AF Blog

Copenhagen queen Saline gives us the low down on makeup, hair and life in our q&a. Read on!

Tell us about yourself! Who is Saline?
I'm a 23-year-old blogger, Youtuber and makeup artist living in Denmark. Growing up I was always super fascinated by mermaids, unicorns and fairytale creatures and when I got a bit older I got really into music (especially 70's and 80's music) and the strong characters in the bands, who really inspired me style wise. I've always been pretty creative and for as long as I remember expressing myself and experimenting with my looks.

When did you your passion for beauty & hair first begin?
As a kid, I loved designing my own clothes, painting my nails in fun colors and dressing up my million Barbie dolls and as soon as I was allowed to grow my hair long it didn't take very long for me to dye it blood red. I remember in 7th grade, the first time I wore a skirt to school, my friends and I were going to a My Chemical Romance concert later that day, so I arrived in class with a huge pink tutu, ripped tights and fishnets, long black hair and black lipstick. People were so shocked and offended and I guess that really sparked something in me haha.

How long have you been a makeup artist for Urban Decay? What's it like working there?
I helped open the brand here in the Nordics back in November 2014 and it's been a super crazy ride - Urban is a badass brand globally, but my journey has come to an end and I'll actually be starting new adventures with another brand in July.

Congrats on being a contestant in the NYX Nordic Face Awards!! Describe your favorite challenge!
Thank you! That was such an experience! I have so much respect for NYX and what they do. They've really brought the community together since they opened here last year and I'm kind of obsessed. I only made it to Top 30 this year, but my favorite look I did was the Northern Lights one. It was inspired by impressionism and raw brushstrokes and I was really happy with the way it turned out.

Inner-spirit animal?   
Probably a mixture between Grumpy Cat and a unicorn. Grumpycorn?

What are your top 3 favorite things to do on a lazy day!

I love taking long baths, pamper my skin and hair and do face masks. Cook yummy food, eat snacks and drink tea. And spend hours and hours in bed watching movies and cuddling. Probably ordering pizza too. Was that more than three things?

Name your all-time fave AF hair color combo!
Well, I'm pretty obsessed with Virgin Pink and Aquamarine on their own, they're such beautiful, rich colors that I always get complimented on. But my fave color combo was last year when I did Aquamarine fading to Purple Rain fading to Virgin Pink - that was so good. Gonna do a remake on that this summer.

We think you are such an amazing role model within the transgender community! What is one piece of advice you can offer someone else who is starting their own transition?
Thank you! My biggest advice would be try to live in the now and don't stress yourself out too much thinking about the future. Things will happen at their own pace, so just enjoy the journey and take all the time you need to figure out what works for you.

What is your favorite life quote that you live by!
''I'll never change for anyone but me.'' That's probably the thing that has resonated with me for the  longest, I think I said it to my Dad when I was 13 and it just kinda stuck with me all along.

You can catch Saline on Instagram: @salinesimon and on Youtube 

Tell us more about your family. When did you and Trig meet?

We met 3 years ago on Instagram, funny enough. We were two people who were going to be having a photoshoot together with a mutual photographer friend in Palm Springs. I was a visitor to California on the search for a sign that I was "supposed to make my move to Cali". Trig had been living in LA for 5 years. We chatted for months before our planned photoshoot, starting with "what the mood of the shoot was", "what wardrobe was going to be", all of that, to learning more and more about one another and all the similar interests that we shared. It was very organic and natural. After the photoshoot, I flew back to Atlanta and knew that was exactly where I was supposed to be, so a few months later I moved out there and here we are today, happier than ever.

Axel was born pretty recently. What has changed in your life?

When I became a mother, my life changed in the best way possible. This little being is all ours and is part of me and part of Trig. It made me want to be better, do better. I want to do everything in my power to make him proud of his mama. I have a little dude to kiss and love on every single day. I get to teach him and watch him grow. That's the best life I could possibly live, right there.

How has Axel surprised you?

Oh man, he surprises me every single day. All of the wonderful milestones that he reaches astound me. It's always so surprising and completely wonderful when it happens. For example today, he repeated an entire song that he heard on Sesame Street. I know it may sound weird, but it was the cutest thing that I have ever seen in my life. Haha

You look like a working mama - what's keeping you busy these days?

