Meet our featured beauty with brains Nina Parinas, an accountant and a model based in Sydney, Australia. Here is an interview with her.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Whenever I get asked to talk about myself, I tell people that I’m just a girl next door. I’m a travelling corporate Accountant during the week and a model at weekends. I have an Economics degree and ended up working in banks. As a 20-year-old fresh uni graduate, that would be the last place one would want to be. I later on decided to do a Master’s degree in Accounting while working. While doing my Masters, most of the prerequisite subjects were in Law, which I found very intriguing and interesting. I came close to shifting my Masters to a Law Degree, but finally I thought court gowns and wigs would cramp my style, so I decided to stick to Accounting. I guess grey suits aren’t so bad and at times I wear light grey just to make a fashion statement! In my free time, which is a rarity, I do a lot of volunteer work – emceeing and hosting community events, running chamber of commerce events to help small businesses, radio presenting and church work.

I came from an aviation family background. My dad and brother are both pilots. I’ve spent more of my childhood weekends flying than actually playing in a playground. I learned riding my bicycle on a hangar and runway – true story! We grew up in different places and I could speak 4 languages and two dialects. Growing up I had the best of both worlds – Asia and Europe – in our household. My Dad is Asian but Mum is Eurasian. My parents are like chalk and cheese but both are eccentric, smart & cultured.

I’ve lived most of my life in Australia and I would never live anywhere else. Having seen most of the world, Australia is the closest place to paradise. Not many would believe this but I’m very academic. Time permitting, I’m always enrolled in a course, even when I don’t have to be. My brain has got a separate career from my mind and is always running at a hundred miles an hour. It’s like having in-house entertainment! My hobbies are cycling, running, ice skating, skiing, sailing, board paddling and canoeing. I love music and am always singing, even though I can’t. This is why I’m an Accountant. When the weather gets warmer, I’m going to learn scuba diving with my brother who is not just a pilot but a scuba diving instructor as well. Let’s test the waters if I could sing better underwater.

2. Who inspired you the most?

My Dad was always my guardian angel. He never ceased to amaze me with how generous, patient, understanding, humble and smart he was. His empathy is the best thing about him. I am what I am now because of him. He shaped me more than both of us realise. His endless faith, belief and trust in me made me hardwired to do my best no matter what, no matter when. The trait that best gave me my life mantra is honesty. He taught me to be comfortable with who I am. To others, what they see is what they get – except the modelling shoots because I’m not really a fairy, fallen angel, princess, or hunter goddess!

He sacrificed so much to make sure we came first. He is my shoulder to lean on and an ear when I vent. My poor Dad, that Spanish blood in me miraculously becomes so alive when I “air my grievances”. I love you dad and just wished I’ve said it more.

3. What are your goals in life?

Life doesn’t always turn out the way you planned, so my goal is always to do my best in any circumstance that presents itself. To make life less complicated I use SMART goal setting (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) but even with that life is a roller-coaster of unexpected outcomes. What do I do? I just ride it.

Have I achieved my goals in life?

Pretty much, I have what I “need”, not “want”, and I’m content with that. I am always driven but I’m a very grounded and easy-going person. Every day and everyone is a privilege and I never take them for granted. My daytime profession helps set up people for life. I sometimes feel more like a psychologist or family counsellor after helping people sort out their issues and hopefully they can sleep better at night, even if sometimes the trade-off is me lying wide awake at night. As a model, I always go out and shoot hoping that I will touch someone’s life with the idea that there is hope, love and happiness. Once I was on a White Angel shoot in a freezing isolated forest and out of the blue a family came along a walking track and the little girl said to her mum “Mum look! Angels do exist”. That was the best compliment I ever had, despite being close to hyperthermia. The White Angel shoot nearly turned into Blue Angel!

4. What is Women Empowerment?

Women empowerment is not a fad, it’s a process. Empowered women aren’t perfect but they rise above the occasion after hurdles and disappointments. We take risks and work hard to achieve the optimum result. An empowered woman knows her strengths and weaknesses and isn’t afraid to embrace them.

