How It Feels To Be A Cover Girl! Tash X Womens Health

This month Tash will grace the cover of Womens Health Magazine on newsstands Australia wide. This is such an exciting accomplishment for Tash and A Bikini A Day and we wanted to share her full “cover girl” experience with you all in this exclusive interview!

What was it like to shoot your first ever magazine cover?

It was completely surreal; I am actually still in shock and wondering if it was just a dream.

What was your reaction when Womens Health asked you to be on their cover?

I read the email and called Devin immediately, we were pretty much screaming with excitement. It reminded me of us back in the day when we would get crazy excited over every little thing, even a bikini arriving in the mail!

Did you ever think you would be on the cover of a magazine?

Honestly, no! I believe anything is possible but Womens Health asking me to be on their cover definitely came as a surprise. It is a huge honor and means a lot to me.

Did you do anything special to prepare for the cover shoot?

Not really. I am not the type, as most of my followers know, to starve myself to prepare for my shoots. There is no point in looking better for just one photo shoot. I like to be healthy and fit all year round. I did however indulge less in naughty treats the week before, making sure to eat healthy and drink lots of water whilst traveling so I would have a natural glow!

What moment were you most excited for with the reveal of the cover?

I was most excited for my followers to see the cover! I hope that it inspires young girls to work hard and follow their dreams! I was never considered by the industry as a “model” or someone “fame worthy”, this cover has eventuated from hard work and passion which is why even I am proud to see it!

Are there any other magazines you would dream to be on the cover of?

Well now that I have one, why not another!? (haha) I would love to be on the cover of my other favorite publications like COSMO and Harpers Bazaar or Glamour.

Where was the photo shoot? 

It was in Sydney, I had to fly back to Australia especially for the shoot which definitely added to the excitement. I am so glad my first ever magazine cover was shot in my home town!  

Were you nervous on set?

At first I was, which is actually very unlike me. Although I am on photo-shoots almost every day, I knew that the cover would be on newsstands Australia wide and I wanted it to be my best shot to date. After meeting the whole team and amazing photographer, Adam, I felt completely at home in front of the camera. It ended up being a lot of fun and I think that came across in my cover shot!

How long was the photo shoot? How many looks did you shoot?

The photo shoot went all day, there is a lot to consider when shooting a magazine cover that you normally wouldn’t think of. The photo has to suit the season, the editors need to have several cover options as well as options for the in magazine article! We started shooting around 7 a.m., finishing around 6 p.m. and we shot about eight looks. One of the looks was a Monday Swimwear bikini, which really added to the shoot being a dream come true, not only was I shooting my first cover but I was wearing my own swimwear line!

How many people were on set?

There was a team of around 20 people on set including, the editor Rachael, stylist, hair and make up team, photographer, lighting specialist, videographers and Kensja and her team from E! even stopped by the shoot at one point to interview me from behind the scenes!

Did you choose your hair and make up? How long did it take to complete you look?

The Womens Health team wanted me to look like “me” so they let me choose my hair and make up, I went for a natural beachy look as per usual, which aligned well with the healthy natural image of the magazine! Hair and make up took around an hour, they did everything from my eyelashes to my nails and at one point I even had a hair extension clipped in (for the first time EVER) to my pony tail, I loved that shot and can see why girls love extension’s from time to time, they definitely add some volume!

Are there any “behind the scenes” tips or tricks you learnt from the shoot?

There were lots of little things that the team did to get the perfect shot, from a little wind in the hair, to the lighting and telling funny jokes to make me laugh, every person on the shoot played an important role in getting the shot.

Do you think being featured on the cover as a blogger rather than

It is definitely marking the beginning of a new era. What I love about bloggers is that they are ordinary people that share their life and creativity with others. I think bloggers are becoming the new “celebrities” because people can tell most of us are genuine and relatable. I have been seeing quite a few bloggers on magazine covers lately, it is so nice to see certain people in the fashion and media industry giving recognition to them, it’s proving that you don’t have to be the “perfect” model or movie star to be recognized in the media. I know that I myself am trying to set a good example for young girls like my little sister who is 14, like that being driven, passionate and an entrepreneur is far more valuable them being accepted by a modeling agency or making it onto the big screens! I love to see people broaden their horizons, dream big and believe that they can be whatever they want to be!

I am truly thankful to Womens Health and will always treasure my first ever magazine cover!

Our infamous butt workout is also a part of the feature- how cute are these little illustrations of Tash!

See Tash’s whole cover story shoot and interview in this months issue of Women’s Health Australia and share any photos of you copy of the mag with us via the hashtag #womenshealthxtashoakley

Also to all of our Australia readers get 6 issues of Womens Health for only AUD$29 here: www.subscribetoday.com.au/WH/F5B9VC