ASHLEY'S TRUTH

Tell me about yourself.

Ashley: My full name is Ashely Brianna Short, I'm originally from Richmond,VA where I was born and raised. I’m 22 and I’m a Aries all-around. I currently major in Cultural Communication and minor in Africana studies at James Madison University. I’m a freelance makeup artist under my business FlyGyal Beauty. Which was started because I saw a limitation in the industry with makeup. and even in skincare. I wanted to focus on shattering those limitations and giving each client the ability to be their own standard of beauty. I’m also working on relaunching my blog/website that was formerly called Fly Gyal but changed to “Black Sugah Magazine”. I'm working on establishing my own print magazine and media production company in which I want it to stem from my online platform. I created it because I didn't see a lot of women that looked like me on magazines and in the media as a whole. I am specifically speaking of skincolor, body-type, hair texture, and so much more. I was always obsessed with Seventeen Magazine and Teen Vogue but I didn't see enough women that looked like me.  I meet a lot of young girls who don’t love themselves and don't see aspirations for themselves.

What have you encountered that your other counterparts in your industry have not?

Ashley: I use to work at Sephora and one reason I left was because of the training. There were other girls who were just as good at makeup but I saw that when I would bring up issues and talk about different products that catered to darker skin tones  or complex skin, they didn’t understand nor did they want to. A lot of the brands in the store wouldn't have a good shade range and when clients of color would come in looking for products, they wouldn't have their shade and that would be a problem for me because I can sympathize with that. As a social justice advocate for women of color, it didn’t sit right with me. They didn’t understand skin discrimination or that in the beauty industry, there was a lack of marketing, products, and representation for darker deeper shades was extremely frustrating. For instance if a darker skinned girl came in for a color match, the white or lighter-skinned associates would always try to find me, but why don't you take the time to learn? As a Sephora product consultant, your job is to be able to teach ALL clients how to buy and use the best products for them. It shouldn’t be the dark-skinned Black girl doing all the other Black girl’s consultations and color matching. So  I asked my manager how she would feel if a white women came in and I said I couldn't color match her because she’s white?

What are your beauty struggles?

Ashley: I would say,I have struggled with decent priced foundations. All of my foundations are $30+.  I have to mix drugstore foundations with high end foundations just to get a good match. It’s honestly socioeconomic discrimination. If you are anything beyond a “mocha”, if they even have a “mocha”, you are forced to pay a much higher price than if you were lighter skinned or white, where you can choose not to pay for a 30+/40+ dollar foundation. However if you’re darker, you have to pay more to get the right foundation for you. Nobody wants to look ashy or have flashback. I love Fenty. Rihanna shook the makeup industry with her complexion productions and highlighters. However, it’s really a shame that it took THIS LONG to get what we’ve been asking brands for. Even for marketing is hella inclusive. Most brands don’t do that. They pick one light-skinned girl and one darker-skinned girl and boom, they think they’ve accomplished their “diversity” quota. I find it shady as hell. Rihanna isn’t even a makeup artist or has any experience in the makeup industry so these other brands should be ashamed.

What is the importance of a community to you.

Ashley: I think community is so big. I think it is what got me through college. I had no real friends in high school so when I got to college, I actually gained real friends and I could relate to them because they were black women and knew what I went through with no judgement. It is such an important thing to have girlfriends who can understand your struggles because sometimes, you can feel alone. It is important to empower each other. I feel like you can’t really do anything without a community and I know I can’t do anything without my community. They inspire me everyday. My friends and I check in on each other to see what productive things we are going to do, to make sure we are doing what we want to do in our lives and not just sitting around watching Netflix. It’s so easy to fall into that. It’s easy to fall into this trap of thinking we’re young and we have time. I don’t know about anybody else, but I have too many dreams to wait until I’m 30 to begin working on them.

What makes your feel unstoppable?

Ashley: Being around Black women is one of the most empowering, motivational, and  inspirational feelings. Women that want to do what I’m doing or want to create change and inspire other Black girls to be great, that is what makes me feel unstoppable. When I am surrounded by that kind of love, I feel invincible. I also think being human and being sincere is going to get you far.  It’s too many of us out here trying to be everything we’re not because Instagram and your favorite celebrity tricked you into thinking you’re not enough you are. I l also love seeing other Black girls be poppin’ too. I love complimenting other Black girls because its’ great seeing other Black women shine whether its looking good or doing what they want to do. When they win,I win. If I see another Black girl doing her thing, I’m going to compliment her. There’s some healing that needs to be done. You should look to other women as inspiration, not as competition. In my eyes, I have no competition but to be better than the old me.

What is your favorite song?

Ashley: As of now? Mint Condition’s “So Fine”. They were such an underrated 90s boy band and the song makes me feel so good about myself. It honestly gives me chills. The vocals, the band, the lyrics. I feel like they’re singing to me lol. 

Keep up with Ashley!

Instagram: @flygyalash

Twitter: @flygyalash

Facebook: Ashley Short

Youtube: FlyGyal Ash

Blog Instagram: @blacksugahmag

Makeup page: @flygyalbeauty