Blog β€” Scandaleuse | Inclusive Toronto Boudoir Photography

boudoir photography

Scandaleuse gave up on meat

Bonjour bonjour our vegetarian, vegan and meat lover scandals.

For those who eat meat, have you ever asked yourself what life is like for people who gave it up? Have you ever been curious about how they can still be healthy? Have you ever heard this little voice in your head saying: β€œcome one…Try it, you might love it!”? I'm sure you know what I am talking about…

 
vegetarian-scandaleuse-phtography
 

Well ladies & gentlemen get ready, Scandaleuse will demystify all of the meatless urban legends!

Why and when?

About a year ago, Juliette and I decided to stop eating meat. But we didn’t do it at the same time (believe it or not, sometimes we do take our decisions separately, we are not always Thomson & Thompson).

 
 

Juliette was first. She started decreasing the amount of meat in her diet, after reading a few blog posts about how it is not necessary. She tried it for a couple of weeks and now and she doesn’t want to go back!

Concerning my experience, it was an article on a french online magazine called β€œMademoizelle” that was the trigger. It was about the founder who stopped eating meat right away after watching Cowspiracy.

Two days later, here I was, in front of my computer, with my pasta dish and my boyfriend Ivan, watching this famous documentary. Let me tell you, we both got slapped in the face big time! We looked at each other and knew we had to stop eating meat. All we cared about (sustainability, deforestation & global warming) was right in front of us and we were able to change things starting with our plates.

The decision was easy to make but educating our brain wasn't…

How?

While it is not complicated to give meat up, it is not easy either. It takes time, knowledge and willpower. Our brain is a little evil, it can make you crave something you don’t need and this is the toughest part!

I never really ate a lot of meat except things that people don't enjoy such as liver, veal tongue, duck gizzards and of course chicken, ham, prosciutto... (well I am gonna stop here cause now I am craving Italian ham!). But truly, when you are strong enough to fight for what you care about and you can see your actions lead to results, this is a damn good reward!

Take your time, you don’t need to stop meat or animal proteins in one day. Start with beef because it is the worst for our planet, then remove the chicken. And please don’t listen to those people who try to rush you. Like in politics, they can be too extreme.

If you are thinking of becoming vegetarian, pescetarian or vegan, you need to know why. You need to have a solid reason to be able to go through it. Is it because you want to be healthier? Do you care about animal cruelty? Do you want to change the way we act on our beautiful planet? Finding your own purpose will make it much easier.

If you feel ready or want to satisfy your curiosity, check the Cowspiracy website (they have lots of great articles, videos and tips) and of course watch it. For those who are worried about seeing blood and disgusting slaughterhouse scenes, don’t worry you won't. This documentary is full of datas, interviews & facts but no awful footage.

 
 

 Meatless urban LEGENDs:

-Did you force your partner to give up on meat? Yes totally. Every night I handcuff Ivan at the bed, feed him with broccoli and order him to call me his Green Mama!

 -You don’t eat meat! How can you be so healthy? I grow this magical plant on my balcony which is perfect for baking little muffins. It gives me wings and makes me indestructible! No let’s be serious, I just make sure to replace all of the animal proteins I don’t eat by a plant-based diet. And I still eat a bit of fish, eggs and cheese.

-Ok you eat fish but don’t you know it is also animal cruelty, fish have feelings! Yes you are right but my first reason in this choice was not animal cruelty, it was sustainability. I never wanted to think about animals suffering in slaughterhouses when I was eating meat. But since I stopped, I now care about it.

I am not against hunters, farmers or meat itself. I am against industrialization, big factories and against all of this waste of energy we consume to produce meat. Oh and also palm oil, but this will be an other topic.

-No meat? Cooking must be sooo boring!!! I am actually having more fun than before. I love transforming regular meal into vegetarian/vegan ones. You have so many way to be creative while cooking. And I feel lucky to live in Toronto because Canada has lot of options for non-meat eaters.

 -I am a man, a real one, I will never stop meat! Good for you my friend… but you’re right we never know... A vagina could grow between your legs if you become vegetarian! Starting a plant-based diet or just being careful with your consumption is not gonna make you less of a man. Lots of male athletes for example don’t eat animal products, does it mean they lost their testicles on the road? Of course not!

I have a friend who told me once β€œFanny I will never ever give up on meat, I love it so much!!”, then guess what: he doesn’t eat meat anymore. Please gentlemen, don’t let your fears stopping you from trying. I promise you will still look handsome.

-I truly don’t give a damn of our planet! Well no comment but one day you will change your mind…

VoilΓ  folks, it was just an introduction. We promise to write an other article with more details, tips, advice and recipes (but only if you have been good followers, Green Mama is watching you!)

 With love.

