Builder baddie - Hot girl Alexia mixes mortar with style

Although 21-year-old Alexia Douglas is only dabbling in construction for fun, the Linstead, St Catherine-born businesswoman wants young women to know that it's possible to be both a 'baddie' and a builder.

"I always tell people that not every day you have to be a hot girl," she laughed. "Because, if you're a hot girl every day, when you do step out, you will just look normal." Her personality, humour, confidence, and ambition are what caught people's attention when she posted a video of herself on TikTok shovelling cement and mixing mortar during the construction of her parents' house. The clip quickly went viral, with people shocked that the pretty young woman in Crocs and cement-stained clothes was the same 'hot girl' they've seen stepping out looking like a doll. But, for Douglas, there's no contradiction.

"I keep a balance," she told THE STAR. "I put effort in my appearance as much as I work to become successful." Raised in Linstead and a proud alumna of The Queen's School, Douglas said she enjoys rolling up her sleeves to help her parents on the building site.

"It's something I find fun, really. I'm not sure if it's because it's not something that girls normally do or are expected to not do. My cousins always a tell me fi put down the shovel or be careful, but I really enjoy it," she said. Since construction on the family home started last year, she's been a consistent part of the labour team.

"When my father and mother say dem going to work on the house, I put on my old clothes, my cap, and mi deh out deh with them. I try to catch on to what they're doing," she said. She even considered enrolling in a tiling course at the HEART/NSTA Trust to tile her own room, but the delays meant the opportunity passed. Still, she's soaking up skills and learning on-site.

"I'm there with them every time they're working. Watching and helping," said Douglas. But, while construction is a serious hustle for many Jamaicans, for Douglas, it's still just leisure.

"I wouldn't mind doing one construction to make more houses," she admitted. "Dem man deh a make nuff money daily but I think, if I had to do it in a work environment, I would feel pressured."

A true blend of muscle and glam, Douglas is also the owner of a shipping company and hopes to expand it, possibly instead of going back to school.

"I plan on going to university in September, but I'm not sure because I have my shipping business and I really don't want to go back to school. I'm just doing it for my parents."

Despite the uncertainty, Douglas said she owes her self-sufficient mindset to her father, who raised her to never depend on anyone.

"He's always telling me that people can switch up on you any time, so it's always good to learn. If I say, 'Daddy, I can't do that,' he'll say, 'Don't say that. One day you ago deh here by yourself and you have to know how to do what you need to do.'"

When she's not learning construction or managing her business, Douglas is big on self-care. Though she prefers wigs over braids because of her hair texture, she doesn't play about her appearance.

"My toes are always done because my friend always say you can look pon a female toe and tell if her life hard or not," she joked. "So I always keep that in mind."

"A lot of people say I don't look like the same person when they see me in different spaces, but I am the same person. I don't even wear make-up," she added. With four siblings and solid family support, Douglas is determined to show other young women that strength and softness can co-exist.

"Some girls break the bank to be a hot girl every day, but that's not necessary," she said. "It's good to be comfortable in your own skin. Switch it up. Step out clean when you need to, but don't be afraid to get dirty too."