So, what exactly can one expect at a Pure Beauty event?  Pure Beauty was founded by Jessica Hoffman in 2008 as part of her mission to empower women and girls to live whole, healthy, and pure – pursing a positive self image and worth with the knowledge that “We are made to be beautiful…we are called to be pure.”  The foundation also believes that each individual is created by a God who loves them, and gives them value, but does not limit its audience to those who share the same belief.  Hoffman organizes and hosts gatherings to extend to ladies a message of sexual purity and self-value, with the hopes of lowering the amount of heartbreak, teen pregnancy, and STDs.  Jessica herself is a celebrity makeup artist and model, so the non-profit always reaches a wide demographic of individuals, which now includes – with the launch of Love is a Circus – a male crowd.  The message has expanded…

The message of Love is a Circus centered around, well, obviously love, but also the fact that love is wild, painful, exciting, dangerous, and a show to not only watch, but to join.

As the large crowd gathered for Love is a Circus, it was evident that this message was something that struck interest in many.  Mason Allbritten, age 27, a volunteer at the event and long-time friend of Hoffman, said, “It’s encouraging to see that people are open and willing to a relationship that is godly and pure.”  As he spun the cotton candy for hungry attendees, he explained how he’s shared a vision for love that is different from what is on the television shows and movies, one that involves “loving and respecting your significant other.”  Allbritten insight was a prelude to what was to come.

After the food and fun, came the main act for the night, set on a stage under banners which mimicked the look of a Big-Top, while the attendees observed from the “audience.”

What is love, then?

The answers that came throughout the night included that love is a choice, a sacrifice, butterflies, the reason to exist, and it is marked by a willingness to lay down ones life.  It’s also a risk – as Sonya Balmores Chung highlighted, “None of us are immune to bad things…it’s like a circus out there, you get stampeded on by the elephants sometimes.”  But, through the mess, often something beautiful comes.  Johan Khalilian continued the discussion of the dangers of love, “Love is painful, it opens the heart to hurt…the price to pay is your heart.”  He asked a very vital question everyone must present to themselves when standing on the platform, deciding whether to step onto the tightrope of love or not…

“Are we willing to pay the price to experience love?”

That’s where Love is a Circus brought the audience – to this one question.  Because the love that the speakers, and Hoffman’s foundation Pure Beauty, champions is different from the conversation that we most often hear, which involves sex, warm-fuzzies, and seeking one’s own satisfaction; real love, PURE love, involves a risk and sacrifice; it involves putting the heart out in the open, and giving it to someone else; it, finally, involves knowing we were created to love and be loved by a God who IS love. Khalilian describes, “Love exists…not in the shallows, not in the safe places, but the place that’s dangerous and deep.”  This love is “beautifully poetic,” he went on to describe, and, “our heart is yearning for this thing [called love].”  So despite the cost we pay to enter the circus, the thrill of the flips and the satisfaction of throwing ourselves into the show is worth it – the price is worth it.  Along the way, Hoffman reminds, “He [God] will make you beautiful in your time…He will make your love life beautiful in its time.”

The end of Love is a Circus does not mark the end of the discussion either.  After ACT IV comes our ACT V, and ACT VII and on and on, because something that becomes beautiful with time keeps growing and developing.  For Hoffman, she knows that continuing to reach women with the message of living whole and pure, and now to reach both genders with the message of a wild but beautifully-pure love is her purpose in life:  “I feel so alive when I’m acting out what God put in my heart.”  She claims she’s ready for the next event, even as Johan Khalilian prepares to speak on a cruise ship to men and women about relationships and love.  They both encourage people not to shy from love but to embrace and enter the ACT now:  Khalilian – “The words and dedication it takes to make a relationship successful begins before you get in a relationship”; Hoffman – “Do everything in your power to reach a place in your heart so you can love to the fullest.”

