During the collections, models dart from show to show, having makeup applied, touched up, and scrubbed off countless times; then there are the after-parties, where many drink, dance, and smoke until the sun rises. Still, they emerge for work the next day looking better than people who get a full eight hours of sleep.



"Skin care is part of a model's job," says makeup artist Mary Greenwell, who masterminded looks at Giorgio Armani, Paul Smith, and Ghost. "Even if they party all night, they take damn good care of their skin." Indeed, many stick to a strict, no-exceptions regimen that's as much a part of their lifestyle as Veuve Cliquot. "I was on a trip to Morocco with Shalom, and we arrived in the absolute middle of the night," recalls Greenwell. "I watched this poor girl take off layers of eye makeup—I'd have gone to sleep with it on."



Cleansing is key. "Models turn up backstage covered in makeup. I tell them to find a cleanser they like and carry it with them," says makeup genius (Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Hussein Chalayan) Pat McGrath, herself partial to Lancôme's rose-scented Galatée Douceur cleanser and Tonique Douceur toner. Runway veterans Carolyn Murphy, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, and Maggie Rizer ("Major skin," gasps McGrath) have taken her advice to heart. "They really watch their skin. These girls come to the shows with their makeup off," she says. Model Stella Tennant totes Chanel cleanser and toner everywhere; Ling is devoted to Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil and regularly visits her facialist in Manhattan's Chinatown. Alek Wek drinks "loads of milk" each morning and maintains her smooth ebony skin with massive amounts of Vaseline. "Head to toe," she says. "I've used it since I was two."



Greenwell revives dull, overworked complexions with Elizabeth Arden Skin Illuminating Complex. "By midday, the girls have already been through at least two shows, but they still have to look like it's first thing in the morning. This makes skin look delicious—instantly," she enthuses. McGrath relies on Jurlique's "genius" rosewater aromatherapy mist. "At Miu Miu, we started makeup and hair at 6 a.m.: twenty-four girls, all half asleep," she says. "A few spritzes around the face and neck is moisturizing and feels lovely."



Breakouts are dealt with unceremoniously: "Good skin is the basis of every look, and a pimple's not going to get better by putting makeup over it," says McGrath. "If a model turns up with spots, off she goes to the dermatologist." Ouch.

Labels: magazines, models, skin