sexy model you’d see in a magazine, on a billboard, or a website. An old co worker of mine is a photographer and asked if I would like to model for a shoot with him when I was about 18. That was the first shoot I was ever a part of and from there I continued to work with him and branch out into the industry.
We saw that you participated in the Maxim Modeling contest. What can you tell us about that experience?
The excitement of being in a competition such as Maxim Covergirl is great but it can get stressful. You are picked from a pool of several applicants, placed in a group, and compete to move up in rankings each week. It’s a lot of self-promotion and work to get people to put in the effort to vote for you. Free votes can only take you so far, donations to the charity that Maxim supports gets a voter more votes for the day. I don’t expect people to spend money just to help me get more votes, even though I appreciate it. I started to accept that I wasn’t going to be in the competition much longer. In the end I was in ninth place of my group and would have had several more rounds to go to win the whole competition. A competition like that can be fun but it’s hard when your placement is based off of votes online rather than what modeling coordinators or scouts for the magazine think of your modeling fit/ability.
The excitement of being in a competition such as Maxim Covergirl is great but it can get stressful. You are picked from a pool of several applicants, placed in a group, and compete to move up in rankings each week. It’s a lot of self-promotion and work to get people to put in the effort to vote for you. Free votes can only take you so far, donations to the charity that Maxim supports gets a voter more votes for the day. I don’t expect people to spend money just to help me get more votes, even though I appreciate it. I started to accept that I wasn’t going to be in the competition much longer. In the end I was in ninth place of my group and would have had several more rounds to go to win the whole competition. A competition like that can be fun but it’s hard when your placement is based off of votes online rather than what modeling coordinators or scouts for the magazine think of your modeling fit/ability.
From your Instagram, I saw that you've had multiple hair colors; red, blonde, blue and brown. What inspired these changes? What is your favorite hair color you have had?
Ever since I was a kid I gravitated towards different styles and love to stand out from the crowd. I went to a highschool that didn’t allow for alternative hair colors so when I graduated I dyed my hair bright red like The Little Mermaid. The hair dying process can be very expensive however, so after that I went back to my natural color. Currently I work in a salon so I’ve had better connections that allowed me to dye my hair frequently and try so many different colors. By far blue is my favorite and I miss it a lot but it’s a lot of work. Many people don’t know the work that goes into upkeep and how easily you can stain your skin, clothes, nails, towels, and bed sheets if you’re not careful. I've had the chance to browse your YouTube Channel and watch a couple of your videos. What made you interested in doing YouTube? What is your favorite type of videos to film? In high school I discovered makeup tutorials and I fell in love with how creative it could be. I’m a very artistic person so when I saw what the YouTubers could do I was fascinated and wanted to be a makeup YouTuber. I made a couple videos back then but I didn’t really know how to film, edit, and think of content. Fast forward a few years and I now study media communications in college. What I learned in my classes inspired me to give YouTube another try. Once I started making content and practicing I wanted to try making comedy skits for my Instagram page. My favorite videos would have to be comedy ones, or anything I can be a lively personality in because I love when people tell me how much they laugh watching my videos. |
It seems like you are super comfortable in front of the camera! Are there any disadvantages to being a freelance model/Youtuber? Advantages?
There are plenty of disadvantages to being freelance but many advantages as well. Starting with the disadvantages, I don’t have any help. I was lucky enough to know a photographer that helped me get into this industry and navigate through it but I still have a lot of work to do on my own. Without the help of an agent or agency, it’s up to me to make a name for myself, get out there, communicate with photographers and coordinate everything for my shoots. I have gone months without booking a photo shoot and so I decided the best thing I could do was to take pictures myself and put them on my Instagram for promotion of myself as a model. The more I did that, the more confident I became with myself and modeling and now I’m more comfortable with other photographers. I have been able to do a boudoir photo shoot which I dreamed of but never thought I would have the courage to do. The advantages are that I am able to decide what I like, I do my own hair and makeup and I feel I can embrace my own style rather than fit into a mold someone else has made. That same idea fits YouTube, I am able to be my own person and make content I want. Doing my own hair, makeup, and content also gives me a chance to practice many different styles and skills, so I only push myself to learn more. While this can be a lot of trial and error, I like the challenge.
There are plenty of disadvantages to being freelance but many advantages as well. Starting with the disadvantages, I don’t have any help. I was lucky enough to know a photographer that helped me get into this industry and navigate through it but I still have a lot of work to do on my own. Without the help of an agent or agency, it’s up to me to make a name for myself, get out there, communicate with photographers and coordinate everything for my shoots. I have gone months without booking a photo shoot and so I decided the best thing I could do was to take pictures myself and put them on my Instagram for promotion of myself as a model. The more I did that, the more confident I became with myself and modeling and now I’m more comfortable with other photographers. I have been able to do a boudoir photo shoot which I dreamed of but never thought I would have the courage to do. The advantages are that I am able to decide what I like, I do my own hair and makeup and I feel I can embrace my own style rather than fit into a mold someone else has made. That same idea fits YouTube, I am able to be my own person and make content I want. Doing my own hair, makeup, and content also gives me a chance to practice many different styles and skills, so I only push myself to learn more. While this can be a lot of trial and error, I like the challenge.
Is there a certain aesthetic or style that you strive for when doing a shoot?
My style is very all over the place, I can be dressed in all black clothes and black makeup or I can be frilly, colorful, or nerdy. The style of a shoot usually depends on what I decide on with the photographer. If I’m doing my own photo shoot at home it’s usually with an outfit I just bought or had on and thought would be really cute. |
Do you have a favorite clothing brand or favorite line of makeup products?
Hot Topic is for sure one of my favorite stores, they have everything for my little heart could desire. I especially love their Disney and Nightmare Before Christmas items. Forever 21 is also a great place to shop when looking for fun styles. As a college student I don’t have a lot of money so I try to find quality makeup that won’t hurt my wallet. NYX, Wet n Wild, Revolution Beauty and L.A. Girl always have great stuff for a great price and they’re cruelty free! If I’m deciding to spend more, then Urban Decay is a great brand I’ll look at. |
Explore Other Local Models...