Annabelle Dexter-Jones

Annabelle Dexter-Jones
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Annabelle Dexter-Jones
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Annabelle Dexter-Jones
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Annabelle Dexter-Jones
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Annabelle Dexter-Jones
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Annabelle Dexter-Jones
Annabelle Dexter-Jones
Annabelle Dexter-Jones
Annabelle Dexter-Jones
Annabelle Dexter-Jones
Annabelle Dexter-Jones
Annabelle Dexter-Jones
Annabelle Dexter-Jones
Annabelle Dexter-Jones
Annabelle Dexter-Jones

'I had a phase when I was fifteen that was mostly inspired by my mom. She became friends with the people behind—remember that brand Tony & Tina? They would just deliver packages of makeup to our house. They had a glitter eyeliner that my mom used to wear a lot, which I then started to wear a lot. So, there was always glitter all over the house, all over the sheets. Eventually, that just had to stop. My introduction to beauty was probably the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, because my mom would put it all over her face and it had such a strong smell. That’s my first memory of any beauty product.

And then I started working at Harper’s Bazaar in the beauty department. My mom was always like, ‘You guys need to be working, or have some kind of internship at all times.’ She wanted us to have that experience. I think I was sixteen, maybe seventeen. I would spend the entire day organizing the beauty closet. And they get so much stuff there that they’re just like, ‘Take it, take it all. We don’t want any more of this.’ So I would go home with bags. I would feel so guilty: ‘Really? I don’t have to take this much.’ And they’re like, ‘No, we want you to take it!’ But I was never really good at applying makeup, or putting on foundation or anything like that. Most of it went to use as birthday presents. I didn’t have to buy another birthday gift for a year or two.

Every day I put on some kind of moisturizer. I was in Florence recently, so I went to Santa Maria Novella. I knew the products, but I’d never been there before, and it’s such a magical place. I stocked up on Crema Idralia, and I got this really funny set of creams from Agent Provocateur, L’Agent Titillation—one is for your breasts, and one is for your ass. I just think it’s funny to have such specific moisturizers. And in the winter, I use Kiehl’s Imperial Body Balm because it’s thick. I like it because it makes me feel like a lady. My godmother—her name is Lady Sharon Sondes—is an uptown, kind of fabulous socialite, and had her initials on her cigarettes. She always told me, ‘You must moisturize every day,’ and I guess it just stuck in my head that that’s what you do.

I always wear red lipstick— MAC Ruby Woo is my favorite. I also use a tiny bit of their blush: Pink Swoon. I don’t like to create the definition that you see makeup artists do with blush, or, like, in fashion editorials; I like to use it to have that flush—it adds a little bit of color to your face. You know, back in the day, girls used to just pinch their cheeks to get that little bit of color—so it’s like that, but with a brush. And for eyes, I use Volume Effet Faux Cils mascara from YSL, just because that’s what I decided to buy in the store. Packaging is really important to me—I’m very shallow. And obviously I wear Charlotte Ronson for Sephora in Annabelle. [Charlotte and I] talked about it. She said, ‘What do you think you’d be if you were a makeup?’ And I said, ‘Well, I’d definitely be a lipstick ‘cause that’s usually the only thing I wear.’ Samantha [Ronson] is definitely more of a mascara or eyeliner kind of person. I also just got a package of Chanel lipsticks and it had this pink color, and I actually dig it. It’s called Rouge Allure Velvet, 37 L'Exubérante. It matches my new Charlotte Olympia shoes.

I usually wear a bit of Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation, or else just concealer— Clé de Peau. That’s one of my favorite brands. I have their makeup remover, which is good, and their black eyeliner is really soft. I used to like my eyeliner to look slept-in, but now I don’t like it so much anymore. I guess I finished college and then, like I said with moisturizer, it’s nice to feel like a lady. I wanted to be clean and feel more civilized. [Laughs] I naturally evolved.

In college, I wanted to be beach-y, and never brushed my hair. My boyfriend was like, ‘You have to brush your hair!’ So I started brushing it and cutting it regularly. I like Mason Pearson brushes. I use Moroccan Oil, and either chamomile Klorane conditioner, or the Moroccan Oil shampoo and conditioner, but this is probably my favorite: Terax, the conditioner. And Klorane dry shampoo is extremely important to me. [Laughs] Because even if your hair is clean, it gives it a really nice texture.

When I go in to see [hairstylist] Ashley Javier, I just let him do whatever he wants to do. Last time, he was like, ‘What do you think about bangs?’ My hair was really dry and dead, and this haircut was just a way to, I don’t know, clean it up. A lot of people tell me it makes me looks younger, but it makes me feel older, because I’ve never had, like, a ‘hairstyle.’ It’s always been long and wavy and messy. I went to Ashley’s the day before to do the color, and at that point he was thinking about the bangs. So, he gave me a bang piece and said, ‘Do a focus group.’ So me and my friends just played with the fake bangs for hours. The next day I went back and he cut it.”

—as told to ITG