“I’m a creative director, and I also have a company that represents Argentinean designers and sells their wares online. It’s called UnderOurSky.com. The idea behind the website was that every time I used to travel and wear something that wasn’t from New York, people were always like, ‘Oh! Where is that from?!’ and I’m always like, ‘Oh... Buenos Aires,’ where I’m from, or, ‘It’s from a friend who sells it in her house.’ So eventually I decided to help my friends out.
I’ve changed my whole body a lot since the beginning of the year. I’ve always worked out, but you know, once a week, twice a week, kind of randomly. I’ve always been pretty skinny—when I was young, my friends used to call me ‘Mr. Burns,’ you know, from The Simpsons. That’s how nice they were to me. [Laughs] And what was the name of the grasshopper in Pinocchio? Him too, because of my big eyes. Anyway, in January, I went back home and my mom had a personal trainer, who I ended up training with during the holidays, and now I go to this gym called Clay, on 14th street—I’m obsessed with the Zumba classes. So, I'm trying to get healthier.
I normally don’t use makeup if I don’t have anything after work. If I have a client meeting, maybe, but otherwise I’m just behind a computer. The thing with makeup is the afterwards—I never fall asleep with my makeup on. Even if I’m drunk, I’m like, ‘Oh! Hold on! Give me a moment,’ and then I take off my makeup right there. I always take off my makeup, which is a part of the reason I’m lazy to do my makeup…because I know at 1 AM I’ll have to take it all off. I’m a bit of a freak. But I love makeup, so when I do it, I do it—if I’m going out, or to a meeting, or if I have a big party.
Right now, I’m using these Transformers Band-Aids to cover my face because I got a little burned during a facial. I have them everywhere, even in my wallet. I’ll wear them on my chin on sunny days and then use a ton of sunscreen, too. I mean, if you’re going to put something on your face, better those than the regular ones. In terms of makeup, when I do it, I’ll put on Chanel Correcteur Perfection Concealer. I put it down [the bridge of] my nose, on my eyes, and if I have anything else to cover up. It’s really light and soft. I normally don’t wear foundation, but if I do, I’ll wear Chanel Perfection Lumière. I get so many compliments—actually, my boyfriend will tell me, ‘Oh, you’re too ‘done,’' but a friend told me, ‘You’re glowing today.’ Then, I wear some blush by Bare Minerals—I actually fell in love with this brand; a makeup artist told me about it. She said it’s the one brand that doesn’t send her free stuff, but she buys it anyway, and that made me trust her, in a way. I really like their Original Foundation and the Ready Bronzer in The Skinny Dip, too. Or I’ll use the Touch Up Veil powder in the winter, which gives you a nice glow.
For eyes, I like Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eye Liner in Black Ebony. You use a brush and paint it on, and it’s so dark and it just stays. I use black or gray eyeliner only. I don’t really use eye shadow—it’s always hard to get the second eye the same. When I was younger, I hated my big eyes, but then I realized it was an asset and not a bad thing, so I slowly started loving them—same with my eyebrows, because my sister had perfect, beautifully rounded ones. But I learned to love them, too, and now I fill them in so they’re much stronger. It makes them look weirder, but I like like being weird. I got my eyebrow pencil at the Duty Free shop at JFK. [Laughs] I was like, ‘I need one, I want one,’ and the saleswoman gave me this one, from Shiseido. I don’t spend hours hunting; I trust people’s opinions, in general, more than an ad.
The only nail polish I really use is Chanel Peridot, or a simple, pale white. And when I don’t paint my nails, I like to buff them. I was in a shopping mall and this guy was doing a demonstration and showed me how to do it. In Buenos Aires, everything that’s imported is ridiculously expensive, but after his demonstration, I found myself spending, like, $80 on all these things, like cuticle cream and a four-sided buffing tool from Sephora—but my nails were glowing. It’s so good, it’s sort of like a drug. You don’t need some toxic thing on your nails, you know? Let them breathe for the month and do this. I actually told the guy in the mall, ‘No, I’m not buying it. Thank you.’ I kept shopping and just could not stop touching my nails until finally I decided to go back and buy it. I’ve done it to everyone—my dad, my sister, and they’re all like, ‘I want it, I want it!’
Sometimes, I’ll use lip gloss, but very rarely. I’m more of an eye girl, or red lips. I do hide Lancôme Baume Baiser lip balm in my purse—I think it was a limited-edition thing—because I like the packaging. I am also really about the packaging. I studied packaging and graphic design in university and I was actually a typography teacher back in Buenos Aires. The reason I like C.O. Bigelow shampoo and conditioner is for their packaging— I don’t use them every day, but I also don’t do my hair that much.
I love skincare— that, I never miss. I’ll use a mask every now and again, like the Pure Empreinte Masque by Lancôme with white clay. And then Bare Minerals Intensive Glow Pads for exfoliating and La Mer Moisturizing Cream for my neck and chin, but not on my face. For that, I’ll mix Clarins Instant Smooth Golden Glow self-tanner, which is super light, with some moisturizer: Clinique All About Eyes or Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief, which is like putting silk on your skin—it’s a pleasure to put on. Also a few months ago, I read about retinol in Vogue, and I thought, Why not try it? So I’ve been using Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion AM Moisturizer, which just sinks in, and then Retinol Fusion PM at night. And sometimes I’ll drink Borba Clarifying Skin Balance Crystalline drink mix. You can get in the pharmacy, and it hydrates your skin. I don’t do that much moisturizing on my body, but I tried this and it’s tasty and so I’ll take it to the gym or work.
My perfume is called Halloween—it’s really embarrassing. But I get compliments of people telling me I smell like heaven. It’s by Jesús del Pozo, which was a big fashion house in the late ’80s in Spain, and they still make this perfume. I got it back when I was 15 from this guy who was obsessed with scent and perfumes. Now, it’s a part of me and it smells great. When people like it, they really like it. Halloween… very chic name. [Laughs]
—as told to ITG
Sofía Sanchez Barrenechea photographed by Emily Weiss in New York on July 19th, 2012.