If real love is the greatest show on earth, are you willing to pay the price to join the thrilling arena?  One cannot fully answer this question without first learning how to be loved, and what better way to learn that than to seek out the God who claims to be LOVE itself (see the Bible, 1 John 4:8).  Can you hear the conductor even now, within, calling out, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, step right up and…

JOIN THE CIRCUS!”

To also join us in the furthering discussion, see the following links:

www.knowgodknowlove.com

www.dfsmag.com

www.purebeautyproject.com

www.johanluis.com

*(NOTE: titles to speakers’ topics given by the author of the article to summarize the stories and points each individual covered)

By: Krinda Joy

Image By: Chelsey Villiger

Out of all the different hues of color, the one that seems to be on the rise to popularity is orange. It’s the perfect color for the transition between seasons, as it can work extremely well as both a cool and warm tone. It reflects the moods of both winter and spring and will flow smoothly into spring as the months progress.

Instead of going out and buying mass amounts of orange colored everything (because too much of something is never a good thing), incorporate aspects of this fun color into your daily wear. One of the hottest ways to rock orange right now is through makeup. Orange lips in particular are becoming really popular. Celebrities from Scarlett Johansson to Lady Gaga have been able to beautifully pull off an orange lip. It’s like the wild best fried to the red lip, yet still has a sense of sophistication. It’s a bold color for lips as well as eyes, and when applied well, is sure to make you stand out from the crowd!

Another fun way to play with orange is with your nails. Nail color is always an easy way to spice up your look. Orange is bright enough to add a pop of color, yet subtle enough in not overpower anything.

In terms of fashion, add a few orange pieces to your wardrobe. From basic tees to scarfs, bracelets, and earrings. It will bring life to your wardrobe. However, you must be careful not to go overboard as too much can make you look like a pumpkin. Think of it as a color to accentuate what you already have as opposed to using it as a primary choice.

From various skin tones to various eye colors, orange is a color that works well on everyone. It’s different, unique, and is becoming quite a trend amongst fashionistas. If you’re in need of a fresh start or simply want to add some life into your style, orange is the way to go!

By: Gina Stornetta

The New Year is in full swing and with the help of these infamous words by Charles Darwin, I realized that I’ve been procrastinating with life.

Now, don’t get me wrong; I believe that I do have an amazing and blessed life and I’ve done some great things that others probably haven’t,  but I’ve been finding myself saying “I wanna do _____ someday,” more than usual lately and it struck me that I could very easily make that someday, today.

Why should we wait for the inevitable to occur before the things we are granted, get taken? There seems to be all these mysteries shrouded with time, and time, my friend, waits for no one.

Below are 20 things that I’d like to paint my life’s canvas with:

1. Kiss under the mistletoe

2. Introduce two people who eventually get married

3. Ride a mechanical bull

4. Shower in a waterfall

5. Learn how to belly dance

6. Pay a stranger’s tab at a restaurant

7. Write an article for the New York Times

8. Witness a wedding proposal

9. Pay for a stranger’s groceries

10. Take my parents on the vacation of their dreams

11. Visit a castle

12. Go on a stargazing date

13. Have my own star

14. Learn how to sew

15. Go to a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show…or become one, whichever comes first

16. Write a book

17. Become a zumba instructor

18. Go white river rafting

19. Fall asleep on the beach

20. Marry the love of my life

By: Ashley Kooblall

By: John James Muller

Vitamin D. When it’s cold out, staying inside is a better option than going outside for most people. There’s nothing wrong with staying in and sitting next to the fire. However, it prevents us from absorbing vitamin D, an essential vitamin which one acquires from the sun’s rays. Our bodies need vitamin D, and without it, our immune system can weaken which will make us more prone to catching a cold. Pick up some vitamin D tablets at your local drugstore, or consult a physician on the correct dosage you should take.

Washing your hands. Not washing your hands is a major way of spreading germs. Think of all the places you go on a daily basis. All the things you touch; door handles, public restrooms, crosswalk buttons, and much more. You’re coming in contact with thousands of germs. During a time in which many people are catching colds, the chances of catching something is only heightened. The best way to help prevent extra germs infecting your body is to keep your hands clean. If it’s too much of a hassle to get to a sink whenever you feel the need to disinfect your hands, be sure to carry hand sanitizers and wipes in your purse. They’re fairly inexpensive and are great tool to have in fighting against unwanted germs.

