In my 15+ years of modeling, I've had my fair share of early casting calls, late nights, and red eye flights. These 10 simple beauty hacks that I've picked up from makeup artists, industry professionals, and other models have literally made my life easier, decreased the amount of stuff in my purse, and allowed me to enhance my natural beauty easily when I have no time to spare. How much sleep you got last night no longer matters when it comes to how fresh you look! Here we go...
Trick #1: Eat More Healthy Fats
I cannot express it enough: nutrition is inseparable from beauty. Don’t tear them apart! What you eat will show up on your skin and in your hair so I am a huge advocate for healthy fats. Fats must be in our diets! I'm talking about foods like avocados, nuts, and salmon which have vitamin E that stimulates our skin’s collagen production. Plus, these fats help you stay fuller longer and help stabilize your blood sugar while giving you the energy you need on a long day.
Models often don’t have time to break for food so I like to incorporate larger amounts of healthy fats into my breakfast or lunch. The easiest way is to add things like chia seeds and avocados into your diet is to add them into your morning smoothie. For more foodie inspo here's how I eat balanced meals during a busy week.
Trick #2: Use Multi-Purpose Products
As a model going from one casting call to another I would be constantly running around with my portfolios and heels - it was a mess. I wanted to have as little as possible in my bag because I was running miles with this stuff! Here are two items that changed the game for me:
Carry a multistick: You can this handy tool to brighten your lips, add a flush of color to your cheeks, or even add depth by swiping some color across your eyelids. This tip can entirely change your look and only involves one product. Two of my favorites are from MERIT + ILIA.
Always have lip balm: I always have one in my pocket. It’s crucial for supplying moisture to my lips while also adding a little shine to my cheekbones to make them look brighter.
Combine lip balm + mascara: If I’m wearing mascara, I’ll apply lip balm to my lashes to help mould them and lift them higher.
Combine lip balm + eyebrows: If I want to organize my crazy eyebrows - I always carry a makeup wand (or a clean, unused toothbrush will do the trick) in my purse. Dip the wand into the balm and apply it to your lashes and eyebrows to shape. For lingerie castings where more of my body is exposed I would also apply the balm to my collarbones to add some defintion. With just these two makeup items I look more alive and 'glowy' throughout a busy day.
Trick #3: Ice Your Face
When I was modelling I didn’t have funds for masks or facials so all I did is wrap ice cubes in a face cloth. Do not put ice directly on your face; it’s way too harsh for your skin. So wrap the ice and apply it gently to areas of your skin where you may want to make your pores smaller or add glow. It easily awakens the skin especially after a long night.
If you have stubborn acne that you want to calm down, applying this gentle pressure and this cold temperature will help reduce visibility and make breakouts less flared up.
Trick #4: Use Red Lipstick to Neutralize Dark Circles
When you’re young and traveling the world you go out A LOT. It’s important to enjoy being in a foreign place and meeting new people; it was my favorite part of modeling around the world.
I learned this tip to cover dark under-eye circles from a makeup artist and what you use depends on your skin tone. I would use something with a pinkish pigment like a lip crayon or red lipstick. If you have darker skin then use something with an orange-y pigment. Apply it under the eye, spreading it out across the dark circles. Next, top it off with your concealer, smoothing it over the same areas.
What this does is it basically neutralizes the dark circle’s color. If you put a light concealer on a dark spot - it will not cover it well. It will look like you’ve tried to cover it and in the end you’ll be using more product. Using a lighter color to cancel the dark circles and then adding a concealer will make the whole area look bright and fresh. You’ll be able to pull off the whole: “I totally slept a full eight hours last night!”
P.s., this really helps if you’re a mom, especially any new moms out there, because as we know sleep is no longer part of the routine!
Trick #5: Combine Mascara and Powder for Fuller Lashes
This is a trick I still use today. Remember that fad of using fiber mascara? Where you apply these 'fibers' to your eyelashes or your liquid mascara had silk, nylon, or rayon fibres within its formula to make them appear fuller and fluffier?
Here’s my hack instead: apply one layer of your normal mascara, then take any powder you have (finishing powder, foundation powder, etc.) and apply it to your lashes. It has the same power as the fiber because it sticks to your lashes and makes them appear fuller and longer. Then apply a second coat of mascara on top. It’s so simple and easy and it’s my favourite beauty hack. Plus, you don't have to buy any more product than you already have.
Trick #6: Dry Brush Your Face and Body
If you haven’t tried using a dry brush yet, now’s the time! Dry brushing allows you to wake up your body and get blood flowing. I have one brush that’s made especially for sensitive skin (face) and a bigger one for the body.
Using these brushes helps increase circulation, exfoliate gently, and remove dry and dead skin. If you bake this into your routine consistently you will see an improvement in the appearance of cellulite.
