Be Your Natural Self
Meet this month’s cover star Cristal / @cristalplayboy_official
Photographer Mike Cohen / @Mikecohenphotos
What inspired you to start your career, and how has your journey evolved over time? I never dreamt that one day I would be in Playboy, it’s a blessing. It’s like a fairy tale, how an ordinary girl from a small town in Poland, who had to overcome many hardships throughout her life, ends up on the cover of Playboy. My biggest dream has come true. The Playboy invitation has helped me believe in myself even more. It has given me a lot of hope and belief that everything is possible and the world is waiting for me. An unforgettable experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. Thank you. I dream of a happy family and achieving my goals. I want to establish a Foundation for children with Tourette’s syndrome. It’s a cause close to my heart for certain reasons. My greatest dream is to complete a biography about my life. It was not a bed of roses with many tears and sacrifices. It will include my memories and motivate people to never give up and have faith the sun always comes after the storm.
What has been the most defining moment of your professional life so far? The most beautiful things in my life always happen by accident. I remember the feeling of excitement when I received an invitation to the first Playboy. An unforgettable feeling. Then came the next invitations from Playboy and now I can reveal that there will be more in the future and other magazines, interviews, my guest appearances in artists’ video clips. All this helped me believe in myself, in the fight against complexes, but above all, interacting and working with all these wonderful people photographers, models, and musicians created me as an artist and I decided to start my own perfume brand which is created entirely by me and the scents are inspired by my memories from traveling to my magical places and my cosmetic brand to leave some kind of legacy and be able to fulfill my dreams about a foundation supporting young talents and people with autism.
Who has been your biggest influence or role model throughout your journey? I am a big fan of Lady Gaga because she is a multi-talented person as a singer and actress dancer but she also has a very interesting character and her vision of looking at the world motivates and inspires. From the world of Playboy, it is definitely Pamela Anderson but also Anna Nicol Smith many people tell me that I am supposedly similar to her haha. I recommend watching documentaries about their lives on Netflix they are very inspiring.
What does a typical day in your life look like? When I wake up I squeeze fresh orange juice, I look through my mail, and I go to the park with my dog. Then when I come back I make my favorite coconut latte macchiato, tabouleh salad, definitely with pomegranate seeds and fresh mint. I put on my favorite music and that’s my time for meditation. Then some yoga exercises a few deep breaths and I’m ready for the whole day. My daily routine includes photo shoots for magazines, interviews, make-up, hairdresser, beautician. I go to the factory where we create perfume scents in the laboratory. I’m just finishing work on my own line of make-up and candles and air fresheners for the home. Every day of mine is intense but I love it. When I have a lot of things to do I feel alive.
Do you have any hidden talents, if so what is it? I love helping others, this is the meaning of my life, especially for children with autism and Tourette’s, Thanks to hard work, I managed to create my own cosmetic brand. I design my own perfume scents, and all this in order to establish a Foundation for children with Touret’s syndrome. Its a cause close to my heart for certain reasons. My greatest dream is to complete a biography about my life. It was not a bed of roses with many tears and sacrifices. It will include my memories and motivate people to never give up and have faith the sun always comes after the storm.
How do you stay motivated and focused in a fast-paced industry? From my experience, if you are very busy you don’t focus on details but on organizational issues and I think this is the key to success. You just have to remember about healthy eating and the rest will take care of itself. Because when I am very busy and have a tight schedule I can find more free time than when I have a looser schedule it turns me into laziness and then I don’t have time for anything.
What’s your philosophy when it comes to balancing work and personal life? My philosophy on work-life balance is to prfioritize intentionality and flexibility, meaning actively managing my time to dedicate quality moments to both my professional commitments and personal well-being, understanding that the balance may shift depending on life circumstances, while always striving to maintain a healthy separation between the two spheres to avoid burnout.
What’s one thing you do every day to keep yourself grounded and happy? Staying grounded means for me being able to stay calm and connect with my core self in the face of uncertainty. Practicing physical wellness: Exercise daily, eat nutritious food, and prioritize quality sleep, spend time in naturę, connecting with your senses, listen to music that reminds you of something positive All of these little things are rituals that make you feel better even in life sometimes can be hard and can be like balm for body and spirit. Repeating positive statements Say kind statements to yourself, or repeat coping or safety statements.
What are some hobbies or passions you enjoy outside of work? I love helping others, this is the meaning of my life, especially for children with autism and Tourette’s, Thanks to hard work, I managed to create my own cosmetic brand. I design my own perfume scents, and all this in order to establish a Foundation for children with Tourette’s syndrome. It’s a cause close to my heart for certain reasons. My greatest dream is to complete a biography about my life. It was not a bed of roses with many tears and sacrifices. It will include my memories and motivate people to never give up and have faith the sun always comes after the storm.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Modeling allows me to travel a lot, thanks to it I have visited many interesting places but there is still a lot to discover. I think that the place is not really of great importance but the people you are around, they create places…You can be on a paradise beach alone with no one to talk to and enjoy the views together and then you have the impression that it doesn’t matter where but with whom. You can be at home in front of the TV watching Netflix and have someone to cuddle up to – then you are in paradise. As I said earlier, places are created by people, not the other way around.
Do you have a favorite book, movie, or song that inspires you? This is Playboy Africa and it’s amazing that this question is asked in this interview because I immediately think of a very special song „Wonka” by the artist Base Wooly which has always accompanied me in very amazing
moments of my life and was close to my heart long before I accidentally met the rapper who created it on the street and for a long time after that I still didn’t know it was his song. Some time later I appeared as a guest in his music video. Another one is “million reasons” by Lady Gaga and “my way” by Elvis Presley my favourite book and movie is “The secret”.
What’s one fun fact about you that most people don’t know? People still do not know many things about me, for example that I have a career as an athlete in sprints and running, an ideal in many Olympics, so if I had not become a model and a producer of cosmetics and perfumes, I would probably be a famous athlete and in the meantime I would build schools in Africa and a water network to enable people to have access to drinking water. That would be my previous plan, but life is one big surprise. That is why the invitation from Playboy has a very symbolic meaning for me.
What advice would you give to someone looking to follow in your footsteps? Be your natural self don’t try to change under the pressure of others. Even if stones land on your face every day, be strong and fight adversity, think positively. I am the best example of the impossible being possible. In moments of failure, don’t waste time analyzing your mistakes. They are your lesson for a better future. It takes a tough time to find a solution. Be brave and try hard. If you don’t try you won’t drink champagne. Stay strong and believe yourself and your dreams will come true.
How do you approach challenges or setbacks, and what keeps you going? When facing challenges or setbacks, I try to approach them with a growth mindset, viewing them as opportunities to learn and improve, rather than failures that define me; this allows me to stay motivated by focusing on what I can control, analyzing what went wrong, and adjusting my strategy accordingly. What keeps me going is the belief that progress, even in the face of setbacks, is still moving me closer to my goals, coupled with the positive energy from celebrating small wins and seeking support from others.
What message do you hope to convey through your work? As above before, by not judging people by their cover to support and help each other and not be jealous and selfish. Every day try to be the best version of yourself and treat others how you would like to be treated. Be your natural self don’t try to change under the pressure of others. Even if stones land on your face every day, be strong and fight adversity, think positively. I am the best example of the impossible being possible. Stay strong and believe yourself and your dreams will come true. Thank you for spending this time getting to know me. Always sending you Love & best wishes. Cristal xx.