Drinking tea. Tea is a very calming, relaxing beverage loved by many. It’s perfect during cold winter months, as the hot and flavorful liquid is good in preventing and soothing a sore throat. Different teas come with different benefits. Talk a walk down the tea aisle and stock up on some of your favorites this season and do a little bit of research on finding which teas will provide you with the benefits that fit your personal needs.

Getting enough sleep. Exhaustion can end up on setting sickness. We’ve all had late nights where we wake up the next day and feel like we’re coming down with a terrible cold. Stuff like that happens every so often, but not getting a sufficient amount of sleep on a regular basis is not a good thing. Sleeping recharges our bodies and although you may feel the need to stay up, the deprivation can really take a toll on your body, which is not healthy at all. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep every night, as sleeping is one of the easiest and best ways to keep your body in an overall healthy state.

Don’t let winter wear you down this year. Take charge and do your best in keeping your body healthy by preventing germs from entering your system.

By: Gina Stornetta

Image By: Valerie Chiang

The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline. Your body should stay in a pH range of 7.35 to 7.45 in order to maintain ideal health.

Testing your pH is easy too! Strips are available at most health food or health care stores and can easily be done at home. Otherwise, just make sure that you are eating an equal balance of both acidic and alkaline foods, and emphasizing the alkaline.

Acidic foods:

Meat

Bread

Butter

Nuts

Cheese

Chocolate

Eggs

Fish

Flour

Honey

Pasta

Rice

Root vegetables

Sugar

Wheat

Wine

Alkaline foods:

Apples

Bananas

Beets

Blackberries

Broccoli

Carrots

Coconut

Cranberries

Flaxseed

Garlic

Grapefruit

Lemons

Lettuce

Mango

Olive oil

Onions

Oranges

Plums

Soybeans

Spinach

Strawberries

Watermelon

By: Alia Barbano-George

Image By: Sophie Xu

1. Honesty is the Best Policy

We have the ability to find out the truth in any situation. Heck, we’re paid to do research and investigate (and sometimes stalk with discretion) and sift through short-lived sugarcoated secrets. Sure, we’ll pretend to be surprised when you let the cat out of the bag, but don’t act like you just told us something we already didn’t know.

2. Don’t Assume. Know

If your mother says she loves you, check it out – how’s that for a journalists’ daily mantra? The lesson here is to never, ever assume. Instead of making an fool out of you and me (grammatically, you and I), prove your assumptions (sources welcome) and communicate them effectively.

3. Grammar is Sexy, Speak Accordingly

With the AP Stylebook as our Bible grammar offenders will be held accountable under our watch. If we’re telling a story and you respond by saying, “word,” you can count yourself single. We acknowledge that language is ever-changing but slang is not hot.

4. Our Memory is Our Diary

We have a lightening-bolt memory and are conveniently good note-takers. So be careful what you say, these scribbled pages of timeless quotes can either be used in your favor or against you.

5. We Do Our Homework

Some of us may seem like know-it-alls but that’s only because we’re expected to be well informed. Take no offense if we boldly choose to research something you say, in front of you (and correct you!). We question answers — it’s what we do. In addition, staying on top of current events not only makes a stimulating conversation but also makes us respect you more.

6. Tree of SourcesThe amount of people we know will make you feel like you’ve been antisocial all these years. We’re natural conversationalists who are only as good as our sources! But don’t despair, this means we’ll get along with many, if not all, of your acquaintances.

7. We’re Spontaneous and Fiercely Independent

Since news is always changing, our job is to keep up with it and be bearers of both, the good and the bad. So while we always appear busy, our spontaneity allows us to be ready for something out of the ordinary to occur and share the news (not to mention, spontaneous dates are totally our forte)!

