Name: Aine Vonnegut
Age: 26
Where are you from? Vermont and North Carolina.
What do you do? I work for an artist and do special effects makeup for film.
What is beauty to you? A natural look.
When do you feel most beautiful? After swimming in the ocean.
What is your beauty secret? Lots of water and less stress.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? My mom.
What is your morning routine? Wake up, get dressed and go.
Name: Lee Armoogam
Age: 20
Where are you from? NYC.
What do you do? Artist.
What is beauty to you? Beauty is within everything. I find so much beauty and light in mother nature.
When do you feel most beautiful? When I am happy and nurturing my spirit.
What is your beauty secret? Go natural. Drink water, eat fruits, and melt in coconut oil.
What is your morning routine? Get up, stretch, drink a big glass of agua. Make some coffee and stretch some more
What is your mantra? Inhale, exhale, release, be and begin.
Name: Alexis Jae
Age: 17
Where are you from? NYC. I grew up in the L.E.S.
What do you do? I’m a model and soon to be designer and stylist.
What is beauty to you? Beauty is being comfortable in your own skin, loving yourself and confidence.
When do you feel most beautiful? I feel most beautiful after I finish getting ready for the day.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Marilyn Manson because he is not scared to express himself through his looks.
What is your mantra? Life is one big party.
Name: Chloe Pang
Age: 24
Where are you from? SF Bay Area.
What do you do? I am an artist working primarily with film and photography and grew up as a classical pianist. Currently developing an interactive, interdisciplinary method of teaching piano for beginners.
What is beauty to you? Exuding health and happiness.
When do you feel most beautiful? While on one of my extensive daily strolls around town.
What is your beauty secret? Embracing simplicity.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? The many beautiful men and women I cross paths with and the colors of the southwest.
What is your mantra? Be good to yourself, exercise compassion, live without fear.
Name: Natasha Nunez
Age: 26
Where are you from? New Jersey.
What do you do? Digital marketing and creative direction.
What is beauty to you? Love and kindness, sincerity, all the imperfections that make an individual unique.
When do you feel most beautiful? I feel most beautiful when I’m confident and most importantly, myself.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? The girl who is always glowing, smiling and not wearing a lick of makeup.
What is your morning routine? A long stretch and a tall glass of water.
What is your mantra? My friend Eve taught me a good one, “It doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”
What’s next for you? I move into my first apartment next week! So many things can happen in a New York minute, you never know what’s around the corner.
Name: Rosemary Wettenhall
Where are you from? Uganda.
What do you do? Own a vintage fashion shop in the West Village with art, home décor and costume jewelry (a lifestyle place).
What is beauty to you? Beauty comes within a person. It’s your security.
When do you feel most beautiful? All the time.
What is your beauty secret? Shea butter from Uganda. Use it every day. Plant food.
What is your mantra? Love, honesty and respect.
What’s next for you? I live in the moment.
Name: Syv De Blare
Age: 25
Where are you from? Montreal.
What do you do? I perform all day every day.
When do you feel most beautiful? In salt water.
What is your beauty secret? Love, H2O, and sleep.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Genesis P-Orridge.
What is your morning routine? The morning’s never ready for me.
What is your mantra? Little by little.
Name: Valerie
Age: Ageless!
Where are you from? NYC (born in Brooklyn).
What do you do? Style blog for women of a certain age.
What is beauty to you? Being your best self and not an imitation of someone else.
When do you feel most beautiful? Sometimes when everything goes the way I want; sometimes when life takes control and surprises me.
What is your beauty secret? Keep it simple, be comfortable.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Grace Jones.
What is your mantra? My flaws are my assets.
Name: Brikeil Zebub
Age: 22
Where are you from? Mostly France and Minnesota.
What do you do? Create stuff with my body, hands and voice.
What is beauty to you? A good balance of comfort, vulnerability and risk taking.
When do you feel most beautiful? When my skin is exfoliated and hair is behaving.
What is your beauty secret? Coconut oil and positive thoughts.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Shelley Duvall in the Popeye movie.
What is your mantra? “Horses don’t stop, they keep going” – Young Thug
Name: Molly Grant
Age: 24
Where are you from? Los Angeles.
What do you do? Sales, artist, writer.
What is beauty to you? Staying true to yourself in every different situation and environment that comes your way.
When do you feel most beautiful? When I’m around my good friends and family.
What is your beauty secret? Eat a lot of prepared meals from Trader Joe’s and get 12 hours of sleep. Plus a lot of long walks by yourself.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Paris Hilton, she just does her all the time.
What is your morning routine? Turn off 10 alarms, check my phone and wash my face.
What is your mantra? Fake it till you make it.
Name: Rebecca Echevaria
Age: 25
Where are you from? Pleasantville, NY.
What do you do? Buyer at Beacon’s Closet.
What is beauty to you? Both a sensation of total acceptance and openness to constant expansion and transformation.
When do you feel most beautiful? Experimenting with my wardrobe.
What is your beauty secret? I adhere to the 10-step Korean skincare routine.
What is your mantra? All is well in my world. I am safe. Everything in working toward a high purpose. Out of this situation, only good will come.
What’s next for you? Going to language school in Japan.
Name: Dylan Kawahara
Age: 29
Where are you from? Los Angeles, California.
What do you do? Fashion designer.
What is beauty to you? Natural.
When do you feel most beautiful? After being in the ocean.
