Interview with inspirational founder of HER magazine Nineveh Madsen

I have been fortunate enough to meet many inspiring women on my own personal journey whilst evolving and growing my own business. This month’s #inspirationalwoman AND #empoweredwoman kudos goes to Nineveh Madsen the founder of HER magazine. She is gorgeous, talented, has passion and plenty of sass  - and she is unapologetic about being a strong woman with ideas. She exudes a sense of purpose and confidence which is infectious.  Just to warn you - she is smashing it right now - be prepared for a bucket load of awesomeness, insane amounts of classiness and an abundance of beautifulness. Nineveh has arrived with HER magazine and HER crew of amazing women mean business.

You can find out a little bit more about HER magazine and Nineveh by watching this trailer.

The interview 

Me: Thanks for agreeing to be one of my inspirational women interviewed in my new series - so let's kick things off - tell me (and my readers) a little bit more about yourself and your business?

N: I moved around a lot growing up, so I never really had the chance to create close friendships. I had a tough time bouncing around from school to school, and wasn’t exactly the most popular girl. I was the awkward chick, who was teased for being different.

Me: I find that difficult to imagine you exude such confidence now - but behind every successful woman there is always an inspiring story - that I do know. Thank you for letting me interview you. So, tell me more about your journey.

N: I spent a decade working as a journalist for local television stations in Arizona (KYMA, NBC) and Utah (KSTU, FOX). There was a period during my career when I experienced immense anxiety. I felt the pressure of having to perform on a daily basis, and the overbearing feeling of having to emanate perfection. I know it sounds silly to some, but there were so many times I felt incredibly disempowered as a woman in media. I decided in almost an instant that I had to create the change I desired to see in media, instead of wondering why it was the way it was. 

Me: That’s interesting as I imagine a lot of us don’t realise how suffocating working in the media really is.

N: So in 2015 I fired my bosses and set out to launch HER - a digital publication.

Me: Amazing stuff - so when was the official launch? 

N: The official live launch of our website www.hermag.co was August 9th and our monthly digital magazine will debut in the APP store this Fall! I am so excited to finally make this available for women in iTunes and GooglePlay. 

Me: This is so exciting tell me more about what HER magazine is about.

N: Our mission is to UNMAKE TRADITION. I will leave that up for our readers to interpret, but the magazine is about providing a platform for women in business. I don't think we have enough media platforms dedicated to women.

Me: This sounds great - I will be reading the magazine for sure. You seem very ambitious how do you do stay in control, life must get hectic?

N: I need to be better at this. I think we tell ourselves - especially as entrepreneurs that we will find the time to get balanced. My quiet time is during workouts every morning. Lifting weights helps me recharge my batteries. Squeezing in monthly or bi-monthly massages keeps me sane. So does meditation! 

When I get overwhelmed which I think is common these days, I take a step back and take inventory of my blessings and make sure to practice gratitude.

Me: That’s so true - what are your go to activities that make you look good, feel good and feel like you can live a great life? 

N: Lifting weights. I love to push my body. The heavier I can go is a testament to my mental strength and when you're an entrepreneur, you need a lot of inner grit to be able to push through the challenges you face as you build your business. 

I love SPA DAYS ...really if I could, I'd get them once a month. I also absolutely love hiking. There's something calming about nature. I believe success begins with how you take care of yourself. A lot of people have that reversed. They forget to take care of their body and mind first.

Me: And finally what are your top 3 tips for women struggling to do it all, or who are facing issues with their confidence, or even looking to take their confidence to the next level? 

N: I think there's a big difference between doing it all and having it all. Do you really want to DO IT ALL? I don't. You shouldn't either. As women, I think we pressure ourselves to do it all. 

I know that many women also struggle with confidence. One of my mentors told me something that really stuck with me. She said, "confidence comes from competence." Just know that confidence will come with time. 

I know that many women also have self-esteem issues (I've been there) ...this comes down to one thing. LOVING YOURSELF. 

Also, I'd tell them to surround themselves with people who LOVE THEMSELVES. It has a way of rubbing off. And always remember that your thoughts are powerful. Your thoughts become things and those things shape your life. 

Me: That's a great message and one that I like to emphasise to the women I work with. Success starts with taking care of yourself and believing in your own thoughts and actions. I've made an awful lot of mistakes on my journey but it's also given me more confidence because I have 'lived through it'. Indeed having women like you in my circle helps me stay motivated and keep pushing forward. Thank you so much for your time - I know you are busy with HER mag and million other things, so I really appreciate you taking time our to be part of the #inspirationalwomen series.