From my daytime job’s (Accountant) point of view – women empowerment or equality means business and from my weekend job (modelling) – I’m sticking to the same view. Women’s full participation in all sectors builds stronger & sustainable economies and improves quality of life, not just for the women but those who depend on them – family, workplace, marketplace and community.

To be empowered means to be in control of your life, be aware of your capabilities and ready to take on your dreams and those who stand in the way. It is being determined, confident and fearless. It’s having faith and belief in yourself so that you may be able to empower other women and men, both young and old.

A key to being empowered is to soar high with eagles, not ducks. When you surround yourself with hard-working, successful, empowered women who can encourage you and be an example for you when times get tough, your thoughts and actions are geared towards something along those lines. I do engage with people who don’t hold the same values – we do not have a choice sometimes! However I always make constant conscious decisions about who I invite into my life.

Women Empowerment is not a fad or trending hashtag. Even in this modern world, there will always be sexism, racism, or many other discriminations that are labelled differently. There will always be a person who will make you feel less worthy than you are. Rather than protesting, stand up for yourself, because no one else will. An empowered woman will always hold her head high and sometimes I imagine myself with a tiara, just like on one of my shoots. We do not have to be victims anymore.

Feel free to contact her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nina_parinas/

‘Woman – An Enigma’ is the first of a series of fashion photoshoots, which aim to empower and uplift women through fashion, give them more self-confidence and make them feel beautiful inside and out. Some of the ladies participating in the projects are battling cancer and need all the support they can get.

Fashion photoshoots/ events showcasing the external beauty of a woman is very common, but those highlighting the inner beauty of a woman is rare. That’s why we will be using real women rather than perfect looking models for our projects, to portray the fact that women don’t need to be perfect, it’s their flaws that make them unique and beautiful.

Another purpose of the photoshoots is to provide a platform for women business owners to promote/ showcase their products and skills like boutique owners, makeup artists, hair stylists, photographers etc.

Meet our featured beauty with brains Amanda Thompson, an artist based in Sydney, Australia. Here is her story.

“Hi, I’m Amanda, the artist behind Amanda Thompson Artworks. Born in Perth, Western Australia, I started drawing and painting at a young age (apparently on the wall behind the sofa)! I was always interested in art and craft, but really only started taking art seriously when I was in my teens. I completed 2 years of art classes at high school level, but did not continue with any further training. I can’t say I loved the structure of high school art classes, I prefer the kinaesthetic approach to learning – give it a go and see what happens!

I’m inspired by my mother, who is a talented (award winning) painter. We have worked on pieces together and had an exhibition together in Perth many years ago. I am hugely inspired by my surroundings.  I have lived in Perth, Brisbane, London and Milton Keynes (UK) and now living in the Sydney Hills, where there is an abundance of wildlife to inspire me. I also love to travel, experience new cultures, environments and influences.

I tend to lean towards a quirky and impressionist style, but my portfolio includes a range from Acrylic landscapes, bright Ink and Watercolour paintings, through to black and white Zen drawings. Over the last few years I focussed on commissioned pieces, created mostly in Black Ink, however have returned to bright Inks and Watercolours. My latest works are predominantly inspired by Australian wildlife, however you may be lucky to find a floral piece in my range from time to time.

I predominantly sell prints of my work, on various mediums including Fine Art and Canvas.

At the moment, I create my art part-time, with my other ‘day job’ working in Human Resources. I have also worked in retail and have a passion for Homewares and gifts. I just love beautiful things!”

Here is an interview with her.

1. What are some of the challenges you face and how do you overcome them?

One of the major challenges I face is finding the time to paint. I work part time in an office, so on the days when I am at home, I’m usually doing housework. It’s a matter of making myself schedule time to create. Sometimes the housework has to wait!

Another challenge is working through times when my creative side isn’t present. I have learned to listen to my intuition and not to force it. I feel that if I try to paint during these times, I don’t create my best work. I just step away from creating art until the feeling of motivation and joy (MOJO) is back again.

