GIRL BOSS - INTERVIEW WITH MICHELLE MEILHON

August's theme of Women Empowerment is in full swing! Every Friday this month you can expect an interview with another #girlboss and get to know what keeps these Queens motivated to do the mostest! I'm kicking off this series today with an interview with Michelle Meilhon, a South African blogger living and working abroad in the Netherlands as an au pair. She's actually a close friend of mine who I met exactly a year during a blogging event!

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1. Who is your female role model?

Lilly Singh - She is the person who I look up to, someone who keeps hustling regardless of how she feels. She makes sure that everyone on her team is taken care of as well as her fans. I like that she always tries her best to be the best possible person she can be as well as to speak up about subjects that are sensitive!

2. Being the amazing make up artist that you are, what are your top makeup and beauty tips?

Beauty starts from within. Don't be mean to others and put people down to lift yourself up. That's not cool

Always use a good moisturiser. Seriously. Don't skip that. There are a lot of different types of moisturisers out there. Don't think that because your face is oily you don't need to put anything on. When you don't moisturise your face your body over produces oil and then you become more oily than necessary.

3. What do you look for in a (female) friend?

Honesty and low maintenance. I am that friend who is really busy, probably travelling and I need someone who understands that and respects that sometimes I am busy and unable to chat to you. Honesty is so important to me and I always want someone to be honest with me. If you don't like something I did, please talk to me. Don't hold a grudge or spread rumours about me. Let's be adults and talk about it. Bonus points if you can tell horrible dad jokes!

4. Now, the best question. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?

Yes I do. A feminist is someone who fights for EQUAL rights for BOTH men and women. I think that everyone should be treated the same regardless of whether they are male or female. That is with everything in life. From professional work situations, sporting events as well as the law. I often see people who fight for equal rights but when it comes to things like going to court for say child walfare, most of the time the court goes with the mother because the kid grew in her uterus.

5. Now on to travel, what are some of your favourite cities and why?

New York was the first City I had been to when I left my own country for the first time so it will always have a small piece of my heart. I love the fashion there and how no one judges you because they have their own problems to deal with. It's also one of the only cities I know where you don't need to have money to explore it as so much of it is free. It also helps that it has Broadway which is my first love as well as free Lindt samples lol! Boston is high on that list too. I visited there in December 2015 and I fell in love with it. I loved the streets; the architecture; the vibe. It's like country meets city in the best way possible. In terms of Europe, Rotterdam definitely has my heart. Rotterdam was bombed in WWII which left it pretty flat except for about 3 buildings. They have since built it up and added the weirdest buildings. Every time I go past the buildings, I remember why I love the city so much! It's not just the architecture but also the vibe of the city that makes me love it! Delft is my favourite small town. It's also in The Netherlands, about a 10 min train from Rotterdam. It is a college town and hosts some of the best architecture students in the world. It's so small you can throw a tennis ball from one end to the other but somehow always makes me so happy to go there. It hosts amazing canals; cafe's and the famous Delft's Blauw ornaments (they are the blue and white china that is so famous. Adoringly came from this small town)

6. What tips do you have for meeting other #girlbosses while traveling?

Instagram and Facebook groups. Remember when your parents told you not to meet anyone off the internet? Well you use Uber so that's out the window. I target female based groups on Facebook and meet up with people that have similar interests to me. On Instagram I use the geo tag for the area that I am trying to make friend's in and then go from there. It's good to form friendships first by liking and commenting on their stuff and take it from there.

7. How do you keep old friendship alive while always traveling?

I enjoy having low maintenance friends so I guess it is easier that way. I also will make sure I know what they are up to on social media. Most of my friend's are on social media so I always keep up with them that way. I have a few friend's who I call on a weekly basis, sometimes all we say is hi and bye. Sometimes it's long conversations but it's all about effort. The most important thing I would say though is if something reminds you of someone, let them know. I am a visual person so I always take a photo and let the person know I was thinking of them. It makes that person feel fuzzy inside and you'll probably make their day!

8. What do you miss most about SA when abroad?

Food mostly! Seriously, why doesn't the rest of the world have All Gold tomato sauce and tomato flavoured chips that are actually nice? I evidently have a thing for tomatoes. Currently- The Netherlands doesn't have Salt and vinegar chips for some reason so that makes me sad.

9. Tell us a bit more about yourself?

Well I am a professional AuPair. I have been travelling abroad since 2013 while doing what I love. I look after children with special needs which is very close to my heart. I am also a professional makeup artist; hairstylist and can probably sing more Disney songs than you know.

10. Tell us a bit more about being an au pair?

Being an AuPair is hard. I am not going to sugar coat that. Most people think that it's all fun and games and you travel a lot. The truth is it's flipping hard BUT totally worth it!

11. If you could give your 13 year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Screw what other people think of you! Everyone has their own issues they are dealing with so be extra nice and listen extra hard to them because you never know whose day you are making by simply listening.