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Model Teddy Quinlivan Shares How She Gets Ready for a Date


Google “date night beauty” and you’ll get tips on bombshell hair, bedroom eyes, and why your date will love it. Sorry to all the potential Tinders matches here, but we believe in getting ready for no one but ourselves. That’s why we created the Date Prep Diaries, a personal look into the different pre-date rituals of women across America.

First up: Teddy Quinlivan, 24, single and a model in New York City and Paris

When it comes to beauty, my philosophy is that if you love yourself unapologetically, the right person will come to you. I don’t swipe on a magic mascara or lipstick and feel less insecure. It’s something I’ve had to work on internally for years and years. So when I go on a date, I try to look the most like my natural self.

I was so nervous I wasn’t going to live a normal life anymore when I came out as trans two years ago [especially when it came to dating]. But I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised. Not only has my life been normal, but I’ve been dating more and having more successful dates. It’s not like I tell anyone or announce that I’m trans before a date, because that’s not the most important thing about me. But if somebody is not attracted to me for something I have no control over, like my trans identity, there’s literally nothing I can do about it. This is who I am.

How often I go on dates varies. It really just depends on what mood I’m in. Sometimes I’ll be really busy and I don’t have time to go on any dates in a month, but other times I’ll be thirsty, and so I’ll go out on multiple dates in a week. I never go out to dinner with a boy [on a first date], especially if I’m meeting somebody from Tinder. A whole dinner can take an entire hour, and if I don’t find you attractive, then I’m just not going to devote that time to you. So my strategy is to be like, “Let’s go grab a drink.” Sometimes I don’t even want to do that, so I’ll suggest, “Let’s hang out at your place.” But I’m not really a Netflix and chill kind of girl, and I never want there to be an insinuation that it’ll lead to sex in any way, shape, or form. It’s never on the table from the get-go. It has to be earned.

The thing boys always compliment me on is my skin—they notice that. Plus, I like to feel dewy and fresh. So when I’m getting ready for a date, I usually start out by doing a face mask like Dr. Jart’s sheet masks or Sisley’s Black Rose one. Then, I exfoliate my lips with a MAC lip scrub, because I always want to have the most soft, kissable lips. After that, I moisturize with the Trish McEvoy Beauty Booster Serum, which I swear by, and Creme de la Mer.

As a passable transgender woman, I know a lot of other trans women feel more comfortable wearing more makeup. I do too in my daily life, but when I’m out on a date I don’t feel like I need to wear a lot. It’s very rare for me to find somebody I connect with, and when I do find that person, I don’t want something like my makeup overshadowing me. So I’ll usually keep my skin natural and add a little bit of La Prairie’s Cream Blush and a taupe eye with a little highlight in the corner. I always like to make my lashes look really full and thick with the Dior Pump n Show Mascara. And anything that draws attention to your lips is key, so I love the Fenty Gloss Bomb.



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Model Teddy Quinlivan Comes Out As Transgender


You might recognize model Theodora Quinlivan (known as Teddy), with her red hair and confident walk, from the countless runway shows she’s worked during New York Fashion Week and beyond. (This season alone, she’s walked Coach, Tory Burch, Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenberg, Derek Lam, Oscar de la Renta, Self-Portrat, Jeremy Scott, Monse, and Jason Wu… phew.) Today, on the last day of NYFW for Spring 2018, the 23-year-old came out as transgender.

In an exclusive interview with CNN Style, the 23-year-old explained that she decided to reveal her this about her identity in the hopes of increasing visibility for trans models working in fashion. (Only 0.17% of models cast for the Fall 2017 season back in February, across all four Fashion Weeks, were trans, according to The Fashion Spot.) But also, the current state of politics had something to do with the timing. “I’ve decided to reveal my trans identity because of the political climate in the world right now—particularly in the United States,” Quinlivan said. “I was ready to come out, but I think the times we live in elevated the sense of importance and urgency.”

PHOTO: Peter White

Another thing holding her back from coming out, she explained to CNN Style, was that she has presented as a cisgendered woman since she was discovered by Nicholas Ghesquière of Louis Vuitton in 2015 and began modeling professionally. “Since I transitioned when I was 16, I’ve been living as a cis female,” Quinlivan said. “That privilege [of presenting as cis female] gave me a lot of confidence to walk down the street, date and [work] in the fashion industry, where people I would presume I was a ‘normal’ girl.'”

Tory Burch Spring Summer 2018 Fashion Show - Runway

PHOTO: Peter White

As a white, cis-passing model, Quinlivan recognizes the privilege that has shielded her from some of the uglier realities of being a trans woman. “There’s been violence against transgender people—particularly transgender women of color—since before I even knew what transgender was,” she said to CNN Style. Because there are so few trans voices within the fashion community, specifically, she said that “[i]t’s really important to take advantage of a time like this” to speak up about her identity.

Jeremy Scott - Runway - September 2017 - New York Fashion Week: The Shows

PHOTO: Peter White

Of all the demographics represented in the fashion industry—both in ad campaigns and on the runway—transgender women are the least prevalent. That 0.17% from earlier represents only 12 models who appeared on the catwalk last season—and it was a record high.

Ulyana Sergeenko : Runway - Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2017-2018

PHOTO: Peter White

While Quinlivan is only one more name on that list, her appearances in so many big shows can definitely be said to make a difference. She explained to CNN Style that she had few transgender role models growing up (working in fashion or otherwise), so visibility matters to her. “There are not a lot of openly trans people in media, and I think it’s really important to show people that not only am I trans, I’m (also) very successful and good at what I do,” she said.

Oscar de la Renta - Runway RTW - Spring 2018 - New York Fashion Week

PHOTO: Catwalking

Since she shared her story this afternoon, there’s been an outpour of support for the model. Her agency, Women Management, posted clips of Quinlivan’s CNN film on Instagram, and wrote: “We are so proud of @teddy_quinlivan’s bold disclosure and we celebrate the Woman who she truly is.” On Twitter, the Human Rights Campaign thanked her for coming out.

Self-Portrait - Runway - September 2017 - New York Fashion Week

PHOTO: Peter White

Moving forward, Quinlivan hopes that her experience will help other models feel more comfortable with their gender identities—and push the needle in the industry to a point where diverse model castings are the norm. “If being transgender is something that gets attached to my name throughout my career, then it’s for a worthy cause,” she expressed to CNN Style. “But I look forward to the day when it doesn’t matter.”

Related Stories:

Last NYFW, Fashion Got ‘Political’—Now What?

What CurvyCon Says About Where Fashion Is Going

Christian Siriano’s Inclusive Spring 2018 Runway Featured Size, Gender Diversity



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