'My name is Frances Tulk-Hart [@francestulkhart] and I live in Brooklyn. I'm a working mum of a beautiful two-year-old so 'relax' does not really exist in my vocabulary. I also paint and write and sing in the band Love Taps with my husband Jason Rossi. As you can imagine, we do a fair amount of driving with the windows down and the music turned up loud on beautiful evenings.

I grew up obsessed with beauty and magazines, but as a photographer I know the reality behind all those pretty photos now! It takes a small village of experts to get that 'lasting natural look.' I do love how chill Juergen Teller is with retouching and beauty in general. His photos are OK with women and their flaws.

I think I got my first beauty product when I was about 14. It was clear mascara—I don't remember what brand, but my mom used a lot of Elizabeth Arden so I'm guessing it was that. The first lip gloss I ever wore was Elizabeth Arden, too. These days I don't do a lot, but I do what works. When I wake up, I begin the morning by splashing my face with water. Then I blow-dry my bangs, moisturize my face with Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream, and add a lick of Covergirl Full Lash Bloom Mascara. Occasionally I switch my moisturizer to Isa Restorative. And I always put Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream on my lips—it works really well and it makes me nostalgic for some reason. At the end of the day, it's soap and water to get everything off of my face. No moisturizer at bedtime—I'm a believer in leaving your skin alone at times and allowing it to do its thing.

My hair dries out quickly, so I've tried many brands to see what can give me some silky smoothness without requiring hours of styling. The best one I have found after all these years of searching is also one of the cheapest—Suave! Their Moroccan Infusion line is really great. Although Shu Uemura Art of Hair just gifted me a whole box load of products so might have to start using their Ultimate Remedy Extreme Restoration Shampoo and Conditioner...

Before walking out the door I dab on either Coco Chanel, which I've worn for years, or Huiles Précieuses, which is a bath oil by Diptyque that I wear as a scent 'cause I love it so much. I tend to go for fragrances that are musky but subtle—a little masculine.

I've always walked to the beat of my own drum—it makes things hard sometimes, but hopefully it will mean that at the end of the day there will be no regrets of things I didn't do. Motherhood has changed my approach to beauty, to an extent. I don't look in the mirror so much! Sometimes a couple of hours will go by in the morning before I realize I haven't seen the state of affairs with my hair that morning. But otherwise it's the same. I was pretty low maintenance before, anyways. It's funny...I'm a totally different person from who I was in my early 20s, which makes me thank god every day that I didn't get any tattoos!”

—as told to ITG

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