Interview with Scotland’s Plus Size Model Ivory Lovelust

Photo by Kim Gates

You have seen my first model interview with the awesome Pin Up model Cherry Dollface. I want to share with you now my interview with Scotland’s own plus size model Ivory Lovelust. I first came across Ivory through Pin Up Girl Style website and we have found a few things in common. From our Scottish roots, love of PUG fashion, love of cupcakes, burlesque and make-up to name a few it’s easy to see why you can make new friends when you have somewhere such as PUG Style website and social media to introduce you to other like-minded ladies.

Photo by Anja Schiefler

How did the name Ivory Lovelust come about?

It was a bit of a tongue-in-cheek reference to how pale I am. When I was in high school I was referred to as “Snow” by a lot of my friends because of my complexion so I thought for a stage name it’d be fun to incorporate this. Ivory is glamorous sounding whilst still retaining the original meaning. “Lovelust” is a fun, tongue in cheek reference to my heart on my sleeve way of life. I don’t fall in love easily but I lust after an overwhelming number of people, and I’ve always been fascinated in the interplay between these two composites.

What is the best thing about being a plus size model?

I love when people write to me saying that I inspire them, or have helped them with your body confidence journey. Messages like that make everything that I do worthwhile.

Where do you turn for style advice?

I take style advice from all different mediums. I love finding hair and makeup tutorials on YouTube and playing about with different styles and finding out what products are best for my pale skin. I take advice from beauty bloggers and industry professionals, but when it comes to clothes I generally follow my own rules for fashion. I don’t like sticking to things that are “on trend” or “in style”. I like what I like and wear what I want!

As a plus size model you will understand that plus size ladies have specific body shape needs, we usually have bigger butts n boobs, want to find clothes to accentuate our shapes, show off our curves, compliment us in all the right places! Do you have any advice for ladies looking to find the right clothes for their shape? 

I’m not a huge advocate for dressing specifically to flatter your size – if you want to do so then by all means do, but I don’t believe that we should be constrained in our fashion choices by the way our body is shaped. If you’re a pear shape then you don’t need to hide your wide thighs and curvy bum, just as if you’re an apple you don’t need to disguise your tummy. If you want to wear a pair of skinny fit jeans or a fitted wiggle pencil skirt, don’t let your body shape hide or stop you from doing so. Just because something isn’t deemed “flattering” by the masses isn’t incentive to be discouraged from stepping outside the box and trying it out.

Do you have any tattoos?

I have a few, I got my first tattoo age 20 and it’s a little tribute to my favourite poet Edgar Allan Poe; a traditional style scroll with “Nevermore” inscribed within it on my left ankle. I’ve also got a large black and grey Elvis portrait within a vintage ornate frame on my left thigh as well as “sweetheart” written across each of my ten toes. I have lots of plans to add more tattoos to my growing collection - All of my tattoos are in black and grey so I’m hoping to add some more colour to my body art in the coming years.

How did you come into modelling?

I actually won a modelling competition with “Company” Magazine in 2011 – it was an online competition where the 12 favourite girls were flown to London to meet with the editors and stylists of the magazine, and 6 final girls were chosen to star in the magazine itself. After that issue was publicized I was approached by various companies and creative types who were keen to work with me and everything has just snowballed since there really. I love modelling and I’m so proud to have had the opportunity to work with so many fabulous people in the industry! 

You are being photographed a lot of the time. Looking after yourself must play a big part in your life. What are you favourite beauty products and why?

I absolutely can’t get enough of Lush’s “Catastrophe Cosmetic” blueberry face mask – it’s the perfect weekly treat for my combination skin. Makeup wise, I’m also a huge purveyor of YSL’s “touche éclat” for disguising any dark circles, Benefit’s “dandelion” for adding colour to my cheeks and Urban Decay’s “Big Fatty Mascara” for adding length and volume to my eyelashes.

Do you have a set beauty routine?

