PROJECT 2013 : Face of the Month for July

JULY : Imagine. Achieve. Dream. Become

Make-up and Styling by Arielle Alvarado (contact me through facebook, follow me on twitter @airshies and on instagram @alvaradoarielleeee)

Photography by James Elij San Andres (jamessandresphotography.blogspot.com)

Products Used: Fanny Serrano 2-Way Cake, Maybelline Eyeliner, Sleek Oh So Special Palette, Elf Blush, Covergirl Lashblast Fusion, Elf Concealer, Elf Eyelid Primer

July marks the start of the second half of the year.  It is about now that many are amazed at how fast 6 months just flew out the window and that in a couple of months, the year will come to another end.  It is the time of the year when people realize how many of their resolutions have actually been made, which of their plans have pushed through.. it is when people acknowledge that there is still time to make a change in their year -- to buy rubber shoes and go running every other day, to get better grades in school, to be promoted at work, to go on that vacation, or to even finally ask someone out, the list of possibilities are endless.

It's safe to assume that so much has happened in the past 6 months for every single person in this world.. whether they be good or bad, there is always an element of change that remains constant.   July is precisely the time when many look back at these moments of triumph and despair alike, reflect on them, and reset their priorities.  People come to grips with the fact that not just because there may be existing blueprints of our lives that we've created for ourselves that all of these will indeed come true just the way that we want them or wish for them to be.  There will always be that one defining moment.. that one major life-changing situation in every person's year that will bring about a rainbow of emotions and a handful of memories; that single bullet that shot straight through the heart, and then left a mark.. defining that year in a person's life forever.  However, the month of July serves as a reminder to us of giving second chances mostly to ourselves - to just keep dreaming and believing, to just keep going, and to just keep becoming a better person along the way.

My best friend, Jessica Clemente, is a woman who exemplifies the art of self-improvement.  Ever since I met Jes in one of my classes in college, she had always been the kind of student who would always strive to give her best in every aspect of her life - she got high grades, she remained attentive in class, she set up a business of her own (Little Louie's Cupcakes) that turned out to be a huge success, she would never neglect her loved ones, she plays the piano flawlessly, she had (and still has) many opportunities presented to her to travel and speak to crowds about business and leadership, and the list goes on and on.  In a phrase, I always described Jes as little ms. perfect; and I always believed that she was someone who deserved nothing less than utmost respect from the people she encountered.

As I got to know Jes more throughout the years, I realized that I was wrong.  It is not everything that she has accomplished that makes her so beautiful and outstanding.. IT IS WHO SHE TRULY IS.  

Jessica Clemente is one of the most courageous women that I know, someone who is not scared to take on a challenge that is thrown at her.  She, just like everyone else, goes through times of hardship and testing of her faith; but I had never seen her buckle down despite the tears that she sheds and the pain that she feels inside.  She understands the meaning of growth and accepts the miseries of life with open arms, remaining comfortable in the idea that there is a reason for all that she is going through.. and that one day she will look back with eyes of nothing but thankfulness for wishes that didn't come true and plans that didn't go her way.  Jes is someone who keeps moving forward without looking back. She always tries.  Always pursues.  She never loses faith in God, in herself, and in others.  She chooses to remain as strong as a boulder while the waves crash into it during a storm.  And most importantly, Jes is someone who is so quick to embrace life and all that it has to offer - leaving nothing out of her reach - fearlessly.  

So here's to you, my dearest best friend.  And to the rest of the world we have out there to explore together. :)  Stay the strong, beautiful, and fearless woman that I know you to be.. even during vulnerability; while inspiring the lives of those around you to do the same.. because it is true.. That when we keep imagining and dreaming.. we keep achieving and becoming. 

I love you. :) 

"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40-29-31