21 Beautiful Residents

We asked dozens of beauty pros, put out a call for nominations, and queried our neighbors, friends, and family to come up with this bevy of beauties of all ages, from all walks of life. Yes, we know that true beauty comes from within and yada, yada, yada—but sometimes you just have to take things at face value. Enjoy the scenery.

For additional web-exclusive photos of the residents featured, click here.

Featuring photography by Chris Ware
Hair by Joann Tufaro and Makeup by
Valerie Guglielmo, both of Salon V in Mamaroneck

â¯â¯ Marisol Thomas
35, Bedford, Model, Founder of the Sidewalk Angels Foundation, Co-Founder of Pendencia Films, and Animal Advocate
â¯â¯ Define beauty: It is an idea, and everyone’s idea is unique. â¯â¯ Have you always been a beauty? I was a late bloomer and I suffered a lot of abuse from the other kids when I was in middle school. I was flat- chested, had extremely curly hair, and I didn’t fit into my teeth or my arms. I also had big lips, which are great for modeling but not for middle school. When I look back at pictures, I did look so much younger than everyone else—the other girls were so developed, wore lots of makeup. Now I’m glad that I look younger than my age! I remember the time one guy, who decided he was the popular guy, thought it would be fun to trip the gawky girl in front of everyone. Years later, I ran into him at a party. He didn’t recognize me and tried to hit on me all night. Karma. â¯â¯ When did you realize you were beautiful? About the middle of high school, people started treating me like I was beautiful, but growing up without that sense of it, I didn’t feel beautiful. Of course, my parents told me I was, but their philosophy was that beauty is nice, but not the most important thing. Then, when I was scouted by the Wilhelmina Agency when I was nineteen, I realized I had something people were interested in. â¯â¯ What would you change? If you asked me that in my twenties, I’d have a laundry list: my hips, knees, hair. But now, being in my thirties with a chronic illness, I’ve learned you have to embrace whatever body God gave you, even my chubby knees. If anything, I’d only want to be healthier. â¯â¯ I can’t leave the house without: Smith’s Rosebud salve for my lips. I keep it in my purse, my car, different rooms in the house. It’s been around for about a hundred years and it’s hard to find—I was so excited to find it at Drug Mart in Millwood so I didn’t have to go into the city to get it. And I’ve worn Nana de Bary Bronze eau de parfum for eight or nine years. Sometimes I change, but always come back to it, usually within a week.

 

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â®â® Sabina Cieszynski
27, White Plains, Medical Student at Eastern Virginia Medical School
â¯â¯ Define beauty: A genuine commitment to search for a connection to others and an ability to strip any pretenses is the foundation of internal beauty— and this will shine through. â¯â¯ The most beautiful person: My mother. She has always stressed the importance of focusing on inner values. â¯â¯ Plastic surgery? Often people do not realize that multiple cosmetic procedures are like spot Band-Aids on a deep wound. It’s vital to address issues of acceptance of oneself and one’s core values before undergoing elective procedures.
â¯â¯ Favorite beauty product: Lip gloss. After a makeup-less fourteen-hour day in the library or the operating room, a dab of it can make even a sleep-deprived med student feel like a girl. 

 

 

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â®â® Jim Cooper
45, Pelham, Executive Editor, Adweek Magazines
â¯â¯ What is attractive to you: A certain sereneness, someone who is happy in their own skin. â¯â¯ Do you consider yourself attractive? I’m a modest person. It’s more important to me that people regard me as respectful, how I interact with people. I was intensely embarrassed when I was selected for this—but very flattered.

 

 

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â¯â¯ Cindy Joseph
60, Yonkers, Model, and Beauty Entrepreneur
â¯â¯ Beauty philosophy: You are beautiful and perfect as you are. I’m proud of my wrinkles and silver hair—I’ve earned them. The day I was approached to model after twenty-five years of doing makeup for top models was the day I had cut off the last of my dyed hair and was totally silver. I took that as a sign. â¯â¯ Beauty misconception: I grew up with fashion models, and my idea of a model was eighteen years old, eighteen pounds, and eighteen feet tall. But Boomers are living passionate, active lives, and advertisers want my demographic. Boomer models are more about personality, energy, lifestyle—not just a clothes hanger. â¯â¯ Favorite beauty product: My new line of makeup, Boom! by Cindy Joseph [boombycindyjoseph.com]. Each Boomstick multitasks: the sheer color can be used as blush, lipstick, or eyeshadow; Glo adds moisture and shine; and Glimmer is just for fun because makeup should be fun.

