Is the runway more diverse? In the midst of the catwalk spectacles that take over New York, London, Milan and Paris this month, Duckie Thot, an Australian model now living in New York, would like to think so. Certainly the 23-year-old, who has a L’Oréal Paris contract, reflects changing perceptions in an industry that hasn’t always been known for broad notions of beauty.
“The beauty industry is evolving,” said Ms. Thot, who is vocal about inclusivity. “It’s come a long way from when I had to order things online because they weren’t carried at my local stores.” Below, she shares the beauty routine that will take her though her hectic month.
Skin Care
I wear a lot of makeup for work. So the first thing in the morning is to get it all off. I wash at night, but sometimes I have leftover mascara from a shoot. I love Bioderma, the micellar water. It’s really nice on my skin and doesn’t irritate it. I use it after work and in the morning.
I actually hydrate before my cleanser. I use the L’Oréal Hydra Genius Water Cream and let it sink in a little bit, maybe four or five minutes. I find it too drying if I’m removing makeup and cleansing all in one go. I think people forget that skin is very sensitive. And the steps take time as well.
Then I do my Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser. Clarins has beautiful stuff for cleansing. This one, the texture is pretty thick, which is why I like it. Then I do a mask — I have quite a few! When I’m flying, I use the Bubble Skin Detox from Sephora. It bubbles and hydrates. I tend to dry out on the plane, and normally I’m shooting the second I land. So I pick up four or five of these before I fly out.
But overnight masks, they’re really my favorite. I’m using the Lancôme Hydra Zen overnight mask and the Shiseido Ibuki sleeping mask. Those are my go-to’s.
Makeup
Because I’m always in makeup, I like to keep it pretty simple when I’m off. Skin care is really important to me. If your skin is good, you can really wear anything.
Different foundations that I use: the NW 58 or 60 from M.A.C. I’ve been a fan of the 58 for years. It has a beautiful red undertone to it. The 60 just came out. Growing up, M.A.C. was the only store in Australia where I could find my color. Otherwise, there was no point in shopping for foundation in stores back then.
My sister would order products online from the U.K. They would take a couple weeks to come, and we’d share everything. It was always a really, really exciting thing when the packages came, but we didn’t have another option.
Lancôme has a really beautiful foundation as well. It’s a lot deeper, but sometimes I mix it with the NW58 — the result is really nice. Now I’m also using True Match by L’Oréal. The True Match has a shimmer to it, which I love. It opens up my chest area. Our bodies, the skin tone, is not the same everywhere. I might use different foundations depending on where I’m applying them.
Then I make sure my brows are nice and full. Sometimes I use the Natasha Denona brow product to fill them in. L’Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes — the one that comes in a gold case — is one of my favorite products. It’s easy to put on. I’m also loving this beautiful clear gloss from Shiseido. It’s really thick and lasts for hours and hours.
Fragrance
I collect fragrances, and I like to give them as gifts. I think every woman should have a great fragrance. Right now I’m wearing a Versace that I got when I was in Milan about three months ago — it’s a special collector’s version of the Gianni Versace Couture Versace. I also love Chanel fragrances — they’re beautiful and elegant. No. 5 is always major. Or I wear Lancôme La Vie Est Belle.
Hair
My natural hair is quite curly and Afro-like. I wear a lot of wigs so it’s protected when I’m working. Early on in my career, I experienced a lot of hair damage, with all the straighteners and blow-dryers. Now it’s about keeping it healthy.
I keep my hair in protective braids. I have a specialist in New York who comes over to wash it. She works with me every two weeks. But I was just in Australia for six weeks, and I had it treated at home with this shea butter, cream and an essential oil batch that my friend makes. And my mom helps me with the conditioning to keep it nice and healthy.
And I love this line called Hair Rules. I use their shampoo, and they have this great spray that I use before I get a blowout.
But I really enjoy wigs. Nice wigs are quite expensive, but you get your money’s worth, for sure. Doing different colors is fun. A short one can give you a different vibe. You get to play more. I don’t always want to look the same. And I find that in this industry, where you have so many different clients, with all their mood boards, you have to be open to change.
Other Services
I love to get myself treated when I can. In New York, there’s a beautiful lady who owns Soma Spa, and she does amazing facials. After, my skin is glowing for a week. I’m not even sure what she’s actually using.
Diet and Fitness
I love to play basketball. It’s another way to get things going without having to do a 45-minute class. I played so much in Australia. At my gym here, they have these indoor courts, so I just go shoot around there. That’s been really fun for me.
I also love to do weights. I used to hate lifting, but I’ve started to get into a rhythm. Of course you have to stay fit and healthy to do this job, but I do it for myself as well.
With diet, I tend to bounce around, especially since I travel a lot. I’ve cut most meat out of my diet. If I’m at home, I love to cook and make things like beautiful salads. I have a collection of beautiful cookbooks. I love Whole Foods and go there to pick up ingredients — the healthier the better.
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