Lori Harvey Reflects On Feeling Pressured To Be A Certain Size In Her Modeling Days
Lori Harvey’s foray into modeling might not be what you think. While she models sexy fits on Instagram, she isn’t what you would call an Instagram model. If you look at her resume, you will see that she has walked runways for luxury brands such as Dolce and Gabbana and has been featured in campaigns for Chanel and most recently Burberry. At 5’3'' with a curvy frame, Lori isn’t your traditional model, and she dealt with body insecurities when she first entered the fashion industry.
Talking with PopSugar, the SKN by LH founder said, "When I was younger, I really paid attention to what people thought about me and how people thought my body looked," she said.
Lori made her runway debut when she was 20 years old. "When I started modeling, I felt like I had to get super skinny because I wasn't tall. I'm naturally more curvy, so I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a certain size and look a certain way. It took such a toll on me mentally."
Prior to pursuing modeling as a full-time career, the 25-year-old was a competitive equestrian. However, her dream of turning pro was shot after she suffered a major sports injury that if she continued with it, could have left her paralyzed.
"That was a life-shattering moment for me," she said. "I had this plan in my mind for so long that this is going to be my life, this is going to be my career. I felt a little lost trying to figure out, 'OK, what am I going to do now?'"
Pivoting into modeling has proven successful for her and now she is working to become a businesswoman. She launched a skincare line and she is hoping to create other businesses. Despite the early bouts of self-doubt, these days, Lori is feeling more at home in the woman she is than ever before.
Keep scrolling to learn more about how the model-turned entrepreneur takes care of herself inside and out.
Lori Harvey Starts Her Mornings With Celery Juice
While most of us opt for coffee first thing in the a.m., Lori swears by a daily dose of celery juice on an empty stomach. In an interview with The Strategist, she revealed:
"I drink celery juice first thing in the morning, every single morning. I’ve been doing it for at least three years. One of my trainers swore by it and got me hooked. It’s great for digestion and inflammation and is a good source of antioxidants. If you want a flat tummy, it’s really good for that, too. It tastes like a very healthy green juice — not the best taste, but you get used to it after a while and the results are worth it."
Her favorite is from Kreation, a company based in L.A. She also chases the celery juice down with a Vitamin C shot from the same place. She told NYLON, "I think that really jump starts my digestive system and it’s good for my skin as well."
TheCelebrityfinder/MEGA/GC Images
Lori's Workout Routine Includes Pilates
If you ever catch a glimpse of Lori outside of social media, nine times out of ten, it's her leaving a Pilates class. She shared with Pretty Little Thing that she typically switches up her daily workouts between cardio and strength training during her week and "maybe incorporate a Pilates class or two in there." She has also mentioned hiking as another go-to for fitness and as a stress-reliever.
She continued about her workouts, "I start off with a five-minute warmup, then I'll usually do a few circuits of strength training, either lower or upper body depending on what day it is and I always finish with ab work."
A Regular Visit to the Sauna Is a Must in Lori Harvey’s Wellness Routine
After her Pilates class, Lori prefers to soak up some heat and steam courtesy of a 30-minute visit to the sauna. She explained, "The sauna is also really, really good for your skin and it's very therapeutic, and then I shower. I typically try to get in the sauna after I work out every day for at least 30 minutes. It helps me relax. I like to gather my thoughts in the sauna."
Lori Attributes Hair Growth to a $40 Hair Oil
For her signature mane, one of her go-to's for growth and maintenance is the No.5 Rosemary + Mint Hair Growth Oil by The Hair Kitchen. The founder and CEO explained, "I try to use it for like, two, three days before a wash day and really oil my scalp up. My hair falls below the middle of my back now — it grew in a matter of months. The oil has rosemary in it, which is good for hair growth, and peppermint, which makes your scalp feel fresh and tingly."
Lori Harvey’s Skincare Routine Is SKN by LH
Not surprisingly, Lori attributes her immaculate skin to her uber-successful skincare line, SKN by LH. She broke down her routine to NYLON, "My daily skincare routine consists of my Goji Berry Cleanser, White Tea Toner, Vitamin C Serum, the Peptide Eye Complex, and Niacinamide Cream– those are all from my line SKN x LH. It's the perfect easy everyday skincare routine."
