'I grew up in New York City in the South Street Seaport. It used to be a fish market—it was a really weird place to live but my parents thought it was great because it was empty and you could have a huge space. It smelled pretty bad, though. [Laughs] My parents were artists...my dad was a really amazing drawer, and he did illustration for a long time but kind of stopped doing it when I was born. I would draw with him all the time even after he switched over to publishing.
Kids who grew up in New York City don’t know how to drive, but here you don’t have to wait to get your license to have freedom. I remember going out and drinking a lot of really bad merlot somewhere on MacDougal Street. My friends and I would meet at this really stupid cafe there—this is like really horrifying to think about now. There would also be these art battles that I went to over on Houston Street. A lot of the boys did graffiti back then...I grew up with a lot of people like Lena [Dunham] and Isabel [Halley] because our parents are all artists. Now, I like being around people who are in their 60s. I don’t want to hang out with people who are just my age. Being around people of different ages feels good to me, and I like a lot of my mom’s friends—they’re my friends, too.
GETTING READY
I’ve always gone to The Odeon which is a great restaurant on West Broadway and Thomas Street. I used to go with my dad for Shirley Temples and Eggs Benedict, but I still go there for too many martinis and dinner. It’s very quintessential downtown-New-Yorker-'80s-artists. I am obsessed with the hostess there—I don’t actually know her real name. She’ll wear like a church lady's hat that you look at, and it’s the most devastatingly beautiful thing. I’m always like, 'Why didn’t I think of wearing that church lady's hat?' She’ll wear an '80s prom dress, but it won’t look like an '80s prom dress, it will look like something better. We don’t know much about her—we think her name might be Una…or it might be Luna.
I’ve had some really fun nights recently. I like to have have people over for drinks before we go out. In college, my best friend and I would have this ritual about getting dressed to go out. We would make drinks, and when we lived together our closets had become one so we would be drinking, getting dressed, putting on makeup, and listening to music—crafting it all together. But lately, I’ve been wearing the same ‘going out’ outfit the past three times I’ve gone out anywhere. I get excited about one look, and then I kind of exhaust it until I have another. I usually wear all black and have one statement piece, but calling it a statement piece is blood-curdling, so I guess one thing that is loud or humorous.
SKINCARE
Some people have luminous skin, but I’ve learned over the past two years is that my skin is so sensitive I can’t use anything with any chemicals in it. I was using Dr. Hauschka’s products because it was the only thing made of rosehips and boysenberries—you could dress a salad with it! If I’m staying in one night, I’ll put on this Dr. Hauschka Revitalizing Mask followed by the Soothing Mask. I use this Lanolin-Agg-Tval Egg White Facial Soap in the bathtub, but I really just got it because I liked the box.
MAKEUP
If I’m going out, then I’ll do some foundation, especially when I feel really broken out like right now. I use Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder Makeup in Desert Beige. Then I’ll use this Diorskin Nude Skin Perfecting Hydrating Concealer for spots. Do you know that brand Prescriptives? It doesn’t exist in stores anymore—only online—but they have a really good spot concealer called Camouflage Cream. Then I’ll use some blush or something. I like this Tarte Cheek Stain in Tipsy. One time I got my photo taken and was uncomfortable, but the makeup artist used this cheek stain, and I thought it was glimmery and nice. It’s skinvigorating. [Laughs]
The same philosophy I have with my clothes I have with my makeup—I’ll do like one statement thing. For a really long time, I was wearing this purple iridescent stick eyeliner cream coming out of the corner of my eye…kind of like I had a disease, but it looked great! I used to have the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in Asphyxia, but then it kind of fell out of its holster, and I lost it. In college I wore a lot of blue mascara, fuchsia lipstick, and a lot of brown. I’d use the brown to tone it out. The copper shade from CoverGirl Eye Enhancers 3-Kit Shadows in Shimmering Sands is lovely. I got it at Duane Reade. I also like my Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in 796 Ciur Cannage. With its wand, the Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes Mascara is so incredible. I was going through a period where I felt that black mascara was a little too much for me so, I got this one in Brown.
I’m big on lipstick. First thing in the morning, I like to put on a bright red. It helps because I work from home, and I don’t have coworkers around me, so I need to feel awake. I always like Nars Lipsticks. Every day I wear either Funny Face or Red Lizard. I am surprised I don’t have a pink finger here, like how my dad had yellow fingers because he was such a chain smoker…but I put on lipstick and immediately smudge it in because I want it to look stained. I'll transition it into nighttime by freshening it up.
When I’m ready to take off my makeup, I just use coconut oil. My friend Isabel, who I keep mentioning, literally threw this jar of coconut oil at me because she was like, ‘It’s good for everything!’'
—as told to ITG
Photographed by Tom Newton. For more Top Shelf After Dark, click here.
