“I started doing makeup when I was fifteen, at a day spa in New Orleans, where I’m from. I was kind of just winging it. So that really taught me how to do makeup. I didn’t go to school for it, I didn’t assist anyone ever—I really picked up on it learning to do real people’s makeup. And I always say this—I never see anyone in a horrible mood with a bright pink lip or a bright red lip on. Obviously since I’m with NARS, I have a lot of it, but it’s seriously the best makeup brand in the world. It’s amazing the amount of celebrity the brand has—people lined up when the Bleecker Street store opened, when we launch an exclusive product. It’s incredible to see that kind of energy for a brand. Being a beauty junkie myself, I’ve seen every brand, I’ve tried every brand, and even before I was with NARS, I’d always go back to them for that hot fuchsia lipstick or those eye shadows.

For me, for myself, when I wear makeup, there’s always a lip. I always go to the same two colors— Schiap [pink] and Heat Wave [orangey red], and since Christmas I’ve been using the ‘ Bento Box,’ which is a limited edition set of hand-poured lipstick in kabuki cups—it’s a beautiful red and a hot pink. I edit the makeup that goes in my bathroom from two huge suitcases and four drawers in my office that are always filled with makeup. If I continue to bring stuff upstairs, my husband’s like, ‘Oh my God, you have seven hundred eye shadows up here,’ and I’m like, ‘I know, I know—I can’t help it.’ I love playing with eye shadow, and I have so many different tricks—like, Smith’s Rosebud Salve is amazing for mixing with eye shadow to create a cream color. I usually do Étrusque, a shimmery gold. It creates a nice balm for the eyelid, a little dewy. I do this for editorial [shoots] too, but for real life, I don’t make it too gooey and I always set it on the lid by pressing a little of the dry shadow on top. Or, I’ll wet an angled brush with water and use a bright blue eye shadow like Night Flight as a liquid liner. I love bright pops of color. For makeup, I always use my hands. I don’t have that many brushes. Even my lipsticks look really deformed because I use my fingers. I like warming up the product—I use the back of my hands as palette, like with the Rosebud Salve, it gets emollient from the heat. And I feel like with foundation, I can get into the nooks and crannies so it becomes seamless, whereas a brush leaves marks and the product kind of sits on top of the skin. And a sponge soaks up too much product. My recommendation is, if you want to use a sponge, use a dry one to kind of blend the face after you’ve applied foundation with your fingers.

So for everyday it’s usually Étrusque eye shadow, a little Cap Vert, which is a cream bronzing stick, Sciap lipstick, and Larger Than Life volumizing mascara. I’ve been using our new Laguna Body Illuminator as well—I put it on my face and my body. It’s so nice—it gives you a nice little glow. And then for my foundation I use the Sheer Glow in four different shades that I’m always mixing, because I’m addicted to sunless tanner and my color is always changing. I love an aerosol self-tanner, and L’Oreal Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Airbrush is one of my favorites. My husband uses it too; he’s the first man I’ve been with who loves the art of grooming—he has so many products. Anyway I also like St. Tropez if you want a really deep tan in one application—it’s a commitment.

When it comes to skin care, I love creams—heavy, dense creams. I’ve stuck to Crème de la Mer for years—the classic moisturizing cream and the Eye Balm Intense. My mom got me hooked on it, and she also got me hooked on something called The Green Cream, which has a really high dose of Retinol. That’s for times when I know I’m going to be off for a couple days, because it exfoliates your skin to a high-speed process and your face gets bright red. It’s kind of like a mini peel in a bottle. But I also wear the EFA Night Infusion and the Brightening Serum from NARS, and Shiseido just sent me their new cream— Future Solution—which I’ve been using, as well as their SPF for face. I love Bioderma Crealine, which is every makeup artist’s staple, for the kit and for at home. I love it because it takes your makeup off and tones everything. And for a proper cleanser I like Clé de Peau. For body, I’ll use NARS Monoi Body Glow oil which gives the body a nice sheen…sometimes I’ll add a few drops of that Laguna Body Illuminator to it, especially to my legs if I’m going out. I always want a sheen for my body, a baby oil or Kiehl’s Crème de Corps, and I also find that keeping the body moisturized holds the self-tan for longer. My face is oily though, and for that reason I believe less if more. A lot of the skincare brands give you those little spatulas, and that’s meant to show you how much product you should use—a quarter size of moisturizer is a lot; you really want to use a nickel size. I also love our Skin Smoothing Face Prep—you can use it as a primer, before makeup, but it’s also great for mattifying oily skin throughout the day, even on top of makeup. I use this product like nobody’s business; it’s my Jack of all trades.

I’m very easy with hair—I always get my hair cut when I’m working on shoots, and I do my own L’Oreal ten minute color rinse in black. I have light brown hair and I’ve been dying it black since I was twenty-two.I don’t like the intensity of a permanent or semi-permanent hair color; I just like a gloss. And for my products, I love Oribe’s Signature Shampoo and the Royal Blowout Spray, and Bumble and bumble’s black hair powder. And if it’s a night out, I’ll wear it up in a bun, or blow it out with my Mason Pearson brush. I’m very easy breezy.”

—as told to ITG