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I started my own Pies Descalzos/Barefoot Foundation when I was 18. We provide education to vulnerable children in Colombia and other developing countries. I am an avid believer that education - and especially early childhood development - is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Shakira

Men Education Art

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A good fragrance should have a certain personality that makes people identify the scent with you.

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I do take advantage of, you know, feeling sensual and feeling sexy. And I think that is tremendously empowering and is not diminishing in any way. I fell that any woman who is in control, who is in touch with her femininity and sensuality, is a woman that is empowered.

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I pefer an ugly truth to a pretty lie. If someone is telling me the truth that is when I will give my heart.

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You can't achieve anything in life without a small amount of sacrifice.

Life You Without

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My brain, I believe, is the most beautiful part of my body.

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I'm a multi-faceted woman and person, like all women are - there's no black and white. We have shades of grey in the middle. And even many more colours that other people don't see!

Women Men Women Are

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In this life, to earn your place you have to fight for it.

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I thank God that I'm a product of my parents. That they infected me with their intelligence and energy for life, with their thirst for knowledge and their love. I'm grateful that I know where I come from.

Love Life Knowledge

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You're a song written by the hands of God.

God You Written

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I believe that every single one of us, celebrity or not, has a responsibility to get involved in trying to make a difference in the world. Our generation faces many challenges, some of which were passed on to us by the past generations, but it's up to us to find solutions today so that we don't keep passing our problems on.

Yin World Which

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In the full light of day, I don't want to think about the sunset.

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I think a fragrance is all about sensations and imagery, and can evoke visions, feelings and thoughts.

Age Vision Thoughts

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Sensual is everything that refers to the delight of the senses. And that's what artists do, is stimulate the senses in any possible way.

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I am trying to make my accent so it won't bother anyone, but I am not going to drive myself crazy trying to pretend I am an American girl when I am from Colombia.

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Every day now, I discover something new. Go through phases in which I feel much more in touch with my feminine side in ways I never thought possible. I'm letting the woman inside of me speak, the desires of this woman, speak as loud as they can.

Woman Wit Which

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I'm convinced that promoting sport is an intelligent way of educating our children.

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It's not easy to work with me, I recognize that. It's not easy if those people aren't as perfectionistic as I am.

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Because of you, I'm running out of reasons to cry.

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It doesn't bother me to talk about my private life, it doesn't bother me to talk about anything. My life is like a glass of water, transparent.

Life Water Transparent

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I have gone through a lot of things, everything that you can imagine in life, but the best has been Gerard and Milan.

My songs are the reflection of how I think and how I feel in that moment. But I'm conscious of the fact that artists have a responsibility before the masses and they have to take care with their words.

A man's car is like an extension of their ego and their manhood.

You feel that there is an avalanche coming when you meet the right person.

Brazil is a country I hold very dearly. I've got followers there who I've been interacting with for years, as well as fellow artists like Ivete Sangalo, and it also has huge figures like Pele. I'd love to go to that World Cup - I'm not sure in what capacity, but I'll definitely be there. I know that nobody wants to miss it, least of all me.

I admire Madonna because she always did whatever she felt like doing. She went through some controversial periods when people rejected her, but she kept on reinventing herself.

Writing in English was a major challenge. I didn't want other songwriters to write for me. I wanted to preserve the spirit of my songs in Spanish. I am the same Shakira in English as I am in Spanish.

I know what I'm doing even when I'm wearing a pencil skirt.

Relationships have to have a give and take if they're going to work in the long term.

'Elixir' means magical potion, so I wanted to depict the kind of bottle that was used in ancient times, but that looked modern and chic as well. I also wanted it to have a golden tint to evoke the memories of sands and sunsets.

My dad is a writer, and to see him always in front of a typewriter gave me the inspiration to write. He was my idol, my hero. I wanted to be just like him.

I was a real mummy's girl - still am. And as for my father, well, I have an Oedipus complex I'm still working out. I love that man!

I never made it to the school choir because the music teacher didn't like my voice. I was pretty sad. But he was probably right; I did have a voice a bit like a goat, but my dad told me to never give up and to keep going, and it's paid off.

I remember the first time I saw the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video. I will never forget that day. I just wanted to see Kurt Cobain's face. I had a feeling he was very cute. But, I couldn't see his face. When I finally did see him, he was even cuter than I imagined!

I was unaware of the dispute in Brooklyn. I would never knowingly wear any clothes or support any company who produced clothing with alleged wage and labor violations.

The worst mistake of a woman is to go to the kitchen, because then she never gets out of there.

Education is the only way forward in Latin America and developing countries in general.

My therapist taught me why I behave in certain ways and not to feel so pressured.

I didn't expect babies to need so many diapers. Nobody told me they needed to be changed so often.

I started my own Pies Descalzos/Barefoot Foundation when I was 18. We provide education to vulnerable children in Colombia and other developing countries. I am an avid believer that education - and especially early childhood development - is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.

What I do is I remove my makeup every night, use a little bit of Vitamin C serum, and that's it, pretty much. Of course, I use my 3D White products!

I did not want to spend the rest of my life not being able to ride in a nice car.

I feel like I'm not on Earth just to shake it and shake it endlessly, you know?

People get jaded in every profession, but for some reason, I feel as passionate as when I was 13 years old and just released my first album. I feel the same amount of adrenaline in my blood, and the same amount of curiosity as well. Curiosity about why I'm different.

It's incredibly liberating to spend an hour talking to someone and not caring about what you sound like. It's about understanding myself. Sometimes I'll speak to my therapist for an hour a day. It's become part of my routine.

A kid cannot learn with an empty stomach.

I feel a real sense of duty to use the voice and the platform I've been afforded by my fame to speak out for those whose voices don't get a chance to be heard.

I always knew that I was tremendously creative. I recited love poems, I wrote stories and I got excellent grades in every subject, except for maths.

I just don't find marriage a necessary step in a couple's life.

I know what it's like to feel that fear and the need of affirmation and appreciation. To build confidence in yourself is the toughest thing.

What happens is once you start to understand football, you realise that it's not just about the physical side of the game and chasing after a ball. It's a strategic sport which requires a lot of intelligence. It's a very mental game.