Women With Gritt: Ellie Gonsalves On Modelling, The Importance Of Your Inner Circle And Challenging Beauty Standards
"To me, [being a L'Oréal Professionnel Ambassador] means being a voice in the industry and using that platform to positively encourage and influence beauty standards as we are ALL responsible for contributing towards them. I love that such a huge international brand like L’Oréal Professionnel has gotten behind every daring transformation I’ve decided to make with my hair—but the pixie transformation has by far been the most impactful.”
Welcome to Women with GRITT: a series where we interview the resilient, hardworking women who have kicked in the glass ceiling and inspire us to do the same.
Content Warning: This article discusses issues of self-harm and suicide and may be difficult for some readers. If you or anyone you love is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Ellie Gonsalves epitomises the multi-hyphenate. She’s a philanthropist, model, actor, hair care ambassador, entrepreneur and a face synonymous with drastic hair changes. Her most recent? A daring platinum blonde pixie cut. One could say it’s a reflection of her drive and determination that is not to be underestimated, by the way. Having started her modelling career at only 13, Gonsalves has since gone on to front international campaigns with some seriously impressive beauty and fashion names–including L’Oréal Professionnel, FENTY Beauty, Gucci, REVOLVE and Ole Henriksen.
“I saw the modelling industry as something that could help me get my foot in the door to explore multiple opportunities and things I enjoy such as acting, my own collabs and brand work,” says Gonsalves. “I became accustomed to days on shoots while studying and it gave me the opportunity to see if it was really something I wanted to pursue full-time when I left school. I feel like it matured me very quickly and gave me a real sense of professionalism. ”
It’s this professionalism that led her to establish the 9186 Collective and Crypto Girl. While it might seem that Gonsalves finds ease in sharing details of her life with her avid followers (boasting a platform of 1.2M followers on Instagram) and jumping into her next venture, her plight has not been without its sacrifices and struggles. Here, Gonsalves chats with Gritty Pretty about her career, the importance of a supportive inner circle, her struggle with loss and guilt and, of course, her best beauty tips.
For our Women With GRITT features we always like to start by getting to know you! Could you tell us what your fondest childhood memories are?
I had a really grounding childhood. I grew up with a lot of animals, riding horses and I had a lot of freedom living on acreage. I was such a tomboy! So, my dad and I got along really well and we had an amazing bond. We both had a really big love for animals and he taught me empathy and kindness through the responsibility of taking care of animals and wildlife which is one of the reasons why I became a Wildlife Warriors Ambassador.
I have a lot of memories of my dad working extremely hard as well. He was an immigrant who came to Australia with nothing when he was 20-years-old and worked so hard to provide for our family. He always set a great example for us and raised me to know not only the value of a dollar but the value in myself.
Who inspired you most growing up? Was it a parent? A teacher? A celebrity? And why did they resonate so much with you?
I pulled a lot of inspiration from many people growing up, but I think I really admired Angelina Jolie. I feel like she represents a strong woman and, to me, she seems very honest about a lot of things people generally weren’t honest about–such as her sexuality–which I was massively struggling with as a young kid.
I didn’t have anyone around me to educate me and there really was a lack of bisexual visibility for most of my life until I saw interviews she did. So, it ultimately gave me a sense of understanding and I felt like I wasn’t alone. Everyone has their own journey but her honesty resonated with me and it normalised something that was a very confusing and scary thing to me at the time.
A lot of these experiences accumulated over the years and I had a very supportive inner circle, especially in my fiancé Ross who has always loved and accepted me for who I am. All of this combined gave me the courage to come out publicly and I’m so glad it did because it gave a lot of people the courage to come out to their families and friends too. It was this really nice full circle moment for me.
You’ve had quite the career trajectory, with your latest venture being 9186 Collective. How important is it to have a supportive network (friends, family, etc) to help champion your career dreams and ambitions?
I believe the quality of your inner circle massively determines where you go in your life and what you do! If you want to be elevated and successful, I think it’s fundamental for you to surround yourself with people who really emulate that.
Having low vibrational people around you is like filling your shoes with concrete, jumping in a pool and expecting to still float. So, don’t be afraid to qualify people in and out of your life. Yes, it may be confronting and you may not be a confrontational person. However, it’s you who ultimately bears the responsibility to take control of your life and relationships.
Don’t take a backseat because you’re scared of offending someone, be more concerned of what your circle of influence could be doing to you and your life and take action on that.