Trick #7: Use Sheet Masks
Because I was modeling all over the globe since I was a teenager, I could take advantage of face masks way before they became a wide-spread fad in North America. Even though the fad didn't quite hit its peak until recently, the sheet mask is no new invention. Its history stretches back to Ancient India and their mask known as the ubtan (deemed one of the first cosmetic products in the world). Face and body masks were also used in Ancient Egypt; Cleopatra was said to soak her skin in mud masks from the Dead Sea twice weekly. Ancient China and Ancient Rome also had recipes for healing properties for the skin.
Flip the history book all the way to the 1980s when the word 'collagen' became a household term for skincare and voila; face masks became a treatment reserved primarily for spas. Finally, in the 2010s, sheet masks really broke into the North American market and the rest is literally history.
Read more on the extensive history of the sheet mask.
These simple sheets are such a great way to get hydration into the skin. So many models use these at night because it’s a little TLC for your skin. Don’t forget your neck area! Just take the excess fluid from the mask and massage it into the skin below the chin. Leave on for 15 to 30 mins, add some face oil, and go to bed! Your skin will absorb all that moisture and your face will be so fresh the next morning.
Trick #8: Give Yourself a Facial Massage
Here’s a handy little hack with zero tools or products needed! This is the skin tapping method. It helps remove toxins, wake up muscles, and relax the nerves. Just gently tap your fingers all around your face and neck. I’ve put this into my morning routine and consistency is once again key to maintain skin’s elasticity. You will notice a difference in how fresh and tight your face looks and feels each day. If you have them, you can use a little face oil or face cream as you do this massage.
For a more in-depth tutorial on facial massage, check out my conversation with skin care guru Danna Omari.
Trick #9: Focus on Your Personality
People don’t talk about this enough in the modeling industry. I cannot tell you how many jobs I booked because I was funny (or at least, trying to be funny), I was attentive, and I was asking questions. It’s so important in casting, or anything you’re doing like interviews, going to school, etc., to make an effort to connect with people. Sometimes beauty opens the door and personality gets let in. But if your personality opens the door, then all these hacks and beauty routines will seal the deal for you.
Trick #10: Learn How to Highlight and Contour Your Face Shape
Before contouring became the well-known craze it is today (arguably thanks to Kim Kardashian's famous before-and-after contouring tweet), this technique was used by stage performers way back in Elizabethan England to better depict facial expressions. Fast forward to Old Hollywood film stars using contouring and sculpting techniques for their iconic roles. So it's nothing new.
But contouring wasn't always the household technique we know and love. I learned this next trick from a makeup artist probably twelve years ago, back before the contouring craze really hit its peak: know how to play with shadows. Shadows and lighting are everything in modeling.
So let's learn how to play with light.
Use subtle contour: And I mean really subtle. A few soft lines will bring definition to your cheekbones, create shadows on your face, or cover any chin action you want to soften.
Use highlighter: It will bring more light into the high points of your face and 'highlight' your best features. Dab highlighter on your cheekbones, on the inner corners of your eyes, and a little bit on your cupid bow (the part of your face between your nose and upper lip).
Models can’t arrive to castings with a tone of makeup so I take advantage of color. What I mean by that is using subtle browns as eyeliner and mascaras rather than a bold, darker black.
Use brow cream gel: I use it as eyeliner to lift my eyes up and give myself a subtle cat eye without going overboard. A little brown mascara in the outer corner of the eye will open the eye and give the effect of the eye being pulled - it’s like a sneaky face lift. All of this will work to bring your natural beauty to the forefront!
Read more about the history of the famous contouring technique.
Check out these hacks in real time in the video below and stay tuned in the coming weeks for further modeling hack blogs that will save you time, money, and energy:
For more tips on methods of facial massages, here is my go-to for a glowing face and an anti-aging face lifting technique.
Products I used in the video:
Tata Harper Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint (Very Naughty)
EOS Lip Balm
Ice Roller
Nudestix Love is Louder Lip + Cheek Pencil
RMS Beauty Un Cover-Up Concealer
Lily Lolo Natural Mascara
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
NudeBy Nature Translucent Loose Finishing Powder
Face Dry Brush
Affordable Face Dry Brush
Body Dry Brush Set
Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mask
Farmacy Coconut Gel Sheet Mask (Hydrating)
Farmacy Coconut Gel Sheet Mask (Brightening)
Origins Rose Hydrating Sheet Mask
Nudestix Nudies All Over Face Color Matte
RMS Beauty Luminizer X Quad Highlighter Palette
Benefit Cosmetics ka-BROW! Cream-Gel Eyebrow Color
Burt's Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara
