#cycle2best

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1. Yoanna’s High Fashion Beauty Shot

It was a tough call between this and Shandi’s Sunglasses shot for the Top spot, but Yoanna won in the end. This just might be the most perfectly perfect beauty shot in ANTM history and she’s not even doing a whole lot. Her symmetrical  bone structure is sensational and I love how her vibrant green eyes and red lipstick stand out against the black styling. Speaking of styling, the motorcycle helmet is genius since it frames her face and really allows it to be focus of the shot. This is hands down one of the most memorable photos in the entire series.

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8. Shandi’s shot for Laundry by Shelli Segal

Shandi looks like a real working model in this shot. All of her limbs look incredibly long and her pose is dynamic yet simple, allowing for the clothes to be the primary focus. Her blonde makeover looks amazing in its debut appearance and I love the intensity and slight playfulness in her eyes. 

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2. Shandi’s Solstice Sunglasses

Shandi was a total badass in this photo! She’s using her lanky frame to perfection and delivering a ton of angles with her limbs. Her chill, broken down body language goes great with the setting and the clothes, plus she’s selling the sunglasses excellently. I fucking love the attitude in her face and how she’s commanding the frame. This is such a couture photo and it’s Shandi at her best!

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Cycle 2 Honorable Mentions

Camille’s Garden of Eden

Mercedes’s Garden of Eden

Sara’s Steve Madden Shoes

Yoanna’s Laundry

Yoanna’s Solstice Sunglasses

April’s Steve Madden Shoes (I still sort of stand by my original critique about how we can’t see her face, but as a fashion image it’s stellar)

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7. April’s Garden of Eden

April is serving so much seductiveness in this photo. She’s working all of the angles of her limbs flawlessly and found the light like a pro. The sultriness in her eyes matches her body language and she remembered to keep her torso open to camera in order to show off the dragon body paint. April started off with a bang!

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3. Mercedes’s High Fashion Beauty Shot

Mercedes absolutely nailed this shot. She proved that she had the ability to be edgy and high fashion and not just a cute commercial girl. Her eyes are full of power, she extended her neck to the extreme, and her jawline is just magnificent. She’s a complete warrior queen and definitely earned herself a place in Cycle 2′s Final 2 with this picture.

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4. April’s Underwater Quench Ad

April was miles ahead of everyone else in this photoshoot. I’m just blown away by she struck such a dynamic and graceful pose while underwater in an effortless fashion. She managed to look powerful and gentle at the same time. The angle of her face is spot on and there’s fire blazing in her eyes. The clothes also look fantastic and I could definitely see this running in a fashion magazine. This was April’s brightest moment in the competition for me.

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9. Mercedes’s Celebrity Impersonation

Mercedes embodied Billie Holiday insanely well. The pain and masked sorrow in her expression is palpable and her body language is so understated and refined in the best way. Her skin looks amazing and her I love how her bone structure is catching the light. This was the shot that catapulted Mercedes to frontrunner status.

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10. April’s Black & White Beauty Shot

This was by far the highlight of Top 7 week. April’s chiseled bone structure is shining brilliantly and I love the relaxed tilt of her head. Her eyes are so dreamy and her overall expression is pure serenity. This photo truly showcases April’s beauty.

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5. Yoanna and Shandi’s Nude Pairing

Both nude shots were fabulous but this pairing gets the edge. Yoanna’s half of the picture is one of her personal best: the arched back is beautiful, her profile is perfect, and I love the dramatic inhale. Shandi is also pulling her weight. Her face is stunning and I like the quirkiness of her body language. The two of them are working as an amazing team, and Yoanna’s eagerness actually plays nicely off of Shandi’s reluctance/timidness. This photo is a work of art.

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6. Mercedes and April’s Nude Pairing

I had originally sort of nitpicked this photo but I’ve really come to love it. There’s a quiet sensuality to the whole thing and I love how serene both Mercedes and April are. Mercedes in particular is killing it; she’s stretching her neck to the heavens and her face has caught the light perfectly. April is a bit hidden in shadow, but she still looks gorgeous and the emotion in her facial expression is so genuine. Both individual performances are very good, but when combined they create a truly fantastic image.