To Blue Steel or not to Blue Steel, that is the question.

So many of you may already know that I took part in this years UCC's Next Top Model. Sadly I did not win but I did learn a lot and more importantly I laughed a lot during my time as a contestant.

All of us at the final!

First off before anyone asks no it was nothing like the reality show America's Next Top Model. We did not get cooped up under one roof or have extreme "edgy" hair cuts inflicted upon us, there was no intense weekly rounds where one of us was sent packing for smiling with our eyes like this and not like this. (After watching 12 variations of seasons I still do not know what our girl Tyra means!) My experience in the competition, organised by Lockdown Models and the UCC Fashion Society , was to sum up in a word: fun.

I mean what's not to like?! Not only was everyone involved extremely nice, some down right hilarious, but also within every photo-shoot I was transformed into a completely different character.  Upstyle Junkie beautifully transformed my face and the crew at Origin Hair Design  gave me some of the most amazing and creative hairstyles I never would have imagined having. As a girl with hair straighter and flatter than a...well lets say ruler, the Afro they created for the punk rock shoot was by far my favourite! I have never had so much volume in my life!

Punk Rock shoot in the Pavillion

The photographer Miki Barlok created some truly amazing themes for our photo shoots and the settings were fantastic. He was a great teacher and really set the scene for the moments we were to portray during the shoots. The only problem was getting out of the mindset and returning back to college and the dreary library after each time! Adding in the acting and catwalk workshops the whole experience was a very bright and cheery break from the never ending mountain of final year projects!

Vintage shoot with Miss Daisy Blue

Now onto the amazing clothes. Throughout the photo-shoots we had some great exposure to many beautiful clothing labels, such as Miss Daisy Blue, and some truly brilliant stylists. However, nothing could have prepared me for the mind blowingly exquisite outfits that were provided for us at the final on Thursday night. They were really out of this world and what was such a lovely surprise was that they were all from local clothes shops here in Cork. I have always been a massive fan of many of those involved, having spent many hours wandering around Amity, Turquoise Flamingo and Miss Daisy Blue. I now look forward to adding Vanilla Boutique and Elsa& Gogo Boutique to my list of shopping haunts!

One of the many amazing dresses from Turquoise Flamingo

The final for the competition flew by in a haze of excitement and nerves. The nerves mainly caused by a certain lovely person asking "But Sandra are you not afraid you'll be the girl that trips and falls on the catwalk that everyone pities?!"  Images of me becoming  like Carrie Bradshaw a.k.a. catwalk roadkill (but without the witty or intelligent hindsight) and my bigger fear not being able to get back up in one go upon falling, kept flashing across my mind. Thankfully my visions did not come true!

I still cannot believe it's all over and I run the risk of people running away from me should I keep repeating my stories over and over again. So I guess this is what this post is: A goodbye to a fantastic experience with many brilliant and amazing people who made the whole competition better than I could have ever imagined. The competition may be over, but hopefully I will have the opportunity  to work (and of course socialize) with the amazing winner Aishling Kearney; the gang that entered with me; and the organizers in the future.

P.S.: I didn't pull the blue steel.