Interview with Miss Alissa

Instagram may be filled with beautiful girls, but Miss Alissa stands out from the crowd with her enviable sense of style, a collection of stunning photography and an inspirational take on being true to yourself. She also just so happens to be a Zenni fan who’s been wearing our frames since 2011 after ordering two pairs and instantly falling in love with what Zenni has to offer. The admiration is mutual, so we reached out to this captivating model, actress and blogger to gain her insight on fashion, eyewear and making it in today’s modeling industry.

Zenni: Describe your personal style. What staples are in your closet? Where do you love to shop? 

Alissa: My style is always changing, but I would say I am kind of tomboy chic. I love Dr. Martens, baggy jeans and baggy tops. My staples are definitely a good pair of worn-in boots and a loose white tee.

Zenni: Tell us about the shoot you did wearing Zenni glasses and the blog post you wrote on eyewear. What are your favorite eyewear styles? 

Alissa: Favorite Zennis? I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 8, and I got contacts when I was 12. About three years ago, my eye doctor told me if I didn’t start wearing glasses, I would eventually go blind, because I was killing my eyes wearing contacts for 12-18 hours a day. It is so hard to find glasses that look good and are a decent price. My sister showed me Zenni, and we ordered a few… and became obsessed!!! My FAVORITE pair are discontinued – they are huge circle frames. I have them in black brown and neon green!

Zenni: We are actually working on bringing them back! Do you have a second pair that you love that we can share with our readers?

Alissa: My next fave would be frame 636412!

636412– the glasses featured in Alissa’s photoshoot!

Zenni: We know you credited Kiehl’s with saving your skin over the winter. What is your beauty routine? Any beauty tips you can offer? What products are in your makeup bag?

Alissa: I try EVERYTHING. I still get adult acne, and I’m starting to see wrinkles, so I just started Retin-A, which helps both. It’s kind of killing my skin though. I love oils (still using Kiehl’s nighttime oil). I also just started using RESCUE Skin, and I love that.

Zenni: Models have to be chameleons in many ways (hello, pink hair!) What is one look that you haven’t attempted yet that you think would be fun to try?

Alissa: I’m dying to cut l my hair off and do a pixie cut. It’ll happen soon!

Zenni: What advice would you offer to girls wanting to follow in your footsteps in this field?

Alissa: Be prepared to sacrifice everything. This career is not glamorous. I never know when my next job will be, I get paychecks for 36 cents (yep), and my schedule is always all over the place, so I miss out on a lot. You need to want this more than anything, because it will consume you!

Zenni: Any modeling tricks you can share? How can we look our best in photographs and daily life?

Alissa: Lighting is key! I always prop my phone against the window to get amazing light! Also, the self-timer mode is great!