What has been the hardest thing about your professional journey to date?
Definitely the personal sacrifices I’ve had to make in order to be successful. I have lived alone in another country for years while everyone I loved and cared about was in Australia. Then my dad unfortunately ended his life and I found it extremely hard to juggle that major life change while having the most success to date. It was a lot of really challenging emotions to handle all at once.
I used to hold a lot of guilt over my dad’s passing. I felt like if I hadn’t prioritised my work so much and if I’d been in Australia, his circumstances may have been different and he would still be here. After doing a lot of personal work in therapy I have come to feel different about it because there’s so many complicated factors attached but I’ve also accepted it’s a normal human emotion anyone would feel at a time in that situation. Once I let go of that guilt, I learnt to take something positive away from that experience. I now believe that everything good or bad serves us for a greater purpose (even if we don’t know for what at that time) and it makes us far more resilient and capable of helping others.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Be kind to yourself, make wellness a priority and not everyone is entitled to access to you and your time.
What role does beauty and health play in your life?
Beauty and health play a far bigger role in my life, inside and outside of my career than what people think. For example, I would never have been able to come out of the other end of the tougher times in my life if I hadn’t taken care of my health and wellness like I have over the years.
Prioritising wellness is so essential for our mental health and when I say wellness, I don’t mean just eating healthy and staying active. It’s also prioritising self-care. And that means many different things to everyone. For me, it’s doing the things that make me feel relaxed and centred. Doing things that help me be the happiest, well-balanced version of myself.
I also have a non-negotiable self-care night every week (yes it’s every week—beauty of being child free right now). I have a bath, exfoliate, do a face mask and a L’Oreal Pro Metal Detox Mask, self tan and watch Dateline crime reruns on YouTube or RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under! This honestly makes me feel like a whole new person and sometimes my self-care has nothing to do with a beauty routine, it might be switching off and just being alone.
You are an ambassador for L’Oréal Professionnel! What does this appointment mean to you?
To me, it means being a voice in the industry and using that platform to positively encourage and influence beauty standards as we are all responsible for contributing towards them. I love that such a huge international brand like L’Oréal Professionnel has gotten behind every daring transformation I’ve decided to make with my hair—but the pixie transformation has by far been the most impactful. Following the change, there were so many women all over the world empowering themselves by making their own hair transformations and a lot of women who were also going through chemotherapy were embracing the pixie because they saw more representation.
It’s all about challenging people. Especially empowering women (as we have a lot of pressure to adhere to stereotypes and expectations in society) to do something they’ve always wanted to do without the fear of what others will think.
If you could only pick five beauty products to use for the rest of your life, what would they be?
I would say L’Oréal Professionnel’s Metal Detox Shampoo & Mask, Summer Fridays Mineral Milk Sunscreen and the Charlotte Tilbury Iconic Nude Lip Liner. Followed by Fenty Beauty Flash Nap Instant Revival Eye Gel-Cream and Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser from Ole Henriksen. If I could have a 6th it would be St Tropez Extra Dark Self Tanner.
What is the biggest piece of beauty advice you would like to pass on to women who look up to you?
Do what makes YOU happy. Oh, and wear sunscreen.
For our Women With GRITT features we always like to start by getting to know you! Could you tell us what your fondest childhood memories are?
I had a really grounding childhood. I grew up with a lot of animals, riding horses and I had a lot of freedom living on acreage. I was such a tomboy! So, my dad and I got along really well and we had an amazing bond. We both had a really big love for animals and he taught me empathy and kindness through the responsibility of taking care of animals and wildlife which is one of the reasons why I became a Wildlife Warriors Ambassador.
I have a lot of memories of my dad working extremely hard as well. He was an immigrant who came to Australia with nothing when he was 20-years-old and worked so hard to provide for our family. He always set a great example for us and raised me to know not only the value of a dollar but the value in myself.
Who inspired you most growing up? Was it a parent? A teacher? A celebrity? And why did they resonate so much with you?
I pulled a lot of inspiration from many people growing up, but I think I really admired Angelina Jolie. I feel like she represents a strong woman and, to me, she seems very honest about a lot of things people generally weren’t honest about–such as her sexuality–which I was massively struggling with as a young kid.
