Peaches and Crème celebrates girls and women around the world all year round, but most especially on this special day, International Women's Day 🎉

We celebrate women who uplift other women. And this week, we asked 6 amazing women who are trying to make a difference in their own ways, to share their message for women everywhere.

NICOLE AGIUS

Nicole is a 19-year old fashion model who started her career in the modeling industry at the age of 12. She loves dancing and modeling, and won the title of Miss Republic of Malta twice - in 2018 and in 2020.

She shares that she was bullied as a young girl because she was deemed as "too skinny". Now a young woman, she says she has learned to love her own body; and her message to women echoes her personal mission - to embrace confidence and self-love.

"Love yourself and have confidence. Love your body. Love your scars and imperfections. Everyone’s beautiful in their own way no matter what size you are 🤍" 

 Instagram: @nic_agius | Facebook: facebook.com/NicoleAgiusOfficial

MARILYN CINI

Marilyn knew at a young age that she loved makeup and that she wanted to be in the beauty industry. Then, as she stepped into adulthood, she realised she also wanted to be a part of the healthcare industry - so she pursued both.

She started a career in Occupational Therapy and currently works in the paediatric sector to help young children achieve their full potential. But she never forgot her passion for makeup. She was later inspired to study makeup on a professional level, and has been a VTCT certified makeup artist since 2012.

"As a makeup artist, I try to empower all women to believe that she can be the very best possible version of herself by amplifying her strengths, confidence, and inner beauty.

Makeup is not a tool to make someone beautiful - it is meant to magnify the beauty that already exists!"

Instagram: @marilyn.cinimakeup | Facebook: facebook.com/marilyn.cinimakeup

REBECCA SPITERI

Rebecca, a university student, started a lifestyle blog in 2019 where she writes about beauty and self-care, styling, student life, sustainable lifestyle, and even recipes from her kitchen! Her message for women is clear: that women stand on a level playing field as men.

"My goal is for every woman to feel powerful, beautiful, perfect with all our imperfections, and equal to men - appreciated and respected."

Instagram: @rebeccaspiteri_ | Facebook: facebook.com/rebeccaspiteri13

SAMANTHA DE FARIA

Samantha shares that she believes in energy and thoughts, both good and bad. She looks at life through a positive lens, choosing to pay more attention on what is healthy and what is helpful.

She spreads messages of self-appreciation and self-love through social media, as she documents her life of adventure and positivity. Her deep love for exploring new cultures and exchanging thoughts with people who think differently than her allows her to expand her horizons.

A Wellness Advocate, she hopes to connect with people through being an emanant source of joy for others. She believes that the most important thing is to feel good inside, and to use that to help people struggling to find positivity within themselves.

Her personal mission, and one she wishes to share with other women, is to live life with appreciation for what we have. She wants women to look inward - to find love and respect from within, and to have a deeper appreciation with the little things that make us happy, without the need for external validation.

"Love yourself, with all your details, good or bad. That is what makes you so unique. Enjoy the things that make you happy no matter what anyone else says. You are the ray of joy in everyone you meet."

Instagram: @bovty_ | Facebook: facebook.com/bovtybysamy

LETTY BALDACCHINO

Apart from her love of chocolate, Letty leads a clean lifestyle - she's a vegetarian and teetotal for almost 40 years, and holds her skincare to the same standards.

She shares that similar to her diet, she only chooses the cleanest and most effective products for her skin and hair, which she found was true for Korean Beauty products. Her skincare journey started at a young age and even then, she knew that she only wanted the best for her skin.

She confesses that she used to spend on expensive, high-end products as a result of wanting only the best, but later on realised K Beauty is just as effective and yet is more affordable!

She is a 57-year old mother to a 30-year old son, whom she brought up on the same clean lifestyle. Letty beams at the fact that she doesn't use makeup or concealers and has never had any form of surgical or invasive procedures.

She works as a Business Consultant and prides herself as a voracious reader and a lifelong student. Her advice to women is to put education and health at the forefront. She also advises to eat plenty of vegetables, keep your skin clean, keep hydrated by drinking litres of water, and stay protected from the sun!

"Women cannot stand around and wait for handouts because we’re mothers, or because it’s that time of the month, or whatever reason attributed to us as a weakness.

We aren’t weak. We are strong. We endure. When things get rough, we find a shoulder to lean on, and give each other strength and support."

Instagram: @letty114 | Facebook: (Letty Baldacchino)

GRECIA FALZON

Grecia speaks about a fork in her life's journey that is relatable to many. She shares that when she was younger, she panicked at every career event that she went to because she could not choose a career she would dictate the rest of her life - she wanted to try everything! But one thing was clear to her - she wanted to do something related to beauty.

3 years into a course in University she stopped, and then started on another course. She finished a course in teaching and is now a Physics and Science Teacher; a job that she loves, but which she admits left her craving for her hobby and the one passion she has had since she was a young girl.

Grecia shares that she put her passion for makeup and beauty on hold while she was in University, but decided to pursue it at a later stage. She was met with naysayers who said she "could do better", but she persevered and is now also pursuing a career as a Professional Makeup Artist.

Her journey has been met with many struggles, especially since her new career as a makeup artist began shortly before the COVID pandemic started. However, she says that it has only fueled her to work even harder. "I no longer look at something as impossible or as something broken that cannot be fixed, but now I always look at how I can fix things!" she enthuses.

Juggling both being a Teacher and being a Makeup Artist has made her better on both fronts. She says that she now feels a deeper sense of purpose and passion in her career, and that she feels more creative in every aspect.

As a teacher, she teaches girls that with determination, they are unstoppable; and to the boys, she teaches them respect and equity, and how to be exemplary figures for the future generation of men.

She wants women to know that life is too short to be measured against the expectations of other people. Her message to women is simple but bold - pave a path for yourself and follow your hopes and dreams for you, because they are valid.

"Whatever your age or position in life, do not push aside your hopes and dreams. Do not live with a “what if” hanging over your head. Let’s remember to live for us, for what we want, and not what other people want from us.

Being an independent woman means you need to find confidence from within - because when you truly believe in yourself, no one can stop you or bring you down!"

Instagram: @greciamakeupartist | Facebook: facebook.com/GreciaFMakeupArtist

Peaches and Crème salutes and thanks Nicole, Marilyn, Rebecca, Samantha, Letty and Grecia for sharing their wisdom! We hope women everywhere find something relatable in these ladies' journeys, and that their stories inspire other women to triumph over their own struggles.

May you continue to shine a light on women's paths everywhere you go :)

And to women around the world, hats off to you! We have a special treat for you, just for this month. These 6 women from the #SeriouslyFunClub have shared their K-beauty faves so you can also look good while doing good for women everywhere! 

Enjoy 10% OFF our special #GIRLPOWER Collection!

Just use code GIRLPOWER10 at checkout.

We'll be donating a part of total sales this March to Women's Rights Foundation Malta, an organisation committed to informing, educating and empowering women concerning their legal rights. 

Happy International Women's Day!