To continue my Virginia Tech Beauty Celebs series, I spoke with Virginia Tech junior and aspiring sports reporter, Ashley Vollrath. With experience in modeling, pageantry, social media and publicity, and broadcasting, Ashley has established a following of almost 11,000 on Instagram. In today’s interview, we find out what the secret is to Ashley’s confidence and success.
Tell me about your background in pageants and modeling.
I actually didn’t start pageants until my late teens and, believe it or not, I have only competed in a total of four pageants. My pageant career didn’t start until after a devastating ACL/MCL/LCL tear that removed me, temporarily, from competitive cheerleading. I had just completed my junior year competitive cheer season and was competing on a “Worlds” qualifying team when, while practicing, I tore several tendons in my knee. The injury required surgery that would require me to quit cheer for a minimum for 6 months. Eventually I was able to get back on the cheer mat and cheer my freshman year of college at Radford, but during the six-month hiatus, I was bored. I had been doing runway modeling and Virginia Fashion Week, as well as a few paid modeling jobs, and while doing those jobs, many of the makeup artists and production team members would try to encourage me to do pageants. My mom was against pageants due to the stereotypical reputation pageants have but eventually, she caved. After competing in my first state pageant at 17 years old and placing 4th runner-up, I was hooked. Two years later, I competed for the first time in the Miss category and won Miss Virginia Beach, USA: a preliminary to Miss Virginia, USA. I placed in the top 12.
How did these experiences shape the way you look at beauty?
I would not be who I am today if it wasn’t for pageants. Pageants have completely changed my life. Growing up, I was an abnormally tall, skinny and awkward girl. It was hard for me as a teenager to feel comfortable in my own skin. I dreaded the thought of walking into a packed gym for basketball games in fear that everyone was staring at me. My friends were so confident, and there were so many times that I wished I was like them. I wanted so badly to be confident. I never gave myself enough credit. I went through some really tough times in high school – some were self-admittedly a result of my lack of self-confidence – but when I competed in Miss Virginia Teen, USA in 2014, it lit a fire in me. While preparing for the Miss Virginia Teen, USA pageant, I met so many amazing and inspirational women that encouraged me to be the best person I could be. I was trained by some of the best interview coaches in the business and styled by past and present title winners. I was given the opportunity to learn how to use makeup properly for the first time, being taught by some of the best makeup artists in the nation. The effect of others believing in someone who doesn’t believe in themselves is immeasurable, and I hope to have the ability to do that for someone someday. The Executive Director of the Miss Virginia, USA pageant, Kim Nicewonder, and my personal pageant director, Gale Flemming, believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself, and honestly, they changed my life. Placing 4th runner up at the Miss Virginia, USA pageant opened up so many doors for me, and since 2014, I have been comforted by the amazing sisterhood pageants have offered me. I have modeled and been featured in magazines, competed in a televised reality show, and been cast on a Discovery ID television show. It has also allowed me to help other young women believe in themselves. There is no better feeling than that. Beauty comes first from within.
If you could give college women 3 essential beauty tips, what would they be?
If I could give college women three essential beauty tips, I would first and foremost say, believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, you cannot begin to imagine yourself as beautiful. I could go on and on about the psychological beauty tips that I would recommend to every woman, but beyond that, I would have to say my number two tip would be to floss your teeth every single night. My mom is a dental hygienist, and I credit her for my healthy smile. The saying “only floss the teeth you want to keep” is so true, and my mom has never let me forget it. Number three would be, “Be confidently beautiful,” which is the Miss Universe slogan and something I hold dear to me. Waking up each morning and being yourself is the easiest thing a person can do. The authenticity of being confident in the person that you are radiates onto the people surrounding you. The wise Dr. Seuss once said, “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.”
Name your top 5 ride-or-die makeup products.
1. My favorite feature to highlight is my lips. Picking a lipstick can determine the mood for the day: red – flirtatious, pink – fun/sweet, nude – serious, dark nude – wild. My favorites are the Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kits, and if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, head over to the drug store for NYX products. You didn’t hear it from me, but they are made from the same ingredients and are a heck of a lot cheaper!
2. & 3. Next on my must-have list are the Anastasia Bevery Hills Contour Palette and the Anastasia Bevery Hills Brow Kit. Anastasia products are some of my favorites because the quality is excellent. I find that after throwing on these products, I never have to worry about touching up.
4. With that being said, you must have Urban Decay setting spray. Worrying about whether your makeup is going to fade throughout the day or not is a drag, so grab a bottle of this setting spray, and you’ll be set all day.
5. Last but not least is shampoo. I love the way that Redkin shampoo makes my hair feel. Often times we resort to cheaper products – don’t get me wrong, I grab some grocery store shampoo sometimes, too – but a good quality shampoo will do wonders on the health of your mane.
Stay tuned for the next profile in my Virginia Tech Beauty Celebs series!