Regrets are natural. They could be in your personal life or in your career. You may regret not trying out for a sports team or playing an instrument. Sometimes the reason is logical; at other times a little bit of self-doubt creeps in to ruin a perfectly good opportunity. Occasionally this self-doubt is irreversible: that is to say, once you have a feeling of scepticism or uncertainty, you never get over it and won’t look to conquer these negative sentiments. When this happens, self-doubt has won. They’ll be other chances to beat it, but for now, the only thing that has stopped you in your tracks is a lack of confidence…

Confidence – a “faith” in oneself or one’s abilities – is an important factor in modelling. Let’s go back to the original question, “What if…?” If you’ve ever given real consideration to becoming a model, you might already be half-way there. It’s probably a bit of self-awareness and lack of confidence that has proved the defining obstacle to your modelling dreams. 

A lot of people aren’t aware of the genuine prospects modelling can provide: the industry is now openly looking for models of all sizes, shapes, backgrounds, talents and ages (yes, that includes toddlers to the more mature models). And it’s not just clothes or fashion modelling that clients look for either. Unique features are like gold dust, so if you have a distinctive physical characteristic or a particular attribute that stands out, use it to your advantage! Note: we use the word “unique” to mean “special” or “exceptional”, not “different”. As a prospective model, you need to identify your valued assets and have the confidence to take the next step into modelling – and that’s knowing your plus points and getting in touch with Models Direct!

Allow us to be philosophical for a minute. The above definition of confidence is true enough (“A faith in oneself or one’s abilities”), but let’s delve deeper. “Faith” is regarded as a belief without evidence. Here are two examples of confidence and faith, both with different connotations:

1. If you tell a friend that you have “faith” in them in running a full marathon in two hours, you’re not being sincere (after all, no one has ever accomplished a sub-two hour marathon!). All you’re really doing is being over-optimistic to show your support and to psych up your friend. It’s harmless, but ultimately doesn’t mean a lot – you’re not confident at all they’ll be able to run 26 miles in under 120 minutes…who would be?

2. You earnestly tell a would-be model friend they should consider modelling. “But why?” you hear them cry, “I couldn’t do it, could I?” You tell them you have “faith” in their qualities – whether facial features, unique selling points or simply because you know a bit about the industry and what some clients are looking for. You are being genuine in your “faith” because the evidence is there in front of you – the evidence is your friend, staring at you! Your sincere comments then get your friend to thinking about becoming a model. And what did it take? Just a few honest words to increase their confidence. Perhaps, simply, no one ever told your friend they’ve got modelling potential in the first place. What a shame.

Confidence can be either self-appointed or gained. A lot of famous models questioned their potential before their successful careers. In many interviews, Cara Delevingne stated frankly she was bullied at school and felt no sense of self-worth. Look at her now! Leading up to inventing the light bulb, Thomas Edison failed so many times he nearly gave up. But, as we know, he didn’t, and went on to quip, “I have not failed ten thousand times—I’ve successfully found ten thousand ways that will not work.”

There are many things that hold certain people back: children, work, lack of motivation. These are all viable, and people shouldn’t be judged on these alone. A fear of failure is also justifiable, but is easier to overcome. It comes down to needing that spark of confidence to take them to the next level. Don’t give up at the first sign of failure: use it as a learning curve to gain more knowledge and to come back stronger. 

Confidence – everyone has the ability to have it and to use it. But treat it with respect. Too much of it can sour a relationship (personal or business) and can even prevent you from accepting help or ideas from others. Use it wisely. “Confidence won’t always produce results, but it will give you the best possible chance.”

Our advice is straightforward. Do a little research, and if you’re seriously thinking about modelling in any capacity, please get in touch. We’ll consider your look and are happy to discuss anything with you. We know what to look for. Don’t look back at a missed opportunity by mulling over the “What if…?” question. Have the confidence to take the first move. After all, you have nothing to lose.