8. “Sorry honey, I’m on deadline”

Overtime, you’ll hear this more and more and hopefully you’ll get used to it as you’ll understand the impact a good quote paired with a strong fact has on us. In a way, we’re always on-call, more than willing to drop whatever we do to cover it and get that byline out.

9. Mocked Madness

There will be days where we come home after working on a story, upset because an interview with a source fell through, or worse, — it came through but the interviewee insulted our ability! Getting ridiculed tends to come with the job so a gentle reminder from you as to why our story needs to be heard and how many will benefit from it will definitely nudge us in the right direction to overcome our hurdles.

10. Read Our Work

We spend hours working on pieces, it’s only fair for you to read them, make a point and provide feedback — criticism welcome. You’re supposed to be our biggest cheerleaders (other than our moms) so not only will we appreciate it but it’s a good way for you to score brownie points!

And, if any of this changed your mind about that mysterious eye candy of a j-student, don’t complain to me. After all, this is off the record.

By: Ashley Kooblall

Image By: Lauren Nelson

Sure, many of us don’t even give a second look as to what new moles are creeping up on us, unless it’s an unusual color, texture or shape, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be concerned.

Now, there’s SpotCheck — a free smart phone app that lets you scan and submit photos of your own questionable moles to be reviewed for a $4.99 fee by a certified dermatologist, guaranteed to respond within 24 hours to let you know if the mole is typical or atypical. If the results reported back states “atypical,” the app will use your phone’s GPS to find your local dermatologists’ office to help you make an appointment with a board-certified doctor contracted to schedule any SpotCheck referrals within two weeks.

There’s absolutely no reason to make excuses now. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, people who have more than 50 atypical moles are at a greater risk for developing melanoma, “the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old,” killing one American almost every hour.

Conveniently, the app includes statistics on melanoma, populations most susceptible, and an alphabetized melanoma recognition list: asymmetry, border irregularity, color and diameter etc, adding to the unique practicality of the app that serves as a stepping stone to encourage people who need to be seen by a dermatologist into the office earlier for an in-person exam because while there’s no chemotherapy for melanoma, if detected early, it can be removed.

So if you spot a suspicious spot, don’t wait for the right moment to make an appointment with your doctor, because the so-called right moment will never come. The right moment, is now.

By: Ashley Kooblall

Image By: Lindsey Lee

Tell us about your personal style. Where do you get your inspiration?

My personal style is simple: wear what makes you feel good and what suits you regardless of the trend. I definitely don’t like to look all-done-up but I’m still trying to master the art of looking like you have just rolled out of bed. Right now we are designing our new collection and our mood board is full of girls from the 60s, so that automatically inspires me.

What are staple pieces in your wardrobe? What are staple pieces you think every girl should have in their closet?

I live in my shorts because of the weather here so they are my staple and I can’t seem to have enough. Right now my favorite ones are my pink Isabel Marant Mitchum shorts but my recent grab is a pair of brown pleather lace up shorts from a random Australian brand that look identical to the pair Erin Wasson was seen wearing in a Paris street style shot. Other staple pieces would be my leather jacket, my favorite white singlet and a pair of black jeans I’ve had for ages. I can’t say the same for other girls because I’m not very girly, but I think a nice wardrobe should be curated and have a nice mix of silk, leather, suede, cottons and knits. Good fabric is important and will last you forever while many trends will be gone by tomorrow.

Who are your fashion icons?

Girls that never over do anything and can pull anything off. My fashion icon is a blend of Erin Wasson, Kate Moss, Alexa Chung, Francoise Hardy and Michelle Pfeifer in Scarface.

What inspired you to start a fashion blog?

Other fashion blogs at the time, mainly Fashion Toast. I thought it would be a fun thing to do because I love fashion and it’s a direct form of expression and blogging is a great outlet for that.

Who takes your pictures?

My lover and myself.

Which do you prefer blogspot or tumblr? And why?