I don’t necessarily have a set beauty routine, but I have specific products that I’ll use every day without fail. Since I dye and bleach my hair regularly, I use Aussie heat protection spray as well as Aussie shampoos and deep treatment conditioners to keep my hair looking as glossy and vibrant as possible. I also swear by Lush’s “gorgeous” moisturizer. It’s fairly pricey but nothing makes my skin feel smoother and softer than that.

Who is your beauty idol? 

I don’t have one specific idol as such, but I do have an extensive list of people whose beauty inspires me. I’m a big fan of Tess Munster, Christina Hendricks, Xanthia Pink, Karla Powell and classic film noir starlets such as Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman and Veronica Lake.

On that note how to you keep yourself in shape?

Being a member of a burlesque dance troupe, we meet and rehearse twice weekly and this incorporates dance moves, warm ups, stretches and gentle exercise. I also live in a rural village in the country at the moment and love going for long walks.

You are a make-up artist, how did you get into that? 

I’ve always had an interest in makeup and makeup artistry that began when my friends started asking me to do their makeup on girly nights out. After years of doing the classic “smoky eye” look for friends I then found a gorgeous little retro boutique in my hometown in Edinburgh who were looking for a vintage inspired makeup artist. I wrote them a heartfelt letter outlining why I loved the retro style and look and how enthusiastic I’d be to work with them given the opportunity. After an initial trial period I was taken on as a vintage inspired makeup artist within the boutique environment whilst also working freelance on bridal parties, hen parties and makeup for special events. This time really cemented my love of all things vintage inspired and was the perfect outlet for my creative energy. Following this, I then decided to pursue my makeup passion by taking a college course in makeup for photography and fashion events and I now continue to work as a makeup artist on a freelance basis.

What are your must have pieces of make up? 

I swear by MAC Prep & Prime. It’s a gorgeous silky moisturizing base that works perfectly under any type of foundation to create a dewy, fresh complexion and helps your makeup stay intact throughout the day.

I’m also a big fan of Lime Crime’s “Velvetines” product in Red Velvet – I was initially very sceptical of a liquid lipstick and immediately questioned its wear ability and staying power but I was very pleasantly surprised by this product and it’s now made its way not only into my makeup kit for professional jobs, but also into my personal makeup bag!

What is your favourite perfume?

I swear by Agent Provocateur as a day to day scent, it’s fairly subtle but has lots of gorgeous sultry tones and gives me instant confidence – perfect for job interviews and days when you need an extra little boost! If I’m going on a night out I’ll stick to Thierry Mugler’s “Angel”. I’ve been wearing it for years and it’s a perfect bold impact scent, very definitive and passionate.

What is your approach to fashion?

Live without the rules. Be bold, be bright and be daring. There’s nothing I cannot stand more than someone policing the way another person should dress. You dress for yourself first and foremost, so if you fancy being a death metal queen, grunge princess or a classy vintage vixen then go and bloody well do it, and wear it with pride! You can wear anything you want to; you’ve just got to have the confidence to pull it off.

What advice would you give to any woman who wants to look glamorous?

What do you feel best in? What makes you feel better, stronger and more powerful and kick-ass than anything else? For some women this will be killer heels and red lipstick, for others it might be sultry stockings and lingerie. Whatever it is that you feel best in, you’re guaranteed to look best in. Glamorous means different things to different people, whatever it means to you-rock that with pride!

Where are you favourite places to shop both in store and online?

 

I love love love pinupgirlclothing.com. I discovered them about four years ago and never looked back, the fabrics and quality of the garments is second to none and I love that everything is made in the USA. I also love dominodollhouse.com, bettiepageclothing.com, pinupboutique.co.uk and collectif.co.uk.

Actual stores near to me that I love in shop in are Miss Dixiebelle’s and Lady Jojo’s in Edinburgh, as well as Mr. Ben’s in Glasgow. Armstrong’s is another fantastic vintage mecca that I hold very close to my heart – I bought my first 1950 vintage tea dress from here when I was only 15!

 

Photo by Michala Oborna

You are a big cupcake fan also, do you bake at all?