We’ll leave you on a humorous note. There’s one activity where self-doubt is absolutely necessary to avoid repeat disasters: “If at first you don’t succeed, maybe skydiving isn’t for you.” And if you try it again after an unsuccessful first time, you must be really confident. Or bonkers.

Skincare and beauty is big business, especially in the modelling industry and something most of us invest heavily into. Believing we need the latest moisturiser, serum or foundation to get the flawless complexion we are aspiring to, endless hours desperately searching for the perfect shade of lipstick or the eyeliner that is apparently smudge resistant – does that really exist?!

Being a model it is very important to look after your natural looks, days spent filming or on photo shoots will mean having heavy make up applied on a regular basis, this can take it’s toll on your skin. It’s essential to let your skin breath, recover and for you to feel confident to bare all.

Here are a few helpful tips to feeling beautiful naturally:

1: Stick to the basics of a good skincare regime on a daily basis, morning and evening. Choose products that are right for your skin type and source advice from industry experts if you are unsure what would be best for you. Try and use products that are not full of chemicals and are made from natural ingredients. You don’t need lots of products as then you can over feed your skin, but a cleanser, toner and moisturiser at a minimum. Be sure you cleanse, tone and moisturise thoroughly before going to bed, this will remove any build up from the day and also allow your moisturiser to be absorbed into the skin before you go to bed.

2. Your skin may be have a dull appearance to it, to overcome this use a good exfoliater twice a week to remove the top layer of dead skin cells. By doing this you will encourage new skin cell growth and increase the blood flow to your skin, this will help create a natural glow.

3. Make sure you have a good ‘day’ moisturiser, by applying this after you’ve cleansed and toned in the morning you will begin the day knowing your skin is absorbing lots of natural and healthy ingredients throughout the day.

4. Eyebrows frame your face, often we can ‘over do’ them with too much make-up, making them appear to severe. For a more natural look simply keep them tidy with a brow comb or even an old toothbrush, comb them up and out to create a shape and this will also open up the eye area. You can use a very small amount of vaseline or brow gel to help keep them in place.

5. People’s attention is often drawn to our mouths, so it’s important to make sure your teeth are sparkly and clean! After brushing it’s good to also floss, this will help keep your breath fresh and your teeth extra clean. After brushing use your toothbrush to exfoliate your lips, by doing this you will remove any dead skin cells and increase blood flow, giving your lips a fuller appearance.

6. To brighten your eyes and appear awake and fresh use saline drops or non-medicated eye drops to hydrate them. This is particularly useful if you have been on lots of shoots and castings and you may have slightly blood shot eyes from lights and make up.

7. Make sure your hair is brushed and in good condition, you an do this by using a hair mask or with natural ingredients to ensure your hair is healthy and shiny.

Going make-up free might be a step too far for some, however following these useful steps might allow you to have days when you let your skin breath and you find confidence in making the best of yourself and be a natural beauty!

A good headshot picture can really be a deal breaker when it comes to a client selecting you or not.

So how can you make sure you have the perfect headshot’s on your portfolio? Here are some top tips from the Models Direct team:

1, When you look at a headshot picture you are automatically drawn to the person’s eyes, so make sure they are sharp, bright and expressive. If captured in a powerful way it will draw the viewer in!

2, Ideally you will have a variety of headshot’s on your portfolio to show different facial expressions and how diverse your look can be, for example a natural smile, serious look and a thoughtful look, all should be as natural as possible.

3, When working with a photographer to create your headshot’s it’s important to remember angles, this can make a big difference to the overall appearance of the image. For a female it is better if the photographer shoots from above you so your eyes appear bigger and your face more delicate and for a male the photographer should shoot slightly upwards to emphasise strength and achievement.

4, It’s very important to make sure your face stands out from the background. This will come down to the photographers skill, but also you can ensure that their is a clear background to the shot.

Have good headshots on your portfolio for Models Direct to represent you with really can make the difference of being selected or not being selected, it’s a competitive industry and so sell yourself to the best of your ability with great pictures!