Cool people like cool things, which is why we asked Ava Pearlman to share a taste of her taste on Perfectly Imperfect.

Ava Pearlman is a New York City-based model who’s worked with Nike, Purple Magazine, Glamor Spain, and Parade, and has done multiple shoots for James Veloria and Calvin Klein underwear. She styled Charlie Puth for his forthcoming album’s art and he’s still rocking the vintage clothes she picked out for him. And in the past, she’s done styling for Italian Vogue, Project Runway, and The MTV show How Far is Tattoo Far with Snooki. Ava is also an aspiring documentary filmmaker who made a short film about her best friend and grandfather Mordechai Rosenstein, a Jewish Calligrapher who was friends with artists such as Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, and Franz Kline. Lucky for us, Ava is here to tell us what she’s been into.

Without further ado

Ava Pearlman (instagram)

🌇 Going Above 14th street 

It is essential to remind yourself that Manhattan is a big city, with much more to offer than just the charades of downtown. Take the subway to the Upper West Side and walk through the park on 81st street. Go to the Met (you can skip the entire ticket line by entering through the student entrance to the left of the main stairs). Have dinner at my favorite restaurant “Celeste” on 84th and Amsterdam, or have lunch at “ Via Quadronno”  on 73rd between Madison and 5th. When you head back downtown or to Brooklyn at the end of the evening, you’ll feel like you traveled far and went on vacation. Feeling like a tourist in your own city is a gift and a thrill! 

🎬 Grey Gardens and Step Brothers  

Grey Gardens is my favorite Documentary and Step Brothers is my favorite Comedy. I realized recently that these two films approach the same subject…unlikely roommates! I’m not sure what that says about me. Grey gardens is packed with priceless life lessons from Little and Big Eddie. The Miesel Brothers give us a glimpse at the underbelly of the Hamptons in the 70’s, and show us what happens when your mom won't let you go out on the weekends. Grey Gardens has taught me that I can relate to non Jews, and that codependency comes in all shapes and sizes. The movie Step Brothers makes me believe in art, it's an immaculate tale from top to bottom. I have always sort of felt like a hot woman trapped inside the mind of John C. Reilly. You can purchase some epic Step Brothers t-shirt’s on depop. 

🗝 Respecting your elders 

I think most young people are afraid of hanging out with old people because the elderly can be depressing and I really get that. I have had the pleasure of being close friends with my grandparents, and I practice speaking to them the way I would speak to a fellow young person. Close proximity to decades of memories and wisdom stored inside an elderly friend, can provide a profound sensation of awareness in one’s everyday life. I think that older people are similar to children in that they just want to be treated as equals. Once they are treated like equals, they are a pleasure! 

🥣 Yogurt

Probiotics, ladies! I love eating yogurt in between meals or first thing in the morning, I feel it helps digestion and it keeps me feeling full for longer than non dairy snacks. My favorite yogurt brands are Siggis (coconut), Brown Cow (maple with cream on top) and Icelandic Provisions (vanilla skyr). Yogurt is satisfying in all seasons, and you can even eat it with a baby spoon!  

👗 Salvation Army 

The Salvation Army on 21st and 8th Avenue is the best place to find great thrift for an extremely low price. I have had an enormous amount of success at this location, there is just something about it! They have everything, and if you go on a Wednesday most items will be half price. 

🍦 Vanilla Perfume

Smelling like a sugar cookie will make men and women treat you better. I don’t go anywhere without spritzing on some vanilla perfume (mixed with another, less expected fragrance). My favorite vanilla perfumes are: Laura Mercier Vanille, Solinotes Vanilla and I Profumi Di Firenze Vaniglia del Madagascar. 

📱 Not scrolling Tik Tok

The Tik Tok trend and the way we’ve normalized scrolling the app for hours is alarming. Tik Tok videos aim to deliver little doses of dopamine or a type of virtual reality. It’s evil and distracting. The “high” one feels from scrolling the app is a lie, just like doing a bit of crack or heroin. Tik Tok is more harmful to our society and our minds than Instagram, because Tik Tok distances you from reality even more. But of course, there are some people who create great art on Tik Tok and I feel proud of those people. 

💆‍♀️ ECO gel

The product I use the most! Eco gel is the best option for smoothing and securing your hair, it washes out instantly with water and the way it dries is perfect. Every morning I use a bit of the gel in my eyebrows, brush them up with a clean spoolie (empty mascara wand) and then PRESS them up with my finger to wipe off the excess gel. You should also use a clean spoolie to create the perfect sleek bun or ponytail by rubbing gel into the hairline and then shaping with the spoolie. 

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