Born to be Bold: November 2014

Name: Selene Hellena

Age: 22

Location: London

Q. How did you get into modeling?
A. My friend needed someone to pose for an artistic nude project for her photography course and I accepted to do it for her. At that time I also met an amazing Gothic store called Dark Desire for which I modeled for and still model sometimes.

Q. Who was your role model as a child and how did that help in being a model?
A. All those beautiful ladies out there which are very far from the standard beauty but can be even more beautiful.

Q. Other than looking sexy in front of the camera, what else do you enjoy doing?
A. I love to dance tribal fusion/ Gothic bellydance, I am addicted to the contact with the nature and the healing it provides me, I love long walks in the forest without my shoes on, Intellectually, I am passionate about neuroscience and I am looking forward to do my masters very soon. Aside of this, I also enjoy to read poetry and philosophy specially, and I like to write and draw. In my lazy days all I do is to cuddle my cat in bed and watch movies or documentaries

Q. If you were not a model, what other profession would you have been doing instead?
A. I aim to be a professional dancer and neuroscience researcher as well. As I have tattooed in my arm: Freedom is not a way of life but a life with ways. I am someone full of dreams and aspirations. Life only happens once, it is a waste to spend it being one thing only.

Q. How old were you when you found an interest in modeling and what made you want to start?
A. I was 16. As someone with extremely low self- esteem I was amazed with the fact I could love my body through photography, I wanted to express my self through it and show that you do not need look pretty to be pretty.

Q. Where is your favorite place to shop?
A. Organic or vegan food shops and good alternative clothing shops as Psylo.

Q. What is your favorite beauty product?
A. Lipstick, one does not simply live without lipstick as my lips are very dry whether is summer or winter. Also, is very sexy and powerful, it looks nice even without any other make-up.

Q. What advice would you give to a young girl who wants to pursue a modeling career?
A. Remember that being a model is not being equal to thousand others, is being unique, confident, creative, expressive. That makes you one and not one more.

Q. Where was your favorite shoot so far?
A. In my hometown Sintra back in Portugal. A very magic and special place to my heart. I have born and lived there until my 18 years old and I have a really huge spiritual connection with it, I must say that is my biggest inspiration in my art.

Q. What you like to accomplish as a model?
A. I want to prove myself and others that I do not need to be good looking to be a model, I just need to be able to show my inner beauty through expressive meaningful pictures. More than everything, I want to change the concept of standard beauty, there are too many kinds of beauty for us to put it in a standard concept. The world needs to be aware of them and embrace them, because beauty is not what you can see but what you can feel.