Hopefully, you’ll get some great beauty tips for yourself from this list—and even some of these tricks may make you gasp. Mostly, though, I hope this will be a healthy reality check for any woman who’s ever felt frustrated about the way she looks in the bathroom mirror, or for anyone who has ever compared herself to a model. The first week, the models look pretty fresh, but by the time they get to Week Four, their skin is significantly dehydrated, tired, raw, dull, and blemished. I tell normal women to ignore the reports of what artists use at fashion week to moisturize skin; it’s just too heavy for daily use. One of the most effective methods I’ve found is to remove the top layer of dryness first with makeup remover. Then I apply a thick coat of lip balm. After letting that soak in for a bit, I have the model scrape her lips (rather aggressively) with a clean mascara wand. Then I use more makeup remover to remove the debris and follow with another layer of lip balm. Believe me, these models come in with bags under their eyes after weeks of grueling work. I use color-correcting and light-reflecting concealers under the eyes to effectively mask the late nights and exhaustion. The end result, if done right, will be a seamless, totally rested look that blends in without looking heavy or cakey. It starts by coating limbs with a secret recipe of lotion (often created for just the perfect amount of shimmer). Then we use foundation over hands, knees and even toes. We make sure any and all exposed flesh looks perfect. Now that you know what really goes on backstage, it’s my hope that the next time you see some “perfect” looking teenage model in a photo with a caption about how to get her runway-ready look in just five minutes, you’ll just move right on past. There’s no way it’s even close to the truth.