Fanny

Show Us Your Tats - Liana

We bumped into Liana's instagram profile completely randomly and our hearts skipped a bit when we saw her beautiful elephant piece on her thigh. One "hi-hello-please-model-for-us" later, we were talking about going to Chinatown for something edgy, neons lights and rock'n'roll. Liana is a brave soul. She walked around half-naked in public places for a solid two-hours.

 
liana-lewis-scandaleuse-boudoir-toronto-1
 

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

My name is Liana Lewis, I’m a Toronto based dancer, singer and actor. Originally from Calgary, Alberta . The arts have always been a big part of my life

Let's talk tattoos

I have 11 tattoos. My first tattoo is the one on my back. Two dance figures on a turntable they represent the urban and contemporary styles of dance, I identify with both.
My β€œBelieve” tattoo and the one behind my ear which says LiLi with the Trident from the Barbados flag were done by Jay McKay at Adrenaline - he now has his own shop Unique Ink in Barrie, ON.
The β€œBelieve” a simple reminder to never loss hope, that whatever I set out to do is possible. The one behind my ear is my family nickname it also represents my Bajan heritage. If all of my ink had to speak for me, they would tell the story of who I am, what I love or how I move in the world. It would reveal inner beauty, strength, love, empowerment, authenticity and the importance of music, dance and family. Those are the things that make me me.

liana-lewis-tattoos-boudoir-scandaleuse-toronto-4
liana-lewis-tattoos-boudoir-scandaleuse-toronto-2
liana-lewis-tattoos-boudoir-scandaleuse-toronto-3

The β€œElephant” and β€œLove Conquers All” was do by Alanna Mule at Adrenaline, she now has her own shop Bellwoods Tattoo. I love what elephants represent: strength, loyalty, power, patience, good luck, pride, happiness, reliability, confidence and wisdom. There's many other symbolic meanings, I found those qualities I identify with the most. I had it shooting musical notes because music has been a big part of my life, even before I was born.

"Music is a second language to my heart." - Mara Arps
 
 

β€œRose” tattoo - by Janice at Chronic Ink.

The lips with β€œbe your own kind of beautiful” written in lipstick by Rags at Black Cloud Tattoos. It’s a dedication to my Love Letters Cabaret family, the lips is our logo we’re all about β€œpoom poom power” empowerment. Being your own kind of beautiful is what poom poom power means to me.
The sternum and finger tattoos are by Prairie Koo at Ink and Water Tattoo. Both pieces are his own designs. I was looking for new ink inspiration when I came across Sara Golish (a Toronto based artist)  "Moon Dust" series, the "Black Gold" print it spoke to me. To me she represents strength, uniqueness, inner beauty and empowerment. She reminded me a lot of myself especially the persona I take on Petra "Queen of the Nile" with Love Letters Cabaret. This was done by Roumen Kirinov at Toronto Ink.

The tribal piece on my right thigh was created and done by Petra Hlavackova in Berlin at Toe Loop Tattoo. I just love her work, happen to be in Berlin at the same time, was very happy to be able to get some ink done by her. Such a beautiful spirit. And her name is Petra which is also the name of my alter ego, it was very serendipitous.

What was the time and budget allocated for each piece?

The smaller pieces were around $100-150, The rest was from $200-500

liana-lewis-tattoos-boudoir-scandaleuse-toronto-6
liana-lewis-tattoos-boudoir-scandaleuse-toronto-7
Liana-SUYT-19.jpg

Is there something you wish you had known before getting tattooed?

Not really, I waited till I was really ready and knew exactly what I wanted. I did lots of research on artist and shops making sure I had the right person for each piece.

Any reactions from your immediate circle?

My friends love my ink and aren’t surprised with how I now use ink as another way to express myself. Both my parents said once I'm 18 it's your own body you can do whatever you please with it. They don't disapprove or are unhappy they just come from a time where tattoos were sorta taboo, they don't get it. I know my dad secretly loves the one behind my ear.

The Deets

Alanna Mule - Bellwoods Tattoo - 104 Ossington Ave www.bellwoodstattoo.com | @alannamule @BellwoodsTattoo

Prairie Koo - Ink & Water Tattoo - 1303 Bloor St West www.inkandwatertattoo.ca | @release852_inkandwatertattoo @inkandwatertattoo

Rags - Black Cloud Tattoos - 276 Carlaw Ave Unit 209 www.blackcloudtattoos.com | @blackcloudtattoos

Janice - Chronic Ink - 252 Eglinton Ave E | www.chronicinktattoo.com@soso_ink @chronicink

Roumen Kirinkkov www.roumenkirinkov.com - Toronto Ink - 580 Β½ Danforth Rd | www.torontoink.com | @roumenkirinkov @torontoink

Petra Hlavackova www.petrattattoo.com | @petratattoo | www.toe-loop-berlin.de | @toe_loop_tattoo_berlin

 

Find Liana:

Instagram | Facebook | Love Letters Cabaret

Will be performing in the Toronto Fringe Festival (July 5-16)

 
 

Why do a boudoir shoot?