Both. Blogspot has been around for as long as I can remember and it’s a great platform because it gives you full control on your blog, technically and aesthetically. I’ve tried other platforms but always find myself going back to Blogspot. When tumblr popped up my best friend abandoned her Blogspot completely for it, which was enough to peak my interest. So I made an account and came to like the simplicity of it, then found some cool tumblrs to follow and voila— it became this visual overload. And then you have the iPhone app, which is amazing, because you have it all in the palm of your hands and so you can’t stop hitting that reblog or love button. Recently I discovered Pinterest which is basically an online mood board where you can pin your favorite things from anywhere on the Internet through a simple button in your browser. No need to drag things to your desktop anymore!

What is the future for your blog? Are you planning any fashion collaborations? Designing?

Just going with the flow! So far the immediate future for the blog is to continue blogging and see what happens. I have my plate full of work at the moment, which I don’t mind but simultaneously designing a clothing AND jewelry collection as well as running a store takes up a lot of your time. Sometimes I don’t have a social life but of course I will never say no to a golden opportunity.

What do you think separates you from other fashion bloggers?

I don’t have a gazillion clothes and shoes nor do I want to drain my bank account every month so a lot of what I wear on my blog gets worn and posted over and over again until I’m sick of it. It might bore the readers and I have thought about that but it’s not the confessions of a shopaholic and as much as I like a lot of things, the reality is that just like everyone else— or the majority of us— we can’t have everything we want so we just have to make do with what we have. I don’t buy clothes for the sake of an outfit post and I’m not going to chuck it out after one wear but I will wear it a million different ways, which should make it interesting.

What are you looking to do in fashion? Is it a hobby or future career?

I studied fashion in college because I wanted to have a career in it and so far everything is going as planned thanks to my jewelry label RBRTH, and the clothing line I started with my partner called THIS IS A LOVE SONG, which also spawned a shop of the same name. Somewhere along those lines I had a little extra time on my hands so I started my blog and here we are.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

This is a hard one. In the past two years alone so much has changed in my life, in a positive way of course. So much can happen in 5 years but I don’t want to think about it because by that time I will be hitting the big 3-0! Uh oh. One thing is for sure, I will still be doing what I love doing and building my mini empire.

What are your top places to shop at?

Online shopping is the best because I can find everything I want without moving an inch. Not that I’m lazy but shopping options are limited where I live, so unless I’m traveling I’m mostly abusing my plastic in these websites:

- Solestruck for the best selection of shoes!

- Shopbop.com for practically everything under the sun and they do worldwide delivery!

- Mytheresa.com for European designers such as Isabel marant.

- Acne because they have an outlet and ship worldwide as well.

- Urban Outfitters for fun and stupid things you never thought you needed. Also good for gifts like Christmas.

- Nasty gal. Although I would be lying if I said I’ve bought something from there. I haven’t, because shipping to Indonesia is too high so I save this for pure model gawking only. They have the prettiest girls in the prettiest outfits!

What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know?

I was going to study to become a yoga teacher and I’ve also considered taking up photography seriously at one point. Actually I have had some of my photos published in a book called Through a Woman’s Lens – a collaboration between Lomography and Colette, the boutique in Paris where they have also exhibited these photos.

What’s your favorite color?

Lately I’ve been bitten by the pink bug that I’ve even dyed the tips of my hair a shade called ‘pink moon’ and my latest blog post had all sorts of pink in it although 2 years ago I wasn’t such a fan. I guess my favorite color is ever changing but at the end of the day I’m mostly drawn to boring grey, black and white.

What do you spend most on?

Shoes and bags. My recent splurge is the Alexander Wang Diego bucket bag and a pair of Jeffrey Campbell boots that I have waited on for months until they finally got re-stocked at Solestruck and it was worth the wait.

What do you spend less on?

Hhmmmm.. Clothes weirdly enough but I think that’s because you know how much they cost when you start making them and then you also start paying attention to crazy details, so you end up never buying anything. But when I’m in H&M I don’t think twice because it’s so cheap and they are spot on with their styles and lately they have had the craziest designer collaborations!

What inspires you?

