From the tousled hair to the lingerie to the height-of-perfection bodies, there's something for everyone to admire at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, also known as the world's longest—and maybe best—TV commercial, also known as the Super Bowl of Sexy (actually, we made that one up). But just how much of it is real and how much of it is airbrushed abs? We caught up with Sigrid Agren days before the 21-year-old's VSFS debut to talk about what exactly goes into getting runway-ready. It turns out, not much. (Read: good genes are KEY.)
Skincare: “My skin is normally really, really dry. I keep it hydrated with oil. I just bought Almond Aura Glow Oil at Whole Foods, which is super hydrating, but not too oily; it makes my skin look good. I mist my face with Heritage Store Rosewater, and that makes it smell amazing. For lotion, I like Weleda Cold Cream. And for anti-redness, I use Bioderma Crealine AR Anti-Redness Cream. I think harsh cleansers can also dry out your skin, so I wash my face with Shu Uemura Gentle Cleansing Oil. You put two drops on your face, the water emulsifies the oil, and the makeup comes right off. And I wash with the Philips VisaPure to get an extra scrub. For my lips, it's always Homeoplasmine, which is the best thing ever. Your lips get addicted, because they get used to getting so much moisture.And then before the show, Victoria’s Secret sends all of the models to get a spray tan and a facial at a hotel. It looks really natural—I even got it on my face. I mean, this is what I look like after two weeks on holiday. After that, I'm set.”
Hair: “I have very fine, dry hair, so I work on maintaining moisture and getting volume. Before I wash my hair, I put a little oil, coconut or whatever I have, on the ends and lengths, but never on the roots. Sometimes I’ll even leave it in overnight when my hair is really dry. Then I wash it with Christophe Robin Wheat Germ Shampoo. I don’t use conditioner because it will make my hair completely flat. To style it, I love Klorane Dry Shampoo to get even more volume, and Redken All Soft Heavy Cream for Dry or Brittle Hair. Every day it’s a fight with my hair. For shoots, and for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, I bring my own extensions. It’s my exact hair color and they’re clips, so you don’t have to glue anything in. Whenever I sit down to get my hair done I’m like, ‘No, no! I have my extensions!’ [Laughs]'
Down Below: “We wear G-strings under the underwear. So, to get show-ready, I get my bikini line waxed. Going to get it done is like I’m going to the dentist—I know I’m going to hate it but I just do it. I go to a spa in Tribeca and see whoever's available. And I always do hard wax, because someone told me that you should never do strips on your bikini line.”
Exercise: “I’ve heard people say that they go to the gym twice a day or go on a juice cleanse to prepare for the Victoria's Secret show. When you hear what everyone is doing, you think ‘I should do something, too.’ [Laughs] I exercise regularly—I’m always training—and I am naturally thin, so I don’t have to do too much, but this is a different show because you want to be really in shape, really fit. You want to look amazing, with some muscle tone. Other designers do not want muscle tone on the runway, but for Victoria’s Secret, you’re standing there in your underwear so you’d better look good. [Laughs] I’ve been doing what I do usually, but just more of it. I like to mix cardio with strengthening and toning: I run and then I do a lot of yoga and Pilates at Equinox. On Sunday, they have a kickboxing class that I love—there’s great music, the teacher is amazing, and you feel so good after. It’s my Sunday routine. I’m really concerned about my abs, because I think it’s important to have good posture, and toned abs help with that. Pilates is great for your core, and it reminds me of ballet, which I did for 10 years. When it’s too cold to go outside, or when I’m traveling, I take online yoga classes from YogaGlo. The classes are thirty minutes or an hour and range from morning energizing yoga to relaxation yoga, and it only costs $20 a month to take as many classes as you like. Then, I loosen everything up with weekly Chinese massages for an hour. I like a strong massage. It keeps me feeling healthy, and gives me an energy boost.”
Diet: “I always try to eat healthy, because what I eat really affects my skin. When I travel and I can’t eat properly, I'll get pimples and redness. So, when I can, I drink a lot of green juices and eat a lot of vegetables and lean protein, like chicken and fish. And rice is the base of my diet. I love white rice. I could have it every day at every meal. [Laughs] But in the end, it’s only rice, it’s not, like, french fries or anything.”
Sigrid Agren photographed by Emily Weiss in New York on November 12, 2013, and backstage at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show on November 13, 2013 in New York. The show premiers on CBS tonight at 10pm—meaning, put the kids to bed first...