What is your beauty secret? I just discovered eyebrow gel, it’s been life changing.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Charlotte Rampling.
What is your morning routine? I like to wake early and watch a movie before I go to work.
What is your mantra? To never look like you tried too hard.
Name: Sabrina De Sousa
Age: 32
Where are you from? NYC.
What do you do? Co-owner of Dimes.
What is beauty to you? Imperfectly perfect.
When do you feel most beautiful? When I sleep 8 hours.
What is your beauty secret? Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate!
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Pier Angeli.
What is your mantra? When it’s good it’s fun, when it’s bad it’s funny.
What’s next for you? Dimes all the time.
Name: Maria Jota
Age: 24
Where are you from? Bogota, Colombia.
What do you do? I breathe, dance, cook and teach Pranayam and yoga.
What is beauty to you? The essence that radiates from being present and kind.
When do you feel most beautiful? Naked in the sun, and in a close embrace.
What is your beauty secret? Breathe, sing, dance.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? The cosmos.
What is your mantra? Relax, release, receive.
Name: Maya Barrera
Age: 28
Where are you from? New York.
What do you do? Work for an artist and have my own studio practice.
What is beauty to you? Feeling healthy and strong.
What is your beauty secret? Movement and buoyancy.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Poodles!
What is your mantra? Keep it simple, silly!
Name: Dalya Benor
Age: 24
Where are you from? Los Angeles, California.
What do you do? Write, live, breathe.
What is beauty to you? Positivity and realness.
When do you feel most beautiful? After a shower. Lying in bed with wet hair.
What is your beauty secret? Truth and consequences.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Fran Lebowitz.
What is your morning routine? Wake up, tornado through my closet, look outside and “seize the day” as they say.
What is your mantra? Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick and pull yourself together.
Name: Georgia Pratt
Age: 25
Where are you from? Auckland, New Zealand.
What do you do? I am a model and designer.
What is beauty to you? Knowing who you are and radiating from the inside.
What is your beauty secret? Hydrating and no salt before bed for no puffy morning eyes!
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? They change all the time – my mom is probably #1 though.
What is your mantra? If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
Name: Adinah Dancyger
Age: 22
Where are you from? Downtown Manhattan.
What do you do? Filmmaker.
What is beauty to you? Embracing your qualities; owning your uniqueness.
When do you feel most beautiful? Brushing my hair. Really seeing my freckles. Being totally relaxed.
What is your beauty secret? Good posture and toner.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Lauren Bacall because she knew how to wear a suit.
Name: Yuliya Yermolenko
Age: 21
Where are you from? Cute little town in Massachusetts.
What do you do? Finishing up school.
What is beauty to you? Confidence, happiness is the most beautiful.
When do you feel most beautiful? After a solid 9 hours of sleep.
What is your beauty secret? Toothpaste on pimples over night and sunscreen.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Nana Osaki honestly.
What is your morning routine? It changes but I never forget to exfoliate my lips and pick cute underwear.
What is your mantra? Karma is real.
Name: Saada Ahmed
Age: 29
Where are you from? Brooklyn by way of Georgia.
What do you do? I am a co-founder of Everyday People.
What is beauty to you? Being comfortable in your own skin and loving yourself.
When do you feel most beautiful? When I’m feeling confident with myself.
What is your beauty secret? Water and sleep.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Helen Mirren, Eartha Kitt.
What is your mantra? Be yourself.
What’s next for you? Keep learning and evolving.
Name: Jean
Age: 66
Where are you from? Washington, DC.
What do you do? Fashion and style blogger for women “of a certain age.”
What is beauty to you? Beauty is being at peace with yourself – being comfortable in your own skin.
When do you feel most beautiful? When I’m with friends and family.
What is your beauty secret? Happiness is the secret to beauty.
What is your mantra? Breathe, be in the moment, be mindful.
What’s next for you? Getting older in style, continuing to live life to the fullest and volunteering at an animal rescue.
Name: Marisa Competello
Age: 39
Where are you from? New Jersey raised.
What do you do? Floral designer and dancer.
What is beauty to you? All encompassing.
When do you feel most beautiful? When I’m on the beach, wet and tan.
What is your beauty secret? Doing what you love to do.
What is your mantra? Follow your bliss.
Name: Maia Ruth Lee
Age: 33
Where are you from? South Korea / Nepal.
What do you do? Artist.
What is beauty to you? Comfort and easy going.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? Aine Vonnegut.
What is your morning routine? Breakfast with my husband, music, coffee and NPR.
What is your mantra? Keep going, never regret.
Name: Alex Perpich
Age: 26
Where are you from? Minneapolis, MN.
What do you do? Art Director.
What is beauty to you? Freedom and comfortability.
What is your beauty secret? Sunscreen and a rigid skincare routine.
Who is your most unexpected beauty icon? My goddaughter, Sunny, who loves makeup and doing mine!
What is your mantra? Do your best.
Name: Megan Kiantos
Age: 25
Where are you from? Australia.
What do you do? Creative direction and prop styling.
What is beauty to you? Health and confidence.
When do you feel most beautiful? When I’ve had a really good sleep.
What is your beauty secret? Exercise and drinking an excessive amount of water.
What is your morning routine? I try to dance if I have time. Quick shower and never leave the house without sunscreen.
What is your mantra? Be true to yourself.
This content was created by Bobbi Brown and VICE creative services, independently from the i-D editorial staff.
Credits
Photography Kathy Lo