Traveling! I get restless if I don’t get out of my comfort zone. But daily other people inspire me. I know I’m probably late but I’ve just finished reading Scar Tissue, the autobiography of RHCP’s front man Anthony Kiedies and found his story very inspiring.

Tell us about where you live.

I live in Bali, just 5 minutes away from the beach so I’m definitely not complaining. Indonesia is my home and the rest you can read in Eat, Pray, Love, haha.

What are you passionate about?

Photography and food. I’m not a very good cook but I love good food and instragamming pictures of it. When I have spare time or when I’m traveling I’m always taking photos, whether it’s digital or analogue. It can get frustrating for the person traveling with me because I stop at everything and I’m usually carrying 5 cameras at the same time so we are never traveling light.

Where would you like to visit/live in the future?

I would love to visit Sweden next year if I have the time but so far plans are set for New York and LA next April. Both are places that I would like to try out in the future when I have figured out how to run the show without having to physically be here. But right now it’s hard to leave the store for long and even harder to leave my two little pups because I always miss them so much.

What can’t you live without?

I hate to admit it but I would die without my apple products, and the Internet to support it. But of course my family beats all of that.

Where do you buy your accessories?

I make most of my jewelry but I do buy the odd pieces here and there and the fun stuff that I find in Topshop and Urban Outfitters. My recent purchase is the arrow wrap earring from House of Harlow.

Which trends do you like the most?

I got excited when elements of the 70s came back because that was semi huge when I was in my early teens. That was 10 years ago and for some reason I haven’t chucked out my bell-bottoms from that phase so I found a reason to wear them again. It just shows that fashion goes around in circles! Oh and I love that buffalo shoes and creepers have made a come back. Makes me feel nostalgic.

What are your favorite brands?

Acne, Isabel Marant and Jeffrey Campbell. But in fantasy land I would love to have everything Balmain and Balenciaga.

You have a jewelry line called RBRTH. How did you become a jewelry designer? Why jewelry and not clothes? Do you have any more fashion lines?

My mom was doing jewelry so that’s how I got into it but I didn’t launch my label until I took a short course on jewelry in Central Saint Martins. When I got back that summer of 2009 I decided to make RBRTH and less than a year later I started a clothing line and opened a shop with my partner called THIS IS A LOVE SONG. We started off making wearable basics with a twist for men and women and selling it in our shop along with labels (RBRTH included) that we have hand picked because we love them and wanted to curate them in a retail space. Since then the store has expanded, also partially branched out into an online store and besides just producing basic wear we are also doing two seasonal collections a year now so it’s very exciting that THIS IS A LOVE SONG is growing both as a store and a label. At the same time RBRTH is also about to be stocked in Europe and Australia so watch this space.

Feature By: Cristina Horta

So how do you really burn these bridges and create the life you want?

First of all, don’t underestimate the power of imagination. Get to the root of why this avoidance is necessary in your life because being aware of your past events is the first step towards helping you recognize the situations where your past affects your decisions and behavior.

Personally, I believe that ‘fear’ is the main reason why our past hurts us for so long. We are subconsciously afraid that ‘it’ will happen again. We might not be aware of the fact that our current behavior is affected by our past, which is why our response to our past restrains us from being free.

Secondly, the internet makes it very easy for these people you had hoped would stay forgotten, find you.

Try only accepting friend requests from people you know on a personal level or experiment with replacing your real name with a nickname or pseudonym. Also, if you do a Google search of yourself and are not happy with what you find, simply deleting the sources in which they derive from, won’t help in them not showing up in Google’s index. Sure, it might not come up on the first page but still, the presence of that page in Google’s index is just reflecting the fact that the page exists on the wider web.

Remember, what we consider as good/bad memories, are/were all a learning opportunities throughout our lives. They help us evolve into the person we are today. So don’t be a prisoner of your past. Ultimately, the answer is that you can’t change the other person’s behavior, but you can change your own.

Words By: Ashley Kooblall

Image By: Daniela Voicescu