And that concludes the awesome interview with the insanely motivated and effortlessly confident Nineveh. Now you’ve learnt more about her, head on over to the www.hermag.co and check it out. 

DON'T MISS OUT ON FUTURE INTERVIEWS - SIGN UP TO MY NEWSLETTER HERE: 

http://www.robertastylelee.co.uk/#!subscribe-to-the-newsletter/umwhr

You can find out more about confidence coaching and personal styling over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk. I also review products and services that aim to help women look good, feel good, or live great - you can see these reviews on the blog. 

GET REVIEWED | COLLABORATIONS | PARTNERSHIPS | SIGN UP TO THE NEWSLETTER

Why conscious fashion and confidence go hand in hand

What does an industry fashion exhibition at the Kensington Olympia and Roberta Style Lee have in common? Keep reading and you'll find out. 

I attended the Pure London show on Sunday the 24th and Monday 25th of July 2016 in support of the co-founder Haseena Latheef on the ethical clothing brand, DFYnorm stand. 

You may now be wondering what the heck Lifestyle Coaching and a fashion event has in common, well if I didn't have personal styling as an additional confidence boosting add-on service to my coaching, it may seem a bit unusual. But I do offer that as a service. Looking good on the outside in addition to feeling good about yourself on the inside is just as important - I am an advocate of taking care of yourself from the inside-out. This event was also about supporting the new partnership I have formed with DFYnorm. 

What's so great about DFYnorm? 

The brand itself is headed up by the co-founder Haseena Latheef who is a passionate speaker and advocate for the powerful women. My brand is about empowering women and so is hers. 

DFYnorm is more than just clothes - yes the collection has certain pieces which I loooove, but it's not just about the aesthetics. It's deeper. Haseena truly cares. DFYnorm as a brand truly cares. The collection is about strength and identity - celebrating the women who make smart choices and care about what they wear - these women are empowered and confident. 

You can read more about the brand in my interview (part of the #InspirationalWomen series) with the co-founder of the ethical fashion brand DFYnorm Haseena Latheef here. 

She hopes her brand will inspire women to be their true selves, to love themselves, to love others and in turn love the planet. 

Scratching beneath the surface of fashion 

That's the interesting thing - fashion can be just be very surface level for some, or it can be explored much deeper. Fashion can mean more, fashion can do more. Those in the industry (designers, suppliers, owners, buyers, consumers etc.) have a massive responsibility on their shoulders to behave responsibly, sustainably and ethically.  More and more consumers are aware (and care) about what they wear. And I care about what my clients wear too  clothing is more than just material, it has the ability to change lives - not just for the wearer, but all those involved in the process. Consumer consciousness can influence the industry and together we can all make a difference. 

Haseena Latheef chaired a panel talk about leading positive fashion trends.  She had her own story to tell post event - you can read her blog: My Pure London Saga, Panel on Positive Fashion and Winners Announced!

The panel talk was interesting and one thing that really sparked my interest was about the myths surrounding ethical fashion brands - that ethical fashion is ugly. The idea that we can now look good, feel good and do good is something that resonated with me. You'll see me using #LookGoodFeelGoodDoGood and #LookGoodFeelGoodLiveGreat a lot more across my social media posts from now on. 

I decided to find out more about ethical fashion and sustainable fashion and what that means for the consumer. I spent a lot of time looking at other brands and asking about their sourcing processes. I found a few new brands that peaked my interest. 

Coming up in my next few blogs:

• I will be publishing a list of the ethical brands that I discovered at the Pure London show.
• A review of the DFYnorm clothes I received will be going live.
• I will also be introducing you to some of the inspiring women working in fashion that I have lined up for my #InspirationalWomen series. 

In the meantime don't forget to take advantage of the special DFYnorm discount code: 

Until the next time...

Stay fabulous.

Roberta x 

DON'T MISS OUT ON FUTURE INTERVIEWS - SIGN UP TO MY NEWSLETTER HERE: http://www.robertastylelee.co.uk/#!subscribe-to-the-newsletter/umwhr 

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk and other #RSLRecommended products and 

services all reviewed and tested by moi.