I didn’t have anyone around me to educate me and there really was a lack of bisexual visibility for most of my life until I saw interviews she did. So, it ultimately gave me a sense of understanding and I felt like I wasn’t alone. Everyone has their own journey but her honesty resonated with me and it normalised something that was a very confusing and scary thing to me at the time.
A lot of these experiences accumulated over the years and I had a very supportive inner circle, especially in my fiancé Ross who has always loved and accepted me for who I am. All of this combined gave me the courage to come out publicly and I’m so glad it did because it gave a lot of people the courage to come out to their families and friends too. It was this really nice full circle moment for me.
You’ve had quite the career trajectory, with your latest venture being 9186 Collective. How important is it to have a supportive network (friends, family, etc) to help champion your career dreams and ambitions?
I believe the quality of your inner circle massively determines where you go in your life and what you do! If you want to be elevated and successful, I think it’s fundamental for you to surround yourself with people who really emulate that.
Having low vibrational people around you is like filling your shoes with concrete, jumping in a pool and expecting to still float. So, don’t be afraid to qualify people in and out of your life. Yes, it may be confronting and you may not be a confrontational person. However, it’s you who ultimately bears the responsibility to take control of your life and relationships.
Don’t take a backseat because you’re scared of offending someone, be more concerned of what your circle of influence could be doing to you and your life and take action on that.
What has been the hardest thing about your professional journey to date?
Definitely the personal sacrifices I’ve had to make in order to be successful. I have lived alone in another country for years while everyone I loved and cared about was in Australia. Then my dad unfortunately ended his life and I found it extremely hard to juggle that major life change while having the most success to date. It was a lot of really challenging emotions to handle all at once.
I used to hold a lot of guilt over my dad’s passing. I felt like if I hadn’t prioritised my work so much and if I’d been in Australia, his circumstances may have been different and he would still be here. After doing a lot of personal work in therapy I have come to feel different about it because there’s so many complicated factors attached but I’ve also accepted it’s a normal human emotion anyone would feel at a time in that situation. Once I let go of that guilt, I learnt to take something positive away from that experience. I now believe that everything good or bad serves us for a greater purpose (even if we don’t know for what at that time) and it makes us far more resilient and capable of helping others.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Be kind to yourself, make wellness a priority and not everyone is entitled to access to you and your time.
What role does beauty and health play in your life?
Beauty and health play a far bigger role in my life, inside and outside of my career than what people think. For example, I would never have been able to come out of the other end of the tougher times in my life if I hadn’t taken care of my health and wellness like I have over the years.
Prioritising wellness is so essential for our mental health and when I say wellness, I don’t mean just eating healthy and staying active. It’s also prioritising self-care. And that means many different things to everyone. For me, it’s doing the things that make me feel relaxed and centred. Doing things that help me be the happiest, well-balanced version of myself.
I also have a non-negotiable self-care night every week (yes it’s every week—beauty of being child free right now). I have a bath, exfoliate, do a face mask and a L’Oreal Pro Metal Detox Mask, self tan and watch Dateline crime reruns on YouTube or RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under! This honestly makes me feel like a whole new person and sometimes my self-care has nothing to do with a beauty routine, it might be switching off and just being alone.
You are an ambassador for L’Oréal Professionnel! What does this appointment mean to you?
To me, it means being a voice in the industry and using that platform to positively encourage and influence beauty standards as we are all responsible for contributing towards them. I love that such a huge international brand like L’Oréal Professionnel has gotten behind every daring transformation I’ve decided to make with my hair—but the pixie transformation has by far been the most impactful. Following the change, there were so many women all over the world empowering themselves by making their own hair transformations and a lot of women who were also going through chemotherapy were embracing the pixie because they saw more representation.
It’s all about challenging people. Especially empowering women (as we have a lot of pressure to adhere to stereotypes and expectations in society) to do something they’ve always wanted to do without the fear of what others will think.
If you could only pick five beauty products to use for the rest of your life, what would they be?
I would say L’Oréal Professionnel’s Metal Detox Shampoo & Mask, Summer Fridays Mineral Milk Sunscreen and the Charlotte Tilbury Iconic Nude Lip Liner. Followed by Fenty Beauty Flash Nap Instant Revival Eye Gel-Cream and Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser from Ole Henriksen. If I could have a 6th it would be St Tropez Extra Dark Self Tanner.
What is the biggest piece of beauty advice you would like to pass on to women who look up to you?
Do what makes YOU happy. Oh, and wear sunscreen.
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