2. What is your advice to budding artists?

Try different mediums and have fun with your art. Remember that “Comparison is the thief of joy” and not to compare your success to that of other artists. It may appear that they’ve become an overnight success, but in reality there’s usually years of hard work that has gone on behind the scenes. Also remember that Art is subjective. Not everyone likes the same thing, so don’t be discouraged if your work doesn’t always win prizes or sell. There’s someone out there who will love it and buy it, they just haven’t seen it yet.

3. Do you have a favourite painting which inspires you?

I have a painting of a sailboat on the open ocean. It was painted by my mum and I absolutely love it. It is calming, but also reminds me of her every day. She lives in Perth, Western Australia, and I only see her once or twice a year, so it is lovely to have a piece of her always with me. She has several pieces of my artwork too.

4. Do you interact with the digital world/technology in your work?

Technology is a huge part of my work as an artist. Last year I was encouraged by friends and family to start selling prints of my work, rather than only originals.

I taught myself how to take high resolution scans of my artwork and make it print-ready. I work with a print company in Brisbane who I send the high resolution digital files to, and they print my work on a range of paper, canvas and acrylic blocks.

I set up an ecommerce website to display and sell my prints. Once an order is placed, I receive a notification, then I send the order to the printer (either by email or via their website) and once it is ready, they ship it directly to my customers.

I use digital media (Facebook and Instagram) to advertise my work, run giveaways and show what I’m currently working on.

Technology has helped me reach a broader audience than having a shop front (although I’d love to have my prints in homewares shops one day too!).

Amanda would like to offer our readers a discount too. If they use the code EBWB10 they’ll receive 10% off any print order via her website (www.amandathompsonartworks.com.au) for the month of September.

Meet our featured beauty with brains Ripsy Mongia, a businesswoman based in Melbourne, Australia. She is the owner of Ripsy’s Boutique in Melbourne. Her boutique deals in ladies western gowns as well as Indian dresses. She is happily married and the mother of two beautiful children. Since childhood, she loved playing dressing up games, which she still loves doing. She feels there is nothing better than turning your passion into a profession. She loves dressing up others as well, as it gives her immense pleasure to see her clients happy and smiling when they look at themselves in the mirror.

Here is an interview with her.

1. How do you define style?

I feel style is a distinctive manner of expression. It is something very individual and unique, everyone has their own style. I believe everyone is stylish in their own way.

2. Who or what inspired you to start your own business ?

If you are passionate about something then you will have all the inspiration you need to make it happen, just believe in yourself. Because I had the passion to start my own business, anything and everything was my inspiration.

3. What is the best thing about owning your own boutique?

The product selection process, as I get to handpick from all the fantastic stuff I see. I am also very proud of the relationships we have developed with our customers who are very loyal to us. And I love the freedom having my own boutique gives me, while raising my two small children. It never feels like work.

4. What was the biggest challange you faced?

Spreading the word and getting the boutique known to people was hard in the beginning. Social media was a really usefull tool in this respect and we used it right from the beginning.

5. What has the feedback been like so far?

Absolutly brilliant, the nicest part is when I receive thank you texts from my customers. I know then that I am doing it right. I love my work.

Meet our featured beauty with brains Rachna Mittal, a Makeup Artist based in Melbourne, Australia. Here is her story.

“Let me Introduce myself. I am Rachna. I believe in a simple life but don’t mind living it with a little style. I belong to a Punjabi family and was born and brought up In New Delhi, India. When I was little, I lost my father. I can’t even remember his face. My Mum was my super Hero. She looked after me and my little brother really well even without any support from family. I love and respect my mum a lot. Hats off to her for everything she did for us. She passed away in 2016. I miss her a lot. Hope her soul rests in peace.

I was lucky to get married to my husband in 2009. Settling down in Australia was not easy as finding a job here was difficult. In 2010 I was blessed with a daughter. She is my life.

A year after she was born, I started looking for a job again. My husband suggested that I do a childcare course so that I can get a job easily but I wanted to get into the Beauty Industry. At that time we were not financially strong and couldn’t afford the fees of Beauty Training in Australia.