GET REVIEWED | COLLABORATIONS | PARTNERSHIPS | SIGN UP TO THE NEWSLETTER

Get inspired by DFYnorm - clothing for the empowered women

Women inspire me. Motivated, successful and confident women really inspire me. Real women with real stories are inspirational. Women that defy the norm and design products/deliver services that help women feel better about themselves or empower women - seriously inspire me! With so much talent and inspiration out there I thought I would start a new #inspirationalwomen series for my monthly newsletter. I decided to post a few teasers on the blog - starting with this one. I hope you enjoy reading it. If you want to catch the whole series SIGN UP HERE. 

An interview with the co-founder of DFYnorm the up and coming ethical fashion brand - 15 June 2016,  London

I met Haseena in a hotel bar not far from Oxford street. She is the co-founder of an up and coming ethical brand called DFYnorm who make high quality fashion items for the empowered woman. Haseena arrived looking casual but elegant wearing an aztec print jacket (which has it's own story!) over a black dress teamed with a tan satchel. We sat down at a table and ordered a bite to eat and some non-alcoholic drinks before the interview commenced. 

Here's a short 2-minute video which explains more about the brand and why I was so keen to know more about the inspirational women behind it:

Me: Thanks for meeting with me Haseena - so I'm excited to hear more about your story, tell me what motivated you to come up with the DYFnorm clothing brand? I love that you've dared to be different in your attitude towards fashion. 

H: Well it all started because my co-founder and I were fed up with the mainstream fashion industry and what it represented.

The clothes we wear not only communicate who we are but also have a huge impact on the world, socio-culturally as well as environmentally. There is so much throw away and waste. Garments are no longer investments. I’d rather be making clothes that are meaningful and connect people with their truth. Fashion can play a role in inspiring women on a journey of self-discovery.

Me: Empowering stuff! I love it. 

H: I believe in the Vivienne Westwood ideology about buying less but choosing well. If you are smart about your fashion, you will be able to buy pieces that are investment worthy and well-thought-out. My co-founder came up with a really interesting phrase- “Shop for a reason. Not a season.” It's why we created a brand that cared.

Me: I believe that ‘clothing’ is more than just functional material. It’s nice to hear such a passionate voice for more meaningful and ethical fashion.

H: I want my designs to appeal to powerful women, leaders and creators who are unafraid to defy the norm.

Me: That’s great! You sound like a brand that is pushing the boundaries and making ethical fashion elegant. 

H:  Thank you. It is, and we like to think we are. I like what you do too. Unlike most stylists, your approach with feeling good from the inside first feels more authentic and real - I’m sure many women will relate to that. 

Me: Thank you - I love what I do. Empowering people to look good, feel good and live a great life is so rewarding. I have to ask...what is the secret to your confidence? 

H:  My confidence? I never really think about it. I keep all my interactions very honest and personal. I wear my own brand a lot because I love what we’ve made - and it makes me feel good to wear great fitting, high quality clothes that are made with a real purpose. 

Me: What about exercise? I use fitness as a tool to keep me sane, happy and confident. What do you do to stay fit and healthy? 

H: I have to say yoga is my favourite form of exercise. When I work out 3 times a week, I feel like everything else falls into place - and I eat right automatically too.

Me: Exercise and food are two hugely important components of a happy healthy lifestyle - I always say 'fuel your ambition with good nutrition'. When my exercise and nutrition is on point my confidence skyrockets - I genuinely feel like I can take on the world! 

H: That’s so true. I know what you mean. 

Me: Well, I think that brings us to the end of our interview. Thanks for your time and I look forward supporting you on future projects! 

H: Yes – I am open to what the future holds. I like that we both have a lot of resonance with what we do. I look forward to seeing your ‘brutally honest’ review of the clothes I send you!

Me: I look forward to reviewing them!

I left the interview totally inspired by the vision that Haseena and her co-founder have for DFYnorm. It made me think about what other things I can do moving forward to support great women who are out there trying to make a difference.  So will you join me? Will you dare to defy the norm and do some good today? DFYnorm have made it super easy for you.... you can look good, feel good - and do good! Just visit their website to see the full collection at www.dfynorm.com and use take advantage of the special discount code below.

    


s 



Stay fabulous ladies and whenever possible always try to stay informed! 

Roberta x

Notes: 

This interview was carried out by Roberta Style Lee as part of the Inspirational Women series. DFYNorm is a brand created by two inspiring women set to revolutionise fashion and what it stands for. 

DON'T MISS OUT ON FUTURE INTERVIEWS - SIGN UP TO MY NEWSLETTER HERE: http://www.robertastylelee.co.uk/#!subscribe-to-the-newsletter/umwhr 

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk and other #RSLRecommended products and services all reviewed and tested by moi.

