Models’ not-so-secret beauty tricks

You see models clothed in couture masterpieces that designers put so much work into, adorned with the most expensive jewelry, swarmed by hair and makeup artists, surrounded by the brightest lights, strutting down the long ramp in mile-high stilettos, with more than a dozen photographers waiting to immortalize that runway moment.

It may seem like the most glamorous job in the world. But most of the time, it isn’t. Being on the runway or in a photo shoot is not about real life.

A model goes home with broken lashes, overplucked eyebrows, desert-dry and overteased hair, tired and blotchy skin, blisters on her toes and heels, dead toenails, and sometimes thin, sharp cuts from the pins and needles some designers forget to take out of their clothes.

Now, that’s when fantasy ends and real life begins.

But here’s the bigger reality – these beauty blunders don’t just happen to models. They happen to all of us women.

So are there any real solutions? Maybe there is. And it all started with a magic wand.

"I had a model agency which I started when I was 21, for 10 years," shares Shelley Barrett. "After listening to what models wished they had in their beauty bags and hearing terrible stories about girls having their eyelashes ripped out by old-fashioned eyelash curlers, we created the first-ever heated eyelash curler of the time – the ModelCo Lash Wand. My favorite colour is hot pink and I remember sitting in my agency one day, and I turned to my husband Damien and said, ‘You know, we’re going to paint the world pink.’"

And indeed she did. In just a few months, ModelCo’s Lash Wand Heated Eyelash Curler had sold out worldwide. It was featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Allure, Marie Claire, InStyle, Nylon and Wallpaper. Prestigious fashion emporiums such as Sephora, Henri Bendel, Printemps and Colette in Paris, Bliss Spa in New York, and Space NK in the UK were clamoring for stock for their stores.

"After the success of Lash Wand, we set out to create innovative beauty tools," explains Barrett, founder and chief executive officer of Australian beauty company ModelCo. "At the time, there was a niche in the marketplace for quick-fix beauty tricks the luxury brands weren’t providing. Women want quality products that don’t take up a lot of their time. We don’t need six-step beauty regimens."

And so ModelCo launched its second product soon after – Tan Airbrush in a Can. "This puts an end to stained hands and uneven coverage," says Barrett. "Non-greasy, it smells great and is so easy to use." Of course, it got even greater worldwide recognition and sales with Kylie Minogue, Jade Jagger, and Sienna Miller among its celebrity fans alongside ordinary folk who want a streak-free, fuss-free bronzed glow.

"Our customers are women on the go who are extremely savvy about their products and know exactly what they want. Some of our best ideas have come straight from our loyal customers," shares Barrett.

When ModelCo received repeated pleas for an eyebrow thickener from women whose brows had thinned through age and overplucking, Barrett’s development team came up with More Brows, a cleverly conceived clear gel with tiny microfilaments (I swear, they look like real, natural hair) which when applied fill out the brow. This wonder product is used even by cancer patients and burn victims. Here’s another eyebrow-raising surprise – it stays on even under the rain, until removed with a cleanser.

Knowing what you want before you even want it, ModelCo has created a cult following among the fashion and beauty-savvy and celebrities alike. It served as the survival kit of the Australian Fashion Fashion Week and goody bag for the VIPs. It was responsible for the tanned and glowing bodies at the Victoria’s Secret show. Jessica Simpson and Lindsay Lohan love the Tan Airbrush in a Can. Kate Moss and Nicole Richie pucker up with the Wonderfull Lip Plumper. Nicole Kidman shimmers day and night with the first-ever ModelCo Airbrush Illuminiser, her favorite shimmer. Kylie Minogue, Elle Macpherson and Sophie Dahl can’t live without their Lash Wand. While Hilary Swank, Uma Thurman, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Rene Zellweger, and Kate Beckinsale have all been tickled pink as well.

My personal favorite is ModelCo’s Cool Feet Airbrush Catwalk Heels. From the catwalk to the dance floor, this cooling spray instantly revives my sore, tired feet. I love the way the cooling properties of the menthol relieve foot aches and pains. Even for traveling, it’s a blast of instant relief when I need it the most.

Other must-try products? Luminosity Shimmer Whip, a light reflecting skin enhancer, "the secret beauty product that gives hardworking models that constant healthy glow." Cheeky Tints Cheek and Lip Tint, a no-mess cheeky flushed complexion and sexy stained pout in the stroke of a brush. Eyebrowz Designer Brow Kit, with four brow stencils, duo wax and powder, angled head brushes, a grooming wand, and precision slant tweezers, it contains all you need to create the ultimate arch!

