“I knew I needed a change when I was working at The Box. I’ve always loved architecture and design and talking to people, so real estate felt like a natural progression. Those first few years were scary. I wasn’t making any money, but I kept telling myself that if I worked hard enough, something would click. Eventually it did.
Joining Summer House last year was a last-minute decision. They had already cast the season, but two weeks before filming, I got the call. The timing made me hesitate. I was completely focused on real estate and working on a $90 million sellout for a new development on 14th Street. It had also been a year and a half since my mom had passed and I was just starting to feel grounded again. I made a promise to myself that if I did the show, I would be unapologetically me. And then I saw it as a chance to blow off steam, spend the summer in the Hamptons with one of my best friends, Ciara [Miller], and have fun.
I closed the door on that summer and went right back to real estate after filming wrapped in September. I truly didn’t think much about it until we started doing press. None of us expected what happened next. And I know people have their theories about everything, but what I’ll say is that regardless of what happened, last year was going to be quite a transition in some way because Bravo was starting In The City. We expected the group dynamics to change; we just never expected them to change like this.
GOING OUT
I never plan to go out, out finds me. I’ll go to dinner with friends, there are several drinks involved, we’re dressed up and it’s only 10 o’clock so we decide to stay out. Then one drink turns into being out until 4AM. Having a dog has changed that a bit, but Winston is just like me and loves the streets.
Recently I went to Chez Margaux with a friend. She and I are very similar where we get a little twinkle in our eye that means we should go somewhere. We ended up at BC, a new club. We walked in and the vibes were fucking immaculate. Here’s the thing: I will be on the dance floor from the moment I walk in until I leave. I’m a little embarrassed, but I’m the person who’s there when the lights turn on. [Laughs]
Sometimes going out means going to a really great restaurant. My favorite in the city is Kiko. The sommelier, Lina Goujjane, is French, sophisticated, and incredible. Her husband, Alex Chang, is the chef. They have a dish with a layer of crispy, toasted rice and curry with crab, and an unreal sirloin steak with an egg yolk. I’ve also never had a bad meal at Cervo’s on Canal Street. The Odeon is a classic. Smith & Mills in Tribeca is super cool. And I still love going to Lure Fishbar.
For a drink, I’ll often go to Zero Bond. I feel like I have to go there because I pay to be a member. I also like Corner Bar at Nine Orchard. Or sometimes I’ll go to Balthazar with my friends and only order appetizers and martinis.
SKINCARE
I always shower before I go out and again when I get home. Naturium’s Glow Getter body wash is a favorite. People sleep on Dove’s shea butter beauty bars. I think we need to get back to the basics of being clean. Use a bar of soap and a body wash—don’t just slather on body oil. People are skipping steps.
And of course I have to moisturize. Nivea’s body lotion gets the job done, but I love Fenty’s Butta Drop. My only complaint is that the bottle is so small. Rihanna, please help us. I top it off with Vaseline’s Glazed and Glisten shimmering oil.
If I need something extra for my body, I’ll use a scrub. I’m on a mission to find the best one. I asked my Instagram followers for some ideas and I’m working my way through all of the recommendations. Saltair’s Santal Bloom came up a lot. So far, I’m giving it a strong nine out of 10 because I wish it were a little oilier.
Prepping my face for makeup is all about hydration because my makeup sits so much better that way. I start with Tirtir’s Milk Skin toner, followed by Clarins’s Double serum. In the summer, I love U Beauty’s Super Hydrator because it isn’t too heavy and never leaves me feeling oily. I was introduced to Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour cream maybe 10 years ago. People use it for everything—flaky elbows, knees, heels, brows, cuticles, even to add gloss to their cheeks and eyelids—but I use it strictly on my lips.
I don’t care if I stay out until the morning, I always shower and do my entire skincare routine before going to bed. I triple cleanse before I get in the shower, starting with Garnier’s vitamin C micellar water. Then I go in with U Beauty’s cleansing balm before washing everything off with La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane cleanser.
Once I’m out of the shower, I use my tretinoin prescription four times a week—I don’t fuck around. Then I grab Tirtir’s Milk toner again, followed by the Clarins serum or Caudalie’s Vinoperfect, which I’ve been using for like 10 years. After that it’s U Beauty’s eye cream, which is fucking expensive, but I like it. Alternatively, L’Oreal’s eye cream feels like expensive eye cream but at a much cheaper price point. And at night, I like a thicker moisturizer like L’Oreal’s Midnight cream.