Finally I had to go for a Government funded Childcare Course. After finishing the course, I got a job in childcare. I was earning money and life was good but I still wasn’t happy. I wanted to do what I love to do. So with my husband’s support I took up a part time job and enrolled in a Diploma of Beauty Therapy course with few other courses like Makeup, Hairstyling, Skin Analysis etc.

It was time to do what I love to do. I Started my home based salon in 2017 with the blessings of God, my parents, family and friends. Then I approached the Media as a MakeUp Artist should work with Models, Photographers and event Managers. I am loving it.

I believe all women are beautiful. They just need a little magic touch and they look gorgeous. Every woman has the right to look her best.

I started enjoying my life again. I don’t have to look at my watch again and again as now I don’t feel like I am working since I love what I do. When I see my clients’ smile, I feel so good about myself. To me, it’s not about the money, it’s about making people happy, making people beautiful and and making people feel relaxed. I get a sense of self-satisfaction and self-achievement from that. I am thankful to God for blessing me with skills and ability to make people happy.”

Feel free to check out Rachna’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MakeoverbyRachna/

Meet our featured beauty with brains Rupali Katoch, a Makeup Artist based in Melbourne, Australia. She is only 23 and feels that often people don’t trust her to do a good job as they think she is too young and doesn’t have enough experience. Well they don’t know that she started doing Makeup when she was just 5. She used to do makeup on herself and her mom. She was an artistic child, painting on her house’s walls as well as portraits. She did a diploma in Makeup and Hair Artistry after finishing her secondary school.

Here is an interview with her.

1. Tell us a bit more about your childhood. What were your parents and family like and did your parents support you in your goals?

I was the first child of my parents. My parents were very happy to be blessed with a baby girl. I was the first child so obviously I got more attention and love until my younger brother came along.

I was around 5-6 years old when I started doing painting and colouring. My father worked for a private firm and his pay wasn’t much. But my parents still admitted me to an ICSE(Convent) school which was expensive. My Mom and Dad are both well educated and hard working. Whatever I have achieved today is because of them.

We are from a small town in Punjab (India). So there weren’t much opportunities in my hometown. My mom and dad were very choosy about my and my brother’s education.

I completed my secondary school. Then one day my father asked me “Do you want to go abroad for further studies?”. My Mom was like “No, not at all.” I was scared as well. I was scared how will I survive as I had never lived without my parents. But my Dad gave me confidence and we decided to give it a go.

I passed every exam with good score, then I researched which country is good and which course to enrol in. I wanted to do Interior Design but it was too expensive. I joined a Makeup academy in India and did a diploma in Makeup and hair artistry. I started earning at the age of 17. I started a home business and started giving lessons to poor girls for very low fees, on eyebrow threading, waxing, bridal makeup and so on. After a year, I joined an academy as a Teacher. I was the youngest teacher there. After a few months I got my Australian visa.

Starting here was very hard as a Makeup artist because everyone thinks I am too young and sometimes don’t trust me. I started doing free makeup just to showcase my talents.

2. What fascinates you about your work?

I was very creative from childhood and painted on the walls of my house. I still have them at my home. I used to do makeup from when I was a kid. Makeup always fascinated me. After learning proper makeup, I started watching youtube, then started trying what I learnt on my Mum.

I am fascinated by Indian bridal Makeup. It always looks flawless and I try my best to learn how to do that.

3. Tell us more about you as a person. What are your dreams and hobbies.

Me as a person, hmmm, I think I am friendly and love to talk to people. I am confident about my work but not over confident.

I love to learn from my seniors. I think we should support each other, I have never missed a chance to support anyone because in return I want the same as well.

My hobby, passion, everything is Makeup.

But I am a good cook as well according to my mum and dad.

My dream is to be a renowned Makeup artist and be very successful in my own business before I get married. My second dream is to be able to give everything to my parents. I hope I can fulfill all these dreams. I am trying my best. I am studying, doing part time job and managing my little makeup business as well.

I think my hard work will pay off one day.

Feel free to check out Rupali’s Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/katochrupali/

Meet our featured beauty with brains Sanjivani Kalsi, a Tarot reader and Reiki master based in Sydney, Australia. Here is her story.