 

As you all now know, boudoir photography has been around for quite a while. One of the first question we get when we talk about Scandaleuse is "why the heck would a lovely lady (or gentleman!) ask for this particular photography session?"

Whether you are hesitating about booking your session or just curious about who we work with, we have gathered some pointers for you little Scandals!

Reason 1: Just because you want to.

We might as well start with our favourite excuse to walk around half-naked followed by a camera. You may have woken up one day feeling ready to immortalize your beautiful self or you may have worked really hard on a new you. Or maybe you always wanted to do it and you now gathered the courage to start your google search.

Reason 2: You have another person who will enjoy it.

Doing it for yourself deserves two thumbs up,but sharing your photos with your special someone takes the cake. (and god knows we love cake. We’re French, don’t blame us)

Why not giving a little peek to the person who makes you heart shake so you can brag one more time about how good you look?

Reason 3: Because you are working so hard on that body of yours

All of those hours squatting at the gym with the litres of sweat involved are a good enough reason to get a shoot done. Let's face it, if you have a 6-pack or a booty Brazilians would kill for, you might as well show it.

Reason 4: A teeny tiny soon to be big mush of love is coming!

You are expecting a major change in your life and it is now or never to capture your body changing. Scandaleuse loves big bellies. For real. We are amazed by why the human body can do.

Reason 5: Gooooing to the chapel…

..and we’re gonna get maaaarried. Forget the standard cufflinks as a wedding gift and spice it up with yourself instead. Need more details? Hint: it involves a veil, rings and I do’s. And a sexy honeymoon.

That’s it for today lovely Scandals. Just know that whatever reason you pick, we have your back! (or your front. Or... well you got it.)

You have any other reasons? We are all ears!

 
 

Our Boudoir Approach - Between sexual harassment and body shaming

Scandaleuse was born over coffee in Toronto. When Fanny and I first discussed the concept of shooting boudoir, we were surprised at the positive reception from our friends and family. If anyone was going do it, we realized, it was going to be the two of us.

 
boudoir-photography-toronto
 

Let's face it, human bodies have always been fascinating, and risquΓ©. Whether it was in the 1920's in Paris where it was forbidden but secretly exciting, or in the 70's to encourage women's femininity, we have always photographed people showing skin. There are no rules, no average, no limits.

When starting Scandaleuse, our main goal was (and still is!) to provide a high quality session in which our models, women or men, would feel completely themselves. No disguise, no theme, just beautiful people in beautiful places. Where did this thing start you may wonder? While we don't have a straight answer, we do have a few pointers.

As simple and juvenile as it may sound : body shaming sucks. Come to think of it, we spend so much time comparing or underestimating ourselves. Beauty standards will always be here unless we break them. You should feel comfortable in your own skin. After all, you only have one. Who's to say that if you are not a size 0, you are not beautiful? Who can tell you what to wear and what not to wear to fit in society? As far as we know, there are no fashion gods, only people with strong beliefs that don't always make sense.

Shooting boudoir photography is our way to contribute to stop body shaming, one shoot at the time.

 
boudoir-photography-burlesque-toronto
 

Here comes our second but just as important trigger to what we are doing today. Growing up in France and living quite a bit of time in Paris, we can officially say that being girls over there is not the nicest feeling on Earth.

Take Paris for example: all of our friends, ourselves included, have suffered from sexual harassment while minding our own business. Between daily insults (or physical assaults in the worst cases), all of us have wondered if this skirt was too short, or if this outfit showed too much skin even if we felt comfortable right before passing the front door.

Once we set foot in London and in Toronto, we realized that this kind of behaviour was not okay and far away from the norm. We have never been bothered by anyone walking down the street in Toronto in 4 years (and still counting!).

That being said, we are happy to say that we took something good out of this nasty behaviour: promoting women. Showing off their bodies by giving them the respect they deserve and make them feel beautiful.

Don't worry gentlemen, we got your covered too. Wellnot "covered" per se. You get the idea!

We are game if you are.

 
 

Dear Future Scandals...

This is iT. Scandaleuse is finally ready to see the daylight, ready to conquer the Torontonian streets with a touch of Frenchie-ness.

 
Photo credit: CreativeX

Photo credit: CreativeX

 

After many sleepless nights, creative outbursts and double espressos, your Scandals-en-chef have arrived, and together, we are ready to work our bums (no pun intended) off to bring boudoir photography to the next level.

We are very excited to meet you all, Scandals-to-be.
Hold on to your panties, we are up for a ride.