GET REVIEWED | COLLABORATIONS | PARTNERSHIPS | SIGN UP TO THE NEWSLETTER

Confidence Boosting Permanent Eye Make-Up

When we talk to people, the place we focus on the most is their eyes. We see so much out of them, but see so much when we look into them; it's why the eyes are known as the window to the soul. Given they have such an important job, is it such a bad thing to find ways to really make them sparkle and shine? Of course not. 

When we are sick our eyes are dull. When we are healthy and feeling fabulous our eyes twinkle. With that in mind, I started to think about how I could give my eyes that extra sparkle. I'm was never very good at using eyeliner or doing eye makeup so it seemed pointless wearing eye makeup - and wearing it badly. When I got invited to Natural Enhancement to get permanent eye makeup done, I considered the benefits: perfect eyes every time, in no time at all. The idea seemed appealing to me and worth exploring. 

The fear 

I will be honest the idea of having a needle scraped across my eyelids for vanity purposes made me question myself. What was I doing? However, the eyebrow tattooing I had done by Andrew Stassi the owner of Smudge Free completely changed my face and the small procedure absolutely sky rocketed my confidence. I was sure that the eye makeup would do the same. 

The treatment


Yes - it's unpleasant. I'm not going to pretend someone tattooing your eyelids and lower lash line is fun. It's OK though - I was able to manage the discomfort and get through it. 

The first lady I had it done with at Natural Enhancement didn't quite do the eyes how I expected. Now this is a real consideration with anything you get that's permanent. If you don't like it - it can have the opposite affect on your self-confidence. Unfortunately for me - I did not like the way the lower lash line was tattooed - it looked too unnatural. As  all good companies should, I was invited back to get it corrected and that is when I met the eye expert Kim Balaskas. 

Getting the perfect shape doesn't happen in one go

It's a slow step by step process

Slowly adding to the line and adjusting the shape

Filling the line to enhance the shape of my eye

And creating the perfect flick to shape the corner of the eye. 

Before the needle comes out

The numbing lotion goes on at the start of your appointment - it takes about 20 minutes for it to kick in. Then the shape is drawn on (this often takes the most time - see pics above ). 

Then the tattooing is done straight afterward whilst your eyelids are numb. 

I have a little video below of the tattooing process - apologies for the quality but this is the only one I was able to get with my eyes shut! 

Natural_Enhancement_EyeLiner_Tattooing from Roberta Style Lee on Vimeo.

The correction process

For my correction/touch up Kim put me at great ease and even put extra numbing lotion on and allowed it to stay on my eyelids for longer so I could no longer feel them. She really 

helped me and my nerves (in anticipation of the discomfort and it going wrong again). 

A technician should move fast when tattooing your eyes and she/he will keep your eyelid held very taught. This prevents all the blinking and crazy eyeball movement. If the technician is experienced she will make you feel at ease and the process should be over quite quickly. 

The result

I recommend seeing Kim. She was great for the touch up - I would have liked to have her for the original treatment.  In actual fact, it was a pain free correction/top-up. Kim worked fast and managed to balance out my eyeliner make-up - she even made it look better than I expected. 

My eyes itched and I did not look like my sparkly most fabulous self for a couple days. My eyelids were swollen and pink. The tattooing was very bright and obvious. After a week it settled and now all I can say is I love having the permanent eye makeup. 

I didn't think I was an eye makeup person until Kim showed me how amazing my eyes could look. I would have never created the shape that Kim gave me, but now I love it. Everybody always compliments me on it too (see pic at top of page - this is 1 week afterward). 

My secret weapons

• Andrew Stassi - North London (Crouch End) for my perfectly shaped eyebrows 

• Kim Balaskas - North London (Muswell Hill) for my eyeliner

I have to say thanks to both of them I now have beautiful looking eyes that frame my face (and make me feel more beautiful). I was never a fan of my eyes and used to shy away from wearing eye makeup and drawing attention to them. 

But let's be clear here ladies. - it wasn't my eyes that were the problem it was my confidence. I wouldn't have had this done to create self-confidence - only boost it. Confidence and beauty comes from within. Once I found my inner confidence I started using all these little beauty tricks to help boost my self-esteem that little bit further. 

Eyeliner tattooing = time and money well spent. 

When I look good I feel great - and when I feel great I feel empowered, I feel like I can take on the world! Watch out!

If you have any questions about the treatment (I haven't gone into detail) - feel free to ask me! Just add a comment below. 