“Hi, I am Sanjivani Kalsi, tarot reader and reiki master. I work with tarot cards and energies. I started using cards to find out what God and Spirits wanted me to know. I offer my advice and guidance through the cards and divine messages. Tarot is not about revealing the past, present or future, but about giving you access to self knowledge.

I have been a professional Tarot Reader and a Reiki Grand Master for over a decade. I work from home. I am a mother of two, blessed with one boy and one girl. Tarot was introduced to me as a gift from the Universe. It came into my life as if I have been chosen and it was God’s wish that I should do tarot. Many times I decided to do different ventures but every time I found myself surrounded with spiritual energies and I embraced my intuition gifts; working as a healer, tarot reader, teaching reiki. I take my passion as a profession, l might make less money but the satisfaction and blessings are more valuable than anything. My approach to tarot is to provide a positive, insightful and meaningful experience for each client. I want to help everyone find their wisdom in the card.

Very typically, a reading can give us a lot of information that helps us take decisions in each aspect of our life. It can give us a bit more detail or guidance. It can tell us how new things are trying to work their way into our life and what we need to do in preparation.

My spiritual journey led me to explore and study Reiki and numerology as well. I consider myself a regular girl. I love spending time with my husband and my kids.

I have had the honour of reading for family, friends, neighbours and clients. It has been my privilege to be of service as a confidante and advisor/counselor.”

Meet our featured beauty with brains Rashi Sethi, a mortgage broker based in Sydney, Australia. Here is her story.

“What’s behind the numbers? It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. We all live in a world of cash and profits. Everyday we talk about numbers which is related to our past, present and future. I am Rashi Sethi (founder of VIRTUE HOME LOANS), a mortgage broker by profession. I do what I love and I don’t think I would’ve fit in any other industry. I came to Australia in 2003. I started my career with GE money and moved on to different levels and companies within this respective industry. It was never an easy journey for me to dream and work on my dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Being a mother of two girls, I have always given my family a priority before anything else but never let my dream die. I decided to be an independent broker and work for myself in 2016. This was the year when I decided I no longer wanted to work for any bank or institution particularly. This doesn’t mean that I gave up on my hobbies which included singing and little bit of modelling as well as socially helping women to achieve their self confidence in their respective lives. I believe every woman is strong and worth the wonderful life she desires.

Being my own boss gives me an advantage of being with my family when they need me and at the same time working with all the banks. I think neither everyone is suitable to any one lender nor one lender is suitable to all. Everyone’s needs and requirements are different and doesn’t fit the same frame every time. I love my job and this gives me a sense of satisfaction in what I do.”

Meet our featured beauty with brains Simran Gulati, a model based in Sydney, Australia. She is the reigning Mrs India Global 2018 and Mrs India Australia 2016 – 1st runner up. She is also an actor and a humanitarian who uses her pageant platform to raise awareness about social causes close to her heart. She is the Brand Ambassador for a couture Indian brand, Elysian Desire. Simran is a mother of two and very active in the Indian Australian community where she encourages and supports women in the community by empowering them. Her education background is a Double Degree in Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance) and Information Technology (Information Systems) from RMIT, Melbourne.

She helps in raising awareness of community issues. She feels there are women who are struggling to juggle their multiple roles in life – a professional, a mother, a wife, a caretaker and many more. There is a lot of stress that comes along with that, and a woman often forgets or selflessly doesn’t think about her mental health while she is busy keeping up with her responsiblities. Simran’s role is to help women individually and in a group environment and connect them with like-minded women to empower them so that they don’t feel that they are alone and connect with others to instill mental stability. She has teamed up with Liptember, an organisation which focuses on women’s mental health and she is currently helping raise funds and looking for ways to raise even further awareness in the Indian community.

She works with the women across the Indian community on a one to one basis and helps them raise their confidence and makes them believe that anyone is capable of achieving anything they set their mind to.

Here is an interview with her.