On top of being a full time mom, I am currently working on the launch of mine and Trig's curated vintage shop. It has been in the works for some time so we are excited about that! I feel like that has been my second child these days. It's such a passion, too! On top of that, I am always shooting with talented folks for awesome projects. Being a blogger/influencer is rad. Maybe it's the Leo in me, because I live for it! Hehe! All of those things, as well as being on a 10 month journey of nursing my baby boy and teaching him all that I can every second of every day! Needless to say, there is sometimes posting going on in the midst of a feed or during one of Axel's very quick naps. Life sure is busy, but there's not a second that goes by where I'm not loving every aspect.

Tell us something weird about yourself!

Truth, I feel strange when I have a "regular" hair color. I honestly can't remember the last time I had a "normal" looking hair color. I've had every hair color under the rainbow at least once and "platinum silver blonde" is the most common shade I've had in years, I believe.

Where do you look for fashion inspiration?

I always have my eyes open. I see things happening in fashion sometimes before it even happens. I have always been that way, ever since I was a little girl. I would sketch things all the time. I should've been a designer, I swear! Maybe one day that dream will come true! Wink! I see inspiration on the street, on the runway, internationally, nationally, men, women. That's why Instagram truly is the best platform for connecting you to people with similar interests and passions.

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far?

 I've learned that patience is a REAL thing. You need it, for every aspect of life.

Do you collect anything?

I collect stones/crystals, anything made from brass, and vinyl. We are definitely a family of collectors.

What do you love to do in your spare time?

We, as a family love to go antiquing and thrifting, pretty much every day if we can! On top of that, we love watching movies and listening to our massive record collection whilst dancing around and singing. That's our life!

What's one thing you always need to have in your fridge?

There's never a shortage of chocolate milk in my house!

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity means being unique and also authentic. Staying true to yourself, your style. Your creativity is important to remain creatively stimulated. I couldn't live without creativity. It's what gives me the ability to do what I love every day.

If you were another person, would you be friends with you?

I would, yes. I truly care about my friends. My good friends are like family. I always have my friends' back, no matter what.

What are you reading right now?

Haha, the Little Critters series! It's Axel's favorite!

Who are you currently stalking on Instagram?

Currently, I'm pretty obsessed with a handful of badass mamas out there. Having that community of strong mothers has given me so much inspiration, every day! I enjoy seeing their kids grow alongside Axel. It is fun to see the different stages that a child goes through. A few of my favorites include @missalissa, @xandervintage, @romimarie_, @lanadmitruks, and @mintedmethod.

What makes you laugh?

Trig makes me laugh harder than ANYONE or ANYTHING! Seriously, he's the funniest!

What's currently on your playlist?

Currently, Chris Cornell has been on repeat here lately. Such an incredible voice! RIP.

What's the last concert you went to?

We went to see Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers alongside Joe Walsh. I grew up listening to both artists.

What do you love about Arctic Fox?

Everything, duh! Best coloring product in the game! The saturation of the colors are amazing and they last a long ass time! The fading process is always beautiful! Basically they are unicorn juice that you color your hair with, no joke! Haha

What's the biggest thing you are looking forward to in 2017?

All of my son's accomplishments and just seeing the little dude that he's growing into every single day! Motherhood rocks!

You can catch Olivia on Instagram @themetalromantic and on her blog themetalromantic.com

Coffee, makeup, and YouTube ...sounds good to us! Learn more about what Tessa loves!

Tell us about yourself!

I've been living in the Netherlands now over a year, working in a tattoo and piercing shop. Gaining inspiration. I’ve always loved all things colorful and bold. I've been on YouTube now for over 10 years! ...I LOVE dying hair!

What is your nationality?

British, independent business woman.

What initially inspired you to start your own social media channels?

I get bored easily... so one day I discovered YouTube... when I was 12 years old... and I was inspired to make how to videos! I'm now 23 and still continue to create how to videos ... now helping to inspire people all round the world... a journey to self discovery!

What does your morning routine look like?

COFFEE! Always a coffee in the morning, followed by some quick makeup, foundation, mascara and winged eyeliner :) Keeping up to date with the YouTube and Instagram... Then try and get creative and make something totally awesome!

What is your top beauty secret/hack?

Putting a little bit of Arctic Fox Hair Color in my conditioner bottle, so when I wash my hair it keeps the color nice and bright! :) It's like magic!

Describe your dream vacay!

I love traveling, I’ve been to a few places. Being English I love the Dutch life! Aha... but I would love to visit the U.S. again... I went open sea fishing YEARS ago at Miami Beach and that was amazing!

