Greek Goddesses Brought to Life: This is Nike

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The fourth of the Greek Goddess challenge. All Greek Goddess Posts: Pheme, Aphrodite, Iris, Peitho, Nike, Terpsichore, & Gaia.

Nike: Goddess of Victory

When thinking of Nike, the first thought that pops into everyone’s mind is the  “swoosh” from the iconic footwear company.  I could’ve easily dressed up in athletic gear and pretended this was a Nike advertisement.  Instead, I tried to interpret the spirit of the goddess of victory.  My brain wandered to the ultimate athletic feat: winning the gold medal at the Olympics.    

Makeup Inspiration:

Since I started photo challenges, this makeup look has been saved on my Pinterest.  When deciding between all of the goddesses I could have illuminated for this challenge, the chance to attempt this makeup look made “Nike” go from a maybe to a definite yes.

I have attempted gold makeup in the past and it did not show up as vibrant as I hoped.  While doing research for a different goddess to come, I came across this metallic powder that mixes with liquid to become a paint.  I figured I could use it for two challenges, so it was worth the purchase.  

For most of these challenges, I try to create looks on a low budget or with items I already own.  It is not sustainable to continuously buy products that are one-time use only.  When I have the opportunity to invest in something, like this gold powder, I am happy to add it to my collection.

I used an eyeshadow brush, from the dollar tree, to apply the gold paint.  I wanted to pay homage to the Nike “swoosh”, so I applied the paint to my eyes in that shape.  If you are planning to use this paint, after you paint your eyelids, keep them closed for a few minutes to make sure it dries evenly. 

Hair Inspiration:

With this challenge giving me the opportunity to conquer this Pinterest image, I wanted to follow it as closely as I could.  A simple braided bun would update this slightly and make sure my hair stayed in place.  Like the picture, I added the gold paint to my hair as well.  It washed out surprisingly easily.

I try to stay honest with my followers and present my authentic self.  I do not tweak my appearance with editing apps, unless the tweak is something that is attainable and was not presented in the photoshoot due to laziness. 

An example of this is editing my hair.  Sometimes when I take these pictures, there are more fly aways than I would like.  If I would’ve taken more time to do my hair, I could have gotten rid of the flyaways, so I feel fine editing them out.  Also, if I happen to have a pimple, since it does not permanently live on my face, I think the image is still authentic.

Authenticity is the pillar of a strong brand.  I want my followers to feel like my images are “me” and if they saw me on the street, they would not be surprised by what they see.  At the same time, I do not want my laziness or timing to impact the photoshoots that I take time to research and plan out.     

Pose Inspiration:

Nike had no pose inspiration.  With each goddess, I feel my skills growing in photography and makeup.  While I only post a few photos from each challenge, I take thousands of options.  First, I pose randomly.  I will try to mirror a pose inspiration or try to take pictures in different angles and pose variations.  

Then, I go through the images and try to find a trend on which images I like best.  I alter the lighting and take more photos.  I look at which poses I liked versus which facial expressions I liked.  Continuously, I change and adapt until I start to hone in on the lighting, pose, and facial expression that, combined, would be the winner.  

Once I feel confident that I have the picture I wanted, I let loose.  It is in this time that I become the most adventurous with my choices.  To an outsider, I probably look insane.  I contort my body in ways it shouldn’t.  I play with my facial expressions. Oftentimes, I make myself crack up and capture the entire laughing fit on camera.  

Sometimes, I feel insane and sometimes, those pictures look like garbage.  Other times, they are the ones you end up seeing.  More often than not during this goddess challenge, you are seeing the final images of the reel.  

Outfit Inspiration:

Most of the final images have my black tube top cropped out, but I wanted the focus to be on the gold makeup.  With each goddess, I am recognizing that most of them do not have outfit inspirations.  Most of them are beauty shots.  

Challenge:

Define what victory means for you in each category of your life for 2022.  Everyone will have different categories, but in my mind, these relate back to the resolution categories: Health-Related, Self- Awareness, Financial, Friends & Family, and Career.