I use my tretinoin on my hands, too, because they’re one of the first places to show signs of aging. I seal it in with L’Occitane’s hand cream. I still remember going into the L’Occitane store with my mom when I was nine. We didn’t have a lot of money, but she bought herself a full-size tube and a mini one for me. She said, ‘This is something really fancy, and when you grow up, these are the kinds of things you’re going to buy for yourself. I want you to know what it feels like.’ Now I keep one by my bed and one in my bathroom at all times.
MAKEUP
My makeup artist taught me to use a folding fan between layers, so I always have one with me. The first thing on my face is NYX’s Primer Glue. If I’m doing a full beat, I color correct around my mouth and under my eyes. I go back and forth between ones from Kosas in the shade Fantasy, and Huda Beauty in the shade Mango. The Kosas one is meant to brighten up your eyes more, and while my under eyes aren’t very dark, it’s creamy and feels good.
Kosas makes an outstanding concealer, too. I was introduced to it through a Kosas masterclass with Ngozi Edeme, probably better known as Painted by Esther, who is the queen of blush and completely revolutionized the way we all think about it. I use 6.8W on my 11 lines, around my mouth, under my eyes, along my jaw, and around my nose.
Once my concealer dries, I go in with Make Up For Ever’s HD Skin foundation in Warm Maple. I’ve been using it for 15 years. It’s buildable, never looks cakey, lasts all day, and sits beautifully on my skin. I follow that with a recent discovery from Dibs Beauty—a creamy blush-and-contour duo. The two colors in shade 6 are part of my everyday routine.
I let all of my cream products sit and dry down while I work on my eyes. I wear strip lashes so I can rip them off at the end of the night. Sometimes I’ll wear clusters. People always tell me I can reuse them, but I’m not fucking reusing lashes—that’s why I don’t buy expensive ones. Then I use whatever Maybelline mascara comes in the black tube. [Laughs] And of course, Anastasia Soare, the founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills, is the queen of brows. I love the Brow Wiz pencil in Ebony. I pair that with the clear Air Brow gel from Kosas.
After my eyes, I go over my cheeks with Covergirl’s Trublend powder blush in Strawberry Drizzle. I also love Makeup by Mario’s Softsculpt Blurring bronzer. Then it’s time for my setting powders. I use Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless in Tan under my eyes. The first time I tried it, it literally took my breath away. Then I use Kosas’s Cloud Set powder in Buttery on my chin. I probably don’t need both, but it depends on how I’m feeling that day. They’re both amazing.
I use two setting sprays. First, I spritz Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless and then a layer of L’Oréal Paris Infallible mist. That shit works so well. The Charlotte Tilbury one melts everything together in the best way, and then I lock it in with the Infallible. I don’t even know how many times I’ve repurchased it—I recommend it to all of my friends.
And finally: lips. Make Up For Ever’s Limitless Brown is such a classic and lasts for hours. I layer gloss on top. Fenty’s Hot Chocolit Gloss Bomb is my everyday brown, but if I want even more of a sparkly moment, Kiko Milano’s 3D Hydra gloss in Pearly Natural Rose is the perfect amount of glittery.
HAIR
I like wearing my hair down, and I think wearing it curly makes a big impact. Straight hair is a lot easier to deal with, but curly hair is like, Bam. Ester D. Rojas does my hair, and I really appreciate that she’s a real beautician. She doesn’t just style it—she washes it with specific treatments because she genuinely cares about keeping it healthy.
I’ve been using Olaplex’s No. 7 bonding oil and three-step routine—the No.4 curl shampoo, No.5 curl conditioner, and No.3 repair treatment—for maybe nine months now. Ester says she can physically feel the difference since I started using it. It feels so much stronger. You can use the bonding oil as a heat protectant, but I mostly use it for a little extra shine. It smells really good, too.
My trusty girl is Eco Styler, meanwhile Mizani’s 25 Miracle Milk is really hydrating. Same with Redken’s One United all-in-one treatment—it makes my hair so soft. Then I love my Shark blow dryer. I was in Miami a couple of weeks ago, and my hairstylist used Shark Beauty’s blow-dryer and flat iron combo on me. That’s my next purchase.
FRAGRANCE
Whenever I’m leaving the house for a night out, I might forget my keys, but I’ll always have lip gloss, lip liner, Listerine strips, and a mini perfume in my purse. My go-to scents are Parfums de Marly’s Delina, Louis Vuitton’s L’Immensité, Fueguia’s Ett Hem, and Malin + Goetz’s leather perfume oil. Delina is much more floral than the others and feels like daytime. The Fueguia scent was created with the Stockholm hotel. It’s woody and warm, the perfect in-between. L’Immensité and the leather oil are muskier and sexier—late night vibes.”
—as told to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Shana Trajanoska in New York on June 19, 2026