Go-to beverage and/or cocktail?

Strawberry daiquiri PLEASE. Mmmm I don't normally drink alcohol but now I do, it's nice with friends.

Name 3 songs on your current music playlist!

I'm obsessed with Die Antwoord at the moment. I like music to have a good beat. I listen to anything from techno/dubstep to instrumental classical ;)

What goals do you want to accomplish this year?

Goal is to create some more awesome content on social media and make some WICKED tutorials on YouTube!

You can catch Tessa on Instagram @tessaar3 and on YouTube at Tessaar.

Lisa's long red hair is a dream to mermaids everywhere! Read on to get to know her better. 

Tell us about yourself!

I'm a 22 year old girl living in Toronto with a passion for blogging and sharing all aspects of my life! I've been fashion blogging for about 3 years now and It's just amazing to be able to pursue something I absolutely love. What most people don't know about me is that I graduated at the University of Toronto last year with a History and Classical studies major, something completely opposite of what you might expect haha.

What initially inspired you to rock your beautiful red hair?

Well to be honest I've always been obsessed about changing my hair colour ever since I was a little girl. I remember I had these nasty thick blonde highlights (against my super black hair) when I was in 7th grade and it looked absolutely awful but I loved it because the idea of just dyeing my hair made me SO happy - it was like a visual expression of who you are in a way. Since then I've dyed my hair all the colours you could think of haha. I started off with safe colours like brown and blonde and eventually made my way to purple, pink, blue, teal, pastels, and now the red I have today! But I have to say red is the colour i've stayed with the longest because something about it just feels like me. It's loud and unapologetic and definitely a colour I won't be changing anytime soon... maybe.

What is your go-to everyday hair style?

I actually love to wear my hair down and straight the best. It sounds plain but my hair is super long, about 3 inches past my belly button. I worked so hard to take care of it and keep it healthy (despite all the hair dyeing) so I like to show the length off!

Haha if only every day was a lazy day! Ideally I'd get to sleep in, order in sushi, marathon Friends on Netflix with my boyfriend and my two cats, order in sushi again for dinner, and nap. That would honestly be such a great day in my standards haha.

Favorite travel destination?

Favourite travel destination I've been to by far would be Orlando when I had my first Disney World experience! Something about being in the happiest place on earth, it makes me feel like a kid again. Favourite travel destination that I want to visit though would have to be Rome and Greece. I mean all that history I've learned when I was in University has to pay off somewhere right??

What's your go-to comfort food?

If my ideal lazy day wasn't hint enough, that would be sushi. I once went five straight days eating only sushi. 10/10 would do it again.

What's your favorite thing about your kitty, Appalonius lll? :)

Haha omg! My cat is actually named Appa, we call him Appalonius III because he walks around like he's royalty. He's also not a kitty anymore but actually 11 years old! We adopted him a year ago when my boyfriend suggested we take a look at some cute cats for fun at the cat adoption weekend (and totally not to adopt). But of course I saw Appa and told my boyfriend we had to have him and it was the best decision we ever made. My favourite thing about him is that sometimes in the middle of the night when me and my boyfriend are sleeping, he would run right up to my boyfriend’s face and meow super loud to wake him up and then run off. I think it’s hilarious.

Describe your biggest pet peeve!

My biggest pet peeve is when honesty is used as an excuse for being rude. There's a difference between 'just being honest' and saying something that doesn't need to be said. There's something about how everyone suddenly feels entitled to an opinion, especially when you grow up with social media and you're use to having a space to say whatever you want. If it's not nice, don't say it at all.

Name 3 things you absolutely can't live without!

First thing would have to be my phone because as generic as it is, it's something that's always with me (and everyone else let's be honest). Second thing would a bottle of Wrath/Poison from Arctic Fox (I'm serious this is a must), because my hair looks and feels so dry and brittle if I don't revitalize it every few weeks with it - and you know how important my hair is to me. Third thing would be my Canon EOS 60D DLSR because I take pictures and record everything. My SD card is basically a visual diary.

If you had one more day to live, what would you do?

Oh this is an easy one! I would do everything that could pump as much adrenaline in me as possible. I love anything fast and I love anything super high. Rollercoasters, sky diving, bungee jumping, you can count me in.

You can catch Lisa on Instagram @wanderlustts and at wanderlustts.com