 

 

 

â¯â¯ Grace Beltran
25, Scarsdale, Marketing Manager, Open Door Family Medical Centers
â¯â¯ Define beauty: Beauty is all in your sense of humor and in your heart. It’s in the smile and the eyes. â¯â¯ Best feature: Thank God for long lashes—I don’t know how people can put on eye makeup every day. â¯â¯ Beauty philosophy: Less is more. Natural beauty comes through if you take care of the basics. Clean skin is key.

 

 

â¯â¯ Ed Hardesty
50, Dobbs Ferry, Senior VP, Prudential Douglas Elliman in New York City, Associate Broker, Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty locally
â¯â¯ Define beauty: External beauty is fleeting—it is much more about what is in your heart. â¯â¯ Do you consider yourself attractive? I hear that from people sometimes, but I don’t really get it. My wife seems to thinks so, and that’s all that matters. â¯â¯ How do you keep fit? I have a third-degree black belt in karate and teach at the Seido Dojo [One Parkway Plaza, Elmsford]. It helps me center, focus, and de-stress. There’s nothing better than karate to stop all the noise—plus it’s a great workout. â¯â¯ What’s your secret? My wife works for a company that sells a nutritional supplement that improves physical, mental, and sexual health. I feel twenty years younger.

 

 â¯â¯ Declan Rainsford
39, Bronxville, Owner Brazen Fox and Ron Black’s in White Plains
â¯â¯ Define beauty: If you can’t find me in White Plains, I’ll be in a little place called Dalkey, an area outside of Dublin by the sea with my wife, Diana. That’s what quantifies beauty for me. â¯â¯ The most beautiful person: Diana, who is, among other things, extremely patient and supportive. â¯â¯ Plastic surgery? It’s not for me personally, but if it were used to help a person’s quality of life, then, why not? â¯â¯ What do you think of people who focus on physical beauty? They should re-evaluate what’s important in life. They obviously don’t know what’s going on in the real world. â¯â¯ Favorite grooming product: Toothpaste. A bright smile is a contagious smile!

 


 
 

  â®â® Lori Land
White Plains, Co-Owner, Churchills of Mount Kisco
â¯â¯ Define beauty: What makes someone beautiful to me is their positive attitude toward life and how they treat others around them. A woman who works for me always keeps a smile on her face no matter what life throws at her. Her smile every day at work is sheer beauty. â¯â¯ The most beautiful person:  My mother! She has such enthusiasm for life and, after beating breast cancer last year, she has become stronger and more confident with herself. â¯â¯ Cosmetic surgery? I would never rule it out. The industry has really come a long way and has truly helped so many people achieve their goals esthetically. â¯â¯ Favorite beauty product: Dr. Hauschka’s eye balm. I use it day and night to keep away crows’ feet.

 

Simone HoSang 
29, Pleasantville Research and Development Nutritionist, Caribbean Food Delights
â¯â¯ Define beauty: Beauty is being fierce, passionate, inspiring, open, brave, free, sincere, unconditional. â¯â¯ What makes someone beautiful? Someone who is passionate about what they love to do and shares that energy, which makes their beauty contagious and empowering. â¯â¯ The most beautiful person is: Everyone is beautiful in my eyes, including myself. â¯â¯ Cosmetic surgery? No, it’s not for me. I’m not opposed to someone who has decided this is what they want to do, as long as their intentions are clear and they remember where their true beauty exists. It’s best reserved for restorative purposes rather than prolonging youth. I think people need to embrace life and the beauty of the aging process. â¯â¯ What do you think of people who openly consider themselves as ‘beautiful’? I think those people are fabulous and more power to them. As a photographer, I wish more people would drop their insecurities for a moment, embrace their gorgeous self, and let it shine through the photos. I understand, sometimes, it can take a little warming up. â¯â¯ Favorite beauty product: Coconut oil. It’s something I can use in my hair, on my skin, and in my food—beautifies inside and out.

