Grace Myers
Age: 18
Year: Freshman
Hometown: McLean, VA (NoVA)
Major: Undecided
What made you choose VCU?
Originally, my mom told me about VCU and urged me to apply. So naturally, I hated the idea simply because she suggested it. When the time came to tour colleges, I knew within less than half a second of arriving at VCU’s campus that I was home. It’s ironic that my mom actually had to urge me to apply to other schools because my heart was so set on VCU that I felt that even saying the name of another school was “cheating” on my beloved college. The feel of the school was absolutely perfect for me. All jokes aside, I can’t imagine myself anywhere else. My favorite thing ever is music, and part of the allure of VCU were the awesome shows and friendly people I met who are Richmond based. The whole city has a community feel and that is such a relief coming from a DC suburb and I can’t wait to make friends.
What are you most looking forward to about VCU?
I’ll answer with the stereotypical freshman response: I’m excited to not be in high school anymore. There’s so much freedom in college. You get to actually take the classes that interest you. You can take a class about medieval history if you want. You can dye your hair green, or ditch all your friends and make new ones, or join a band. The possibilities are endless and it’s so insane and crazy and exciting. I can’t wait to make friends with the interesting people at this school.
How do you want to get involved on campus?
The truth of the matter is that I’m still trying to figure that out. There are so many clubs it’s a little overwhelming. I might just try to find a cool upperclassmen and latch onto then for wisdom and guidance so I’m not alone in my dorm watching reruns of LOST every day after classes. A few of the classes I’m taking are small enough that I’m hoping I’ll make friends there. I’m also optimistic about making friends with the girls on the floor of my residence hall. I’m a freelance makeup artist, so I’m planning on setting up a barter system where I’ll do people’s makeup in exchange for Saturday night plans and/or friendship.
What’s your favorite make-up look?
I can’t pick a favorite since I experiment every day with new looks. Typically, I’m really drawn to the “old Hollywood” or “Pin-up” look, which is a red matte lip with neutral eyes and winged liner. There’s just something so classic about it, it’s foolproof. In the winter I really like dark purple lipstick. I never experiment much with eyeshadow, since I really like cool brown shades. It’s gotten to the point where I hoard neutral eyeshadow palettes. I need help breaking my addiction.
Do you have any make-up/beauty tips or tricks you want to share?
The makeup trick that changed my life is so easy that someone who has never even picked up a brush can do it. I think that the hardest thing to perfect are the brows, however, with the right tools, they can be the simplest. All you need to do is quickly run a pencil SPARINGLY through your brows, and then take a clean mascara applicator and disperse the color. It’s flattering for any brow shape, and it can change the look of your face for the better. The eyebrows are the most expressive part of the face, and that’s why it’s so important to keep the brow game strong.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I like to keep it real, so I’ll share this information even though it’s incredibly lame and will probably keep me from making friends. One of my favorite pastimes is historical reenactment. It’s kinda like LARPing, but I like to think its cooler. I do mostly 18th century Marie Antionette type things, since I live 10 minutes away from Washington DC. I’ve told fortunes at Mount Vernon, styled wigs at The Corcoran Museum’s Rococo style salon and played croquet on the lawn of Montpellier. I also do 1940s and 1950s gigs, but those are harder to find.
What sparked your interest in historical reenacting?
I’ve always loved dressing up. Every day is basically Halloween for me. When I was younger, I wore actual Halloween costumes to school up until like 4th grade. I wish I was kidding, but I’m not. When I got to high school, I heard about this great opportunity to do historical reenactment, and since I did theatre in high school and love costumes, it was perfect for me.
The person who turned me on to reenactment was my high school physics teacher. He approached me and told me that he participated in reenactment, and he thought it seemed like something I would like. I loved it from the first second I got involved. My teacher helped me research characters and make all the costumes. He was essentially my partner in crime, and he paved the way for me to start doing gigs of my own. He’s been involved with reenactment for years, so I really looked to him for guidance and support.
Who are your biggest influences or role models?
One of my biggest influences is Kathleen Hanna, the front woman of one of my favorite bands, Bikini Kill. Her angry music showed me the importance being yourself and taught me to disregard the opinions of irrelevant haters. I also am pretty obsessed with Hedy Lamarr, the actress from the 1940s. She had the world’s best eyebrows and she also invented wifi. Talk about girl power right there.