 

I do indeed! I love baking as a hobby and past-time, I find it really relaxing and a lovely way to chill out. I’m all about tasting and trying new and unusual flavours - one of my personal favourites is my blueberry and coconut “cookie monster” cupcakes that always go down well with the trick or treaters on Halloween!

 

Another thing we share in common is a love for burlesque. What do you love about it?

 

Absolutely everything! I did amateur dramatics as a pastime with a local youth theatre when I was younger and the theatrical aspect of burlesque, the telling of a story through props, narrative and dance really appeal to me. I love the glamour, the vivaciousness and the confidence so often associated with burlesque – my inner body confidence has definitely soared since taking up burlesque, and it’s been inimitable in helping me become even more comfortable with myself and my body. 

Why did you decide to start doing burlesque yourself? 

I took burlesque classes run by the fantastic Gypsy Charms and Viva Misadventure back in 2010 and 2011 and they really inspired me to get my motivation up and start dancing. Since then I danced at a couple of private parties and functions for friends of friends and I’ve done some “PG” (read: no boobs!) burlesque for public events such as Lush’s perfume launch. It’s only really this year that I’ve begun to consider performing on a wider spectrum – looking into gigs that are both local and further afield. I’m very excited to see where my dancing adventures take me!

What kind of acts do you do?

I have a couple of acts under my belt that I’m hoping to perform more over the summer and into next year. One is a very kitschy 50s oriented housewife routine that is all about rejection and the different ways to deal with it. I also perform a more gothic number to Santana’s “Black Magic Woman” as well as an Andrews Sisters inspired 40s wartime routine. I dance with a Scottish burlesque troupe known as the “Smitten Kittens” where we perform group numbers to a wide variety of musical numbers from artists such as Jackie Wilson, Def Leppard and Joan Jett.

Tell us something nobody would know about you?!

I can’t swim, ride a bike or roller skate! When I was younger I had a lot of problems with my balance and my ears, so I never learned to do a lot of the basic things that kids can do. It’s one of my primary aims that I’ll be able to teach myself to swim one day, so I can splash about in a pool on holiday, rather than just lounging beside it!

Who are your biggest inspirations and why?

I honestly have so many inspirations around me it’s difficult to name them all. Anyone who is successful in their field and pushes boundaries is an instant inspiration to me – people like John Waters, Dolly Parton and Rick Baker. The strong and powerful women in my life are another huge source of inspiration to me; my mum, my friend Gem, my nana… these are women I’ve seen overcome some of the worst tragedy and still remain strong, confident and composed. They’re my biggest inspiration by far.

What advice would you give to a girl reading this interested in getting into the modelling industry?

Start locally, and build your way up. Begin by asking friends or people you know who study photography to take your photo – become involved in student projects and the more time you spend in front of the camera, the more confident and comfortable you’ll become, so posing will become more natural. Once you’ve got a good basic portfolio set up, start networking with other creative types – makeup artists, hairstylists, photographers, clothes stylists… these people are out there and there’s always work for talented, dedicated individuals who are prepared to work hard to make beautiful photographs and art together. Most importantly, be professional. Cancelling shoots last minute, moaning and complaining on set and having a massive ego that demands constant stroking won’t do you any favours in this industry – you need to treat modelling just like any other job and that means being good at working with others, being approachable and listening to the direction you receive.

Top Fives:

Photo by Ashleigh Mustard

Websites:

Tumblr
Pinupgirlclothing
KarlaPowell
Youtube
MinistryofBurlesque

Movies: 

Wild at Heart
The Shining
Sister Act
Princess and the Frog
Cry Baby

Musicians:

Elvis
The Doors
Led Zeppelin
Pat Benetar
KISS

Books:

Red Dragon
Skippy Dies
Perks of being a Wallflower
Necronomicon
Lord of the Flies

Makeup Products:

YSL “touche éclat”
Benefit blusher in “dandelion”
L’Oreal “infallible” foundation
MAC “prep & prime”
Rimmel’s “hide the blemish” concealer