 

 

â¯â¯ Gwen Clayton
45, New Rochelle, Life Skills Project Director, Boys & Girls Club, Co-owner of Alvin & Friends Restaurant in New Rochelle
â¯â¯ Define beauty: If you think you’re beautiful and that’s your sword, then all the power to you. But you’d better have something else in that dragon-slaying bag of yours to back it up. I find it ironic that I’m even here today. I don’t think I’m beautiful. â¯â¯ Beauty tip: Put on a pair of sunglasses and some lip gloss and you’re good to go.

Meet Gwen Clayton’s husband Alvin, the owner of Alvin & Friends restaurant. See page 44 for story.

 

 

>> Diana Chin
27, Thornwood, Facilities Administrator at Broadview Networks
â¯â¯ Beauty philosophy: I never judge a person without walking in their shoes. I know that sounds cliché, but if someone is empathetic, that makes them a beautiful person. Beauty is something that has to be bestowed upon someone by their actions. â¯â¯ The most beautiful person: My father. He’s always quick with a smile, always there, never selfish. He’s an all-around good person. One time someone asked him why he’s always happy and he said, ‘I’m high on life!’ and ever since then I follow the same philosophy. Carpe diem! â¯â¯ Favorite beauty product: Eyeliner is all I wear—to make me look refreshed throughout the day.

 

 

â¯â¯ Everick Brown
46, Ossining, Interior Designer
â¯â¯ Define beauty: Nature. The most beautiful things I’ve seen in my lifetime come from nature. â¯â¯ Beauty philosophy: First impressions are important—good teeth, skin, eyes. But beauty comes from within. If the interior is somewhat broken, it takes away from the physical. â¯â¯ Your reaction on being selected: I laughed—I thought you must have run out of people—but I was flattered. My mom always said, ‘Your health is your wealth,’ and I agree. The real recipe for beauty is happiness at the core.

 

 

 

 

 

â®â® Nikolai Shpakov
32, Yonkers, Ballroom Dance Instructor, Exclusively Dance, Hawthorne and NYC
â¯â¯ What is attractive: Personally, I look in the mirror in the morning when I’m getting ready, but then not again all day. I think it is more about feeling good, feeling fit, a sense of well-being. â¯â¯ Your reaction on being selected: I thought it was kind of funny—I never look for those things. But deep down, I was kind of proud—yes! â¯â¯ How do you stay fit? While dancing helps keep me fit, I enjoy Bikram yoga recreationally. â¯â¯ What about makeup when you’re performing? I just use regular stuff from the pharmacy.

 

 

 

 

>> Dorathea Gornie
22, Shrub Oak, Administrative Assistant at Health Staffing Resources Pro, Mixed Martial Artist
â¯â¯ Define beauty: A good personality and nice teeth. Bet you haven’t heard that one yet. â¯â¯ The most beautiful person: Mixed martial artist Gina Carano. She’s gorgeous and is an amazing fighter. She’s very inspiring. â¯â¯ Favorite beauty product: I can’t live without bronzer. I just love that I can look tan in the winter.

 

 

 

 

â¯â¯ Megan Kaushal
25, White Plains, Medical Device Representative at St. Jude Medical Center
â¯â¯ Define beauty: Confidence. Someone who loves life, has energy, has good faith, and loves their family.â¯â¯ The most beautiful person: My grandfather, who just turned ninety. Everyone respects and looks up to him. He was recently sick, but I’ve never seen him upset, sad, or down. He has taught me a lot—life is about living to the fullest, and whatever happens, be happy and live a good life. â¯â¯ I can’t leave the house without: My mascara. I think eyes are so important—especially when you’re speaking to someone.

 

 

 

â®â® Christine (McSpedon) Elliott
35, Yonkers, Holistic Health Counselor
â¯â¯ Define beauty: What makes someone beautiful is his or her positivity and creativity. The most beautiful person: Amma, the hugging saint. She goes on tour and hugs people for eighteen hours, non-stop. Children, the sick, whomever. â¯â¯ Cosmetic surgery? Honestly, my cosmetic surgery is just eating really healthy—it totally changed my hair and skin. â¯â¯ Beauty philosophy: If doing some type of ritual, like getting your hair or makeup done, makes you happy, then that’s awesome. I’m not against getting my hair done—that can be really fun. But, if someone is trying to find beauty by using products and getting surgery, then they’re missing the point. â¯â¯ Favorite beauty product: Coconut oil—to take off my makeup and moisturize my skin.

