Quotes from Paloma Elsesser

I am always dabbling in new skin routines, but it's always about moisture.

Having a multi-cultural background has granted me access into different ideologies, cultures, and ways of living. It has shaped who I am and how I participate in the world.

I went to small liberal schools my whole life, and I was also a bad girl in high school; I went to, like, five schools.

A huge part of my career and how I want to participate in the world is being unapologetically myself and being honest and vulnerable.

My parents always supported me and complimented me on other things, not just my looks. They told me I was capable, that I was smart, that I was creative.

The International Girl Crew isn't supposed to be super exclusive - that's a really important part of our brand and message. It's not just our crew - it's a lifestyle. It's for everybody to know how empowering it is to be surrounded by friends who motivate and support you and who you feel like you can exchange ideas with and do projects with.

For makeup, I swear by a base of Embryolisse, Nars concealer, that Bobbie Brown foundation stick, Pat's highlighter, a brow fill-in with dark brown eyeshadow and angle brush, a groom with Anastasia brow gel, an eyelash curl, and two swipes of drugstore mascara.

I like looking wet, sweaty, dewy, fresh.

The more and more I got into writing, the harder and harder it became for me. I still love it, but it became much more problematic than I thought it would be.

Beauty means expression and being your most authentic self.

I went to private school my whole life. Growing up in Los Angeles, you're surrounded by not just Connecticut privilege but, like, your-dad's-a-movie-star privilege.

At times, the curve/fat/plus convo tends be this 'out of the dark' story, like, 'I used to be insecure, but now here I am.' But that is not my reality, and for most of the people, that isn't their reality, either.

It took a lot for me to be able to say that I'm a plus-size model or a model at all without feeling terror or this kind of panic, because it was something so unplanned.

Embrace the grease, if any, and look fresh and human. I like to look like a glazed doughnut.

The Internet really offered a space for me to thrive.

I moved to New York for school right after I turned 18, but I started getting into trouble - so I went home to L.A. to regroup.

You don't want to be too hot in the club. And ambience is important - no fog machines.

Wearing too much makeup definitely makes my skin worse.

It's important for people to understand where things come or what they represent.

I think self-love isn't some destination you get to and you are then incapable of feeling those feelings, but a journey in which you adapt your experiences to make for a happier life.

I have to remind myself when I'm on a job and I'm feeling a lull in attitude or confidence or whatever, I'm there for a reason. I have to constantly remind myself of these almost corny Pinterest mantras, like 'You are worthy.'

I am trying to be the girl I didn't have. That's important to me. I have to be conscious of that. In this weird, dark, small, very intimate way, there's a girl out there who relies on me. And that's super important to me, and I don't want to let her down.

I had seen images of Crystal Renn and Sophie Dahl growing up, but I didn't really know about the plus-size fashion industry or how lucrative it was or, like, that it was changing or that I was even invited.

It's really hard not to fall into that trap of insecurity when you're a model. Beforehand, I never looked at myself in a huge monitor with 30 people around it every day.