How This Model/DJ Retains Her Glow

Unachievable Beauty Routines

I don’t spend a lot of time on myself — usually just five or six hours before I need to leave the house. Still, it’s important to take a moment every day to remember where real beauty comes from.

SKINCARE
A perfect look begins with perfect skin. My mom never washed her face, so I don’t wash mine. Starting now could provoke a breakout, or worse, make me red for a few minutes. I hear that shower water comes directly from pipes, so if any of it gets on my skin, I make sure to wipe it away as quickly as possible with a towelette.

MAKEUP
I love to keep things simple, so I normally just dash on some tinted moisturizer, foundation, concealer, powder, bronzer, blush, eye primer, eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, lipstick, lip liner and a little bit of plumper at the end. I make sure it sticks with my new favorite setting spray ($449). Of course, if I have a destination wedding or a brand appearance or something, I’ll put in a little bit of an effort. Today I’m wearing some fangs from a store called Fang. I tried it out at Fashion Week and I swear it’s killing everyone.

HAIR
I hate going to the salon. Lying back, head in the sink, while a stranger asks question after question about what you’ve been up to — it’s pure torture! Instead, I ask my friend Yves to cut my hair whenever it gets too long. Yves is quiet and he never pries. Actually he spent ten years in a monastery, training to be a samurai. He usually cuts my hair with one of his swords. It’s very quick and the line is perfectly straight.

BODY
Because I work so hard, I’m really into pampering myself whenever I have a spare second. I’ll light up some candles, rub in some essential oils, and then swaddle myself in a big piece of cloth. My blanket comes from Brooklyn Swaddler, and it’s made entirely out of rags from a landfill in Staten Island. Nothing gives you peace of mind like lying perfectly still while you’re helping the planet.

FRAGRANCE
The fresh smell of clean cotton is my absolute favorite. I like to dab a new $20 bill on my wrists and behind my ears before I get dressed. When I’m going out for the evening, I take everything up a step — I’ll take my regular look and intensify it. I use a $100 bill instead.

DIET
I never ever diet, though I do watch what I eat. Sometimes I’ll accidentally swallow a piece of fang enamel and then have to swear off carbs for a week! My goal weight is my birth weight — 8 pounds, 2 ounces — but I’m not trying to fixate on it.

STYLE
Personal style for me is being the child of two models. When I’m stuck in my daily look, I always go back to basics: crisp white shirts, leather jackets, a dog that can fit in my bag. And when that fails, I just choose a new nail polish.

Madeleine Schwartz is an assistant editor at the New York Review of Books.