A YSE Life: Holly Graves

If you had to guess what Holly Grave’s career moodboard was like as a young girl, you’d probably imagine a supermodel studded visual: blond locks and long legs, the California coast, evening gowns with light pink nails and a lipgloss to match. 

Little Holly would roll her eyes if she heard that one. 

In fact, modeling was never what she envisioned for her future, as she was too busy kicking dirt around on her family’s ranch in Texas. Holly’s teenage years were rather adorned with angsty tomboy accents, her skirt drawer overflowing with cut-off skate pants and her vanity in absence of a hairbrush. When she was scouted at age fifteen and relocated to New York to model, it was more about independence than it was chasing a dream. If only that version of Holly knew what she was capable of. 

Today, she represents brands from LSPACE Swim to Victoria’s Secret, her tousled hair and bronzy skin a symbol of modern femininity. She balances her fashion portfolio with a black belt in Taekwondo and a degree in dietetics, and has learned one thing in the plethora of makeup chairs she’s sat in: she doesn’t have time for all that. 

So, when it comes down to skin, simplicity has always been key. She reaches for products that fit into the madness of her everyday: light enough to go unnoticed, but effective nonetheless. The Vacation Glow Highlight Stick is a standout in her makeup bag for not only its functional benefits, but its ability to enhance what is already there. A swipe or two on the high points of her face is the one step that takes her complexion to the next level.

We needed to know why the Highlighter Stick hits everyday status in her routine. Her answer? “It genuinely makes me feel like a better person inside and out.” A long day on set or a flight to catch, skincare in the form of a makeup product is a dream for Holly’s complexion and her busy to-do list. 

In between her major moments is where the realness lies, and if anyone is fond of the B-Sides, it's her. Here are some moments of off-camera Holly that the catalogs don’t catch.

Quick Q's

My morning nonnegotiable is... le coffee. Le duh

Signature weekday uniform?  A baggy jean. A vintage metal band tee (also baggy). And some array of dangle safety pins as earrings.

If I never had to sleep I would... travel the world and visit every country.

Coffee shop order? Iced oat milk latte. It’s basic. It’s delicious, don’t judge me. Just let me have this. 

My go to headphone listen is... honestly it’s too cringe for me to even write out.

Something that lives rent free in your work bag? Nipple pasties and a nude thong

Death row cocktail? A super cold dirty (correction, filthy!) martini with extra olives 

In-flight entertainment of choice? This changes since I fly so much, but lately I’ve been binge reading books that highlight the OG Punk music scenes of LA and NY 

Something I don't give a f**k about is... whether or not people like me. 

Something I give a f**k about is… also whether or not people like me lol

Career peak thus far? I don’t know if this is a singular “peak”, but I’m stoked to be at a place in my career where I’m able to afford and support myself in my own personal travels and endeavors. 

What gets you out of bed in the morning? My dog needing to go potty and eat, and telling me that by way of breathing heavily in my face.

Being present is… a feeling of gratefulness that tags along with the question of "wow how did I get here.”  

Line to live by? I have two – “A Spirit in my feet said ‘Go.’ And so I went.” By Mathew Brady. And, “shit happens”.