She added, "I have been embracing not putting on any makeup and just taking care of my skin. It's been so good! It's an overall confidence boost for me when my skin looks good and it's clear."
Featured image by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Michael Kors
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Another season of Love Is Blind has come to a close, and almost two months later we’re still unpacking the drama that is Clay and AD. The finale, reunion, and post-interviews with Clay and AD after season six of Love Is Blind left millions of people wondering - why couldn’t AD see the signs? Clay told her he had a fear of marriage, his parents experienced infidelity, and he seemed to have many doubts about saying, "I do."
After changing his mind at the altar and hearing AD question why she feels like she’s never enough, I was finished watching. I didn’t need to hear anything else because, at that moment, I realized this wasn’t about Clay; this was about AD feeling inadequate before she ever met Clay.
If I’m honest, I don’t watch much dating television. TikTok keeps me updated with the clips that I need to see in order to be kept in the loop, but it’s difficult for me to watch an entire season of dating TV because seeing Black women settle for less and questioning their beauty is a trigger for me. In many ways, there were points in my life where I was AD, settling and ignoring red flags because I wanted to be loved.
Now, on the other side, it doesn’t feel good to see Black women lower their standards on national television. There have been many hot takes on this couple and who was in the wrong. Did Clay play in AD’s face or did she not listen to the truth of what he told her from day one? Was his reason for joining the show to promote his business and not to find the one?
We’ll never know the truth, but what we can do is learn tactics to better our self-worth. Founder and CEO of The Self Love Organization Denise Francis shared her expertise with xoNecole on what tangible steps to take to improve feelings of worthiness. “Self-love blooms in a garden where self-worth is planted, nourished, and whole. However, when your self-worth is challenged, displaced, or broken, it could be difficult to rebuild," Denise explains.
How To Rebuild Self-Worth
During her self-love coaching sessions, Denise likes to walk her clients through the cornerstones of rebuilding self-worth: grace and self-compassion. To her, self-worth is never lost, it's only displaced, so practicing self-compassion and giving yourself grace is a must. "We tend to place our self-worth in entities and people of ourselves such as relationship status, physical appearance, material possessions, social media followings, what others think of us, and more. Self-worth is not something to be measured by anyone or anything outside of ourselves because we all innately hold value and worth.
"Self-worth is not something to be measured by anyone or anything outside of ourselves because we all innately hold value and worth."
"When we place our value into people or things, we tend to feel that we are not enough, worth it, special, or important when relationship status, job titles, friendships, and physical appearances are lost or changed. We then tend to feel lost within ourselves because we’ve placed our value outside of ourselves. Using grace and compassion, you can rebuild your self-worth by returning home to who you are at your core," she concludes.
How To Return Home To Yourself
Denise advises taking a step back and using self-reflection through journaling by answering the following journaling prompts:
First, ask yourself, "What do you tend to attach your self-worth to and why?"
Is it your relationships, your job title, your finances, your appearance, etc.? Why do you think you place so much emphasis on external status? How does it make you feel when you are defining yourself through these entities and/or people outside of yourself?
Then, ask yourself, "Without these things, who am I?"
Once you have your answers, show yourself kindness, remove the shame, and, as Denise says, "Redefine yourself by detaching your value from the things and people you have no control over and no longer serve you. Challenge yourself to define yourself outside of titles and societal values."
"By returning home to your core, you find value in who you are as a person. You begin to find value in the way you love instead of your relationship status, your compassion instead of your popularity, your drive instead of your income/job title, and your heart instead of your physical appearance," she adds.
"By returning home to your core, you find value in who you are as a person."
"Be intentional with healing your self-worth by leaning into the people and things that nourish your core values. Surround yourself with the people who love and cherish you, they will always remind you just how valuable you truly are."
It all goes back to self-compassion and grace. As Denise explains, leading with those two things as you heal and rebuild your self-worth allows you to reduce negative self-talk that might come up for you. "This weakens thoughts like, 'I am not enough... why am I never enough?'" she shares, "And 'I don't deserve this while strengthening thoughts like 'I deserve better,' 'I am enough,' and 'I am worth it.'"
Denise continues, "Once you return home and remember the irreplaceable person you are, you can rebuild your self-worth by placing it back where it belongs. It belongs to you."
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by LaylaBird/Getty Images