Stay fabulous ladies - and remember it's always about beauty on the inside first, beauty on the outside second. 

Roberta x 

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk and other #RSLRecommended products and services all reviewed and tested by moi.

GET REVIEWED | COLLABORATIONS | PARTNERSHIPS | SIGN UP TO THE NEWSLETTER

Confidence Boosting Eyebrows By Andrew Stassi

Eyebrows, it would seem, you either have them or you don't. I belong to the latter camp. Every time I see a teen, a twenty-something, or Cara Delevingne, my brow twitches with envy. How I wish that tweezers in the early 1990s were abolished, or at least made illegal for minors to yield and pluck away their facial expression. As a teenager growing up in the 1990s, I fell victim to the skinny brow trend. Regret isn't a word I use often - but in the case of eyebrows, it's a word that is quite fitting for me.

Time travel or tattoos 
So until Richard Branson's creates Virgin Time Travel, I guess us mere mortals (that plucked away at our distinctive face framing features in the early 90s) have one other option: tattooing.
Eyebrow tattooing isn't new - but it is certainly gaining popularity. I had my first encounter with eyebrow enhancement about 8 years ago. When I moved to London, I was given the chance to be a model for a semi-permanent makeup company. Back then, I really had no clue, so I said yes and they ruined them. I stayed in and hid for weeks, I was so self-conscious. I told a few people I was staying in to hide and they insensitively broadcasted it to all of our friends. I was mortified beyond belief. Back then, this type of enhancement wasn't mainstream and I certainly didn't want to draw attention to my bodged brows that I couldn't do anything about.

Do your research 
I researched a few semi-permanent make-up experts in London and found Smudge-Free. I had a consultation with the well-respected Andrew Stassi. I wanted to see if he could get my eyebrows corrected. He was disappointed with the poor placement of pigmentation from the previous bodge, but he said he could make them better. He did add the disclaimer that he could make them better than they were, but they wouldn't be exactly how he would have done them, as he wasn't working on a blank canvas. Fair enough.

Go back until they get them perfect 
I've been back now to see Andrew 3 or 4 times. He never disappoints. I always need my top-ups and a little bit more depth to my brows, otherwise, they look too skinny. Andrew always welcomes me back to get them looking perfect. It's part of the process - the first pass at the eyebrows normally sets the shape, but the pigment can be rejected or fade so the top-up is always essential for me. Different people have different experiences and for some just one pass can be enough.

My recent brow enhancement 
I wanted thicker eyebrows this time, and I insisted that he made them thicker - but Andrew insisted in return that I kept a modest pair of brows due to the features on my face (and especially after having the bad experience last time with another popular semi-permanent specialist in London).
Andrew set to work doing the usual, penciling my brows on to get the shape and thickness. Then he stepped back and examined his work. He checked in with me all the time and I got to see every step of the process and agree on the colour and shape and weight of the new brows.
No stenciling marks were drawn or measurements are ever drawn onto my face for this treatment - not with Andrew, he works free-hand (as do most technicians now - be wary of anyone who stencils your brows on!) and is very particular about his work. Stepping back and reviewing them, adding a bit more here and there - and being very conscious about how the brows can change your expression. 

Andrew Stassi - Eyebrow King!!! 
I have been seeing Andrew for the last few years - and I really don't think I would ever trust anyone else with my face. He is the man for my eyebrows. They way he works fills me with confidence. We've also spoken about baby botox... I'm a bit scared about the taboo around botox and of course the Lesley Ash lip disaster - but Andrew assures me it's perfectly safe and he has shown me his handy work on other clients and my word! The man can take 20 years of your face and restore balance, plumpness... I mean... amazing. 
Mr. Stassi was born to do this stuff.

My advice
NEVER act as a model for semi-permanent make-up; it's not worth it. Spend the money - it's a tattoo on your face. If you do model, speak up if you are not happy. Ultimately, a professional business will want good reviews and happy customers - they should always correct anything you are not happy with. But that's the risk you run for not paying for these procedures. You do get what you pay or not pay for.
Stay fit, stay fab - and remember there is always a solution out there to help us regain our confidence again!
Roberta x



So when a gal loses her brows, what is she to do? Pencil them in? Yes, that's an option - but dodgy pencil work can be just as bad. Anyone remember Gwen Stefani's brows circa 2007?

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

GET REVIEWED | COLLABORATIONS | PARTNERSHIPS | SIGN UP TO THE NEWSLETTER