Ashleigh Menin

Why the self-proclaimed beach baby and sassy Aussie social media content creator is the real deal.

Wonderful shoot, Ashleigh. Tell us a bit about it — where? When?
This shoot actually took place in my own backyard! It actually worked out really well because around the same time beaches were starting to close due to COVID-19 restrictions. We made sure to practise social distancing, which felt a little unusual, but other than that it was super chill and fun.

What do you think about when you are posing in front of the camera?
I try to visualise what the camera is seeing and think of ways to best showcase the outfit I’m shooting while being aware of my facial expressions, angles and movements. It took me a while to learn how to coordinate all of these things at the same time, but I’m a lot better at it now.

Well, you look gorgeous. When do you feel sexy?
Thank you so much! I’m a big beach baby at heart, so I always feel my sexiest when I’m in a bikini wearing minimal make-up and have my hair out all salty.

What would you say is your best asset?
Probably how empathetic I am. I’m caring and understanding of others and always put myself in their shoes. Physically, I’d probably say my lips. I’m really grateful I have naturally fuller lips – girls pay a lot of money these days for full lips, so I feel very lucky that I got mine for free. Thanks, mum!

Give us a little more background information about yourself and your life story so far.
I’m 20 years old, from Sydney and my background is Italian. I live at home with my family, have a younger sister Mikayla who is 18 and a younger brother Max who is 14. I’m a super-creative person and have always had a passion for art, photography and make-up, so I love that my job combines all of those aspects. I love travelling and have been fortunate enough to travel quite a lot, both domestically and internationally, for my job.

What would people be most surprised to know about you?
I’m quite introverted. I feel like people wouldn’t really expect that from me because of my modelling and social media. Although my job requires me to travel, network and socialise quite a bit, I’m defiantly a big homebody at heart and would usually prefer lounging around at home in my comfy clothes watching Netflix.

How long have you’ve been modelling and how were you discovered?
I’ve been modelling for five years and was scouted on Instagram by a modelling agency when I was 15 years old. I was with the agency for three years before deciding to freelance and have been loving it ever since.

What do you enjoy most about being an influencer?
I genuinely just love creating content. I remember when I was 13 I begged my dad for my first DSLR camera and started taking photos of myself and my travels sharing them to Instagram for fun. Fast forward seven years – I never thought taking photos would end up being my full-time job. Instagram is such an amazing platform and I will be forever grateful for all the incredible opportunities it has brought me. From collaborating with my favourite brands to travelling the world and connecting with so many beautiful people, it has also allowed me to meet and work with so many other creators which I’m now lucky enough to call my friends.

What’s been the toughest thing for you in these crazy COVID-19 times?
The toughest thing is having to cancel all my travel plans for the year. I absolutely love travelling and had so many exciting trips planned – the one I was most looking forward to was Coachella. But I believe everything happens for a reason and I feel this time is a blessing in disguise. Everyone lives such busy lives these days, so I’ve really enjoyed slowing down and spending more time with family. It’s allowed me time to reflect, reset and set new goals.

If you had to take MAXIM on a date, what would it entail?
I would take MAXIM on a romantic picnic date near the water at sunset with a yummy platter of food, some music and wine.
We would chat, eat and take cute pics for the ’gram. LOL!

Great! What is one cheesy pick-up line we should avoid using?
I’ve definitely heard some pretty lame ones in my time. One that comes to mind is, “Are you a parking ticket? Because you’ve got fine written all over you.”

What do you look for in a man?
Someone I can trust – this is the most important thing to me – and someone who is understanding, supportive and thoughtful.

What have you learnt about men over the years?
They can’t multi-task! Sorry, fellas.

What’s one thing men should always remember about women?
We are always right!

Got it! What’s next for you? Any exciting projects coming up?
I’ve recently signed with a social media agency Max Connectors and have been working on a bunch of exciting jobs lately. ■

STATUS UPDATE

NAME: Ashleigh Menin
BORN: March 10, 2000
HOMETOWN: Sydney, NSW
FIVE-WORD SELF-DESCRIPTION: “Intuitive, gentle, creative, sensitive, open-minded.”
HOBBIES: “Going to the beach, listening to podcasts, practising self-care, taking and editing photos, watching Netflix, going out for dinner.”
GO-TO DRINK: “Tequila shots – haha!”
HANGOVER CURE: “Prevention is better than a cure! So I would suggest eating food and drinking loads of water before going to bed.”
LIFE MOTTO: “I have two quotes I live by – “Everything happens for a reason” and “All you have is here and now, so surrender and just be.”
INSTAGRAM & TIKTOK: @ashleighmenin