 

 

 

â¯â¯ Ayesha Mian
39, Scarsdale, CEO Zenblue Laser and Skin Care Center, Scarsdale
â¯â¯ Define beauty: To me, beauty is the world itself. All of its little curiosities, all of its little wonders, all of its little flaws that makes it so worthwhile, so enjoyable, in the midst of all of its imperfections. â¯â¯ The most beautiful person: Mother Teresa, Maya Angelou, Angelina Jolie, Princess Diana, just to name a few of the people who touched the hearts of many and are perceived beautiful in every sense of the word. â¯â¯ Plastic surgery? If I were a burn or accident victim, or born with a disproportionate hooked nose, I would consider plastic surgery. Otherwise, it is too stressful, mentally and physically. â¯â¯ I can’t leave the house without: SPF 30 or higher sunscreen; it completes the daily regimen of my skincare.

 

 

 

>> Ezriel Kornel
58, Bedford Hills, Neurosurgeon, Brain and Spine Surgeons of New York
â¯â¯ Define beauty: Beauty is something that draws you into a person, so that you can see on the outside the positive qualities of the person on the inside. A person’s inner self shines through. Beauty is also what feelings a person’s appearance invokes in you. â¯â¯ The most beautiful person: I’m surrounded by beauty. My wife, my ex-wife, my kids, my stepkids. My son will probably kill me for saying this but, I think, as a man, he’s beautiful.

 

 

â®â® DeLauné Michel
Irvington, Author and Founder of Spoken Interludes
â¯â¯ Age: Victor Hugo said that the forties are the old age of youth, so I guess I’m in my old age. Define beauty: Being present. I think it’s one reason all children are beautiful. They are right here, right now, and that is endlessly captivating. â¯â¯ The most beautiful person: is the person I am laughing with or crying with. Any expression of real emotion is beautiful to me. â¯â¯ Plastic surgery? None for me, but to each his own. â¯â¯ Favorite beauty product? Hair gel! And I still end up wishing for straight hair every morning, but at least taming is possible. â¯â¯ I couldn’t leave the house without: mascara and Trader Joe’s chapstick. Actually, I can’t even leave my bedroom without TJ’s chapstick in my pocket. â¯â¯ Random thoughts: A dear friend of mine always says, ‘Give a good day’ instead of ‘Have a good day.’ That pretty much sums it up for me. When I’m focusing on other people and can forget my own concerns, I feel the best.

 

 

â®â® Geraldine Moulton
32, Briarcliff Manor, Co-Founder of Non-Profit Butterfly Foundation
â¯â¯ Define beauty: Growing up in the Dominican Republic, I was exposed to different ideas about beauty. The country is more racially mixed, and people don’t see wide noses or curly hair as beautiful. Plastic surgery is very common, as is Keratin treatments to straighten hair. â¯â¯ Cosmetic surgery? I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve had liposuction, back when I was on television in the Dominican Republic, but I’ve never done anything to my face. I started modeling when I was seventeen with the Elite Agency. The first thing the woman said to me was, ‘I see you’ve had a nose job.’ But I hadn’t. I wouldn’t rule out plastic surgery in the future. â¯â¯ I can’t leave the house without: putting on lip gloss and blush.

 

 

 

 

â®â® Matthew Yasgur
Bedford and South Beach, Florida, Co-Owner Static Hair Salon, White Plains
â¯â¯ Divulging your age: People connect beauty with youth, so I just say I’m on the wrong side of forty. It’s better than having people say—what, you’re THAT old?! â¯â¯ Define beauty: It is happiness; we’re attracted to happy people. People are drawn to children and animals because they are happy, therefore beautiful. â¯â¯ Recipe for happiness: It’s one part who you spend your time with, one part what you do with your life, one part where you live, and one part giving back.

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