1. What do you think are the main challenges today in reaching gender equality?

I believe as the world is evolving, we have already made great strides towards reaching gender equality. However, there are still some countries which are trying to reach the status quo. Some of the challenges we face are based on the traditional thinking of where a place of a woman is in this world. I believe it’s about education and challenging the norm to overcome that. Women are always going to have a chip on their shoulder to prove themselves, and I believe it’s a good thing as that gives them an edge and more motivation to prove themselves. The best way to overcome a challenge is to prove you can do it and I believe women all over the world are doing more of this than ever before.

2. Share an experience where you helped/ empowered a woman and it changed her life.

I have worked with many women from all facets of life including women who have been scared to challenge themselves because of what others would think. One experience I would like to share is when I met a woman who was very stressed about her role as a professional, mother, wife, and a caretaker and that affected her mental health. I felt I could relate to her as we are all busy. I spoke to her on a regular basis and gave her tips on how to deal with stress and juggle life roles. I also told her not to forget about taking care of herself. I helped her develop a fitness regime and to take care of her mind and her body. It helped her to challenge herself and to become a better person. By just being there for her and empowering her to look at life through a different lens has helped her excel in all facets of life. Giving your time to someone is the best thing you can do for them.

3. What is your advice to young girls who want to grow up to be beauty queens?

Just be yourself. Beauty isn’t about what is on the outside, it’s about how you are on the inside. Staying true to yourself and having a cleansed mind is the most important part of being a beauty queen. People judge beauty queens on not only appearance but how much difference you can make in lives and the community that surrounds us.

4. What is the most rewarding part of your work?

The most rewarding part of my work has to be the joy that I feel by helping others. It’s nice to see my efforts come to fruition when I am able to make a difference in people’s lives, whether it’s just giving advice or making a difference in the community where a little thing one does can have drastic effect on others.

Meet our featured beauty with brains Jasmin Shojai, a model based in Sydney, Australia. She is an internationally published model, entrepreneur as well as an aspiring actress.

Here is her story.

“My dream to become a ‘supermodel’ began when I was a young girl. I was inspired by many models and TV shows such as ‘The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’, and ‘Next Top Model’. My journey in modelling all began in 2015. I have since taken the industry by storm, competing in the National finals of pageants in Australia, including Maxim’s Australian Swimwear Model of the Year, while also appearing in Playboy and Maxim magazines internationally, and appearing on National TV, most recently Channel Ten’s The Sunday Project.

One of my biggest achievement so far has been winning the National title of ‘Australia’s Top Glamour Model of 2017’, which has since given me a lot of local and international exposure.

Modelling and acting has been my passion since the beginning. I am striving to achieve many more inspiring goals that I have set up for myself, within the modelling, business and screen acting industry.

When I am not working I love going to the beach and keeping up with my fitness regime. I love animals and am a big believer in justice. I want to do more charity work and hope to make a difference in society.”

Here is an interview with her.

1. Who or what inspired you to become a model?

As I was growing up I was always inspired by the models I saw on TV and in magazines, for example ‘The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’, ‘Next Top Model’ and Vogue. They were really amazing to see. I did my very first photoshoot 2 and a half years ago and I remember having so much fun. It was such a wonderful experience, I wanted to be there all day. Since then I have never looked back.

2. What is your advice to girls who want to be successful models when they grow up?

Definitely be persistent and most importantly be yourself. The industry undoubtedly is a competitive industry, for everyone. Invest time and also money into developing yourself, and your career. Things like one on one posing lessons, catwalk training and short/long term courses make a massive difference. Especially for beginners, you need to know what you are doing and have a foundation of knowledge, and training.

3. Which part of your job do you find most exciting?

Every second of my career is always exciting. Being on set and working for the camera is what I love most.

4. What are your future goals?

I have many future goals. I look to progress with my career as a model and do covers for major magazines. Being featured in Playboy, Maxim and FHM has been so phenomenal. I would love to be on their covers one day. With my developing career as an actress I look to act in a Television series and in Films one day. At the moment I am doing acting classes and I am enjoying it so much. There are a lot of amazing things to look forward to in the future.