In the Philippines, ModelCo is available at selected Beauty Bars. No doubt, the innovative products of ModelCo are inspired by models. But these are perfect for any woman on the go. So I asked six of Manila’s top professional models to road test ModelCo’s products to see how they work on and off the ramp. After all, who else can best test these products against our daily beauty blunders than them? And ModelCo says it all very well: Tested on models, not on animals.

Valerie De Los Santos

One ModelCo. product I was really happy to discover was the Face Base Skin Primer. I absolutely loved how it felt on my skin. First time I applied it on my face I couldn’t stop rubbing because I thought my skin wasn’t absorbing it.  Only to find out that that was just how soft it makes your skin feel!  I even let my other model friends try it and they were just as amazed as I was. I now regularly use it before I have my makeup done for fashion shows and shoots.  My makeup stays on forever (okay, I’m exaggerating) and it prevents cracks and lines from appearing, especially in the undereye area (which usually happens when you’re wearing makeup for a long time or if your skin is not moisturized enough). Not only that, it also doubles as a moisturizer!  So even when I’m not working, I still get to use it. Yup, I admit, I’m getting kinda addicted to it already.

Bubbles Paraiso

We think Angelina Jolie is so hot because of those pouty lips, right?

Well, I’ve got thin lips and a pout would require effort on my part.

But when I tried the ModelCo Wonderfull Lip Plumper, the tingly sensation it brought to my lips made my lips naturally pout. That sweet yet spicy taste made my lips do so. I used this under my lipstick during a shoot and it helped boost my pout while I was emoting before the camera. I tried using it on a night out with friends, and my friends couldn’t help but notice that I was pouting as if I was "projecting" all night. I love, love, love lip plumper! It’s one of my new best friends on and off the ramp.

Nicolette Bell

As a fashion model, every time I have a swimwear/ lingerie shoot or fashion show, I always look for ways to get a natural- looking tan without lying under the sun or tanning beds. These are very harmful to the skin and always leave me sunburned. What I usually do is to apply self-tanning lotion. But the color can be so uneven that it gives me streaks and stains in my body, especially my hands. It is so sticky that when I sweat, you can see the tanning lotion dripping. This was a perennial problem to me until I discovered ModelCo Tan Airbrush in a Can. I just love its natural color and the cocoa butter smell. It doesn’t leave me sticky or looking orange. It’s an airbrush so it gives me an even color from head to toe. It’s so convenient to use. I can use it anytime and anywhere I want.

Isabel Roces

In my line of work, I have to take care of my skin. Layers of makeup are placed on my face every day. You can imagine all that piling over your pores at the end of the day. Our skin, however, needs to breathe and sometimes, deep-seated makeup can clog our pores. I love the Heat Caps designed by ModelCo.  The heat treatment opens up the pores while the exfoliating formula takes care of the dirty work. It cleans the pores and allows them to breathe, removing even the most stubborn of impurities. The best part is it’s a mask that only needs to stay on your face for a minute. The capsules are self- heating and save valuable time when you’re in a rush. After that, I feel rejuvenated, fresh and clean. I feel my skin glowing and that gives me the confidence after a hectic day, even without makeup.

Marilen Faustino

The Perfection Lip Wax Kit of ModelCo is a great investment.  It works as a primer, smoothening the lines and dry skin of your lips, thus making lipstick or lipgloss stay on longer.  I tried this product once I got home, applying it to the bottom part of my lips only.  I then applied lip gloss on top of it.  I put the lip gloss directly onto my upper lip because I really wanted a comparison.  I was convinced! The Lip Wax made my lower lips look so much smoother with hardly any lines.  The gloss came off less, too, than the one on my upper lip when I blotted it with tissue.  The kit comes with a brush and a nude lip liner pencil, too.

Bianca Valerio

Honestly, it’s difficult to choose my fave product since I love the Primer, Airbrush Shimmer, and Lip Plumper. But if there’s one product I really am hot about, it would have to be the Lash Wand. First of all, like a blow dryer for the lashes, the heat regulated to body temperature curls my lashes effectively. Second, it doesn’t take up space in my kikay kit since it’s made to resemble a pen. So I can take it with me anywhere to retouch my lashes anytime I wish to do so – even in a moving vehicle! Also, unlike typical lash curlers, we don’t have to worry about accidentally pinching our eye lids since the ModelCo Lash Wand is designed to be a heated lash comb. It takes a steady hand and precise technique to curl a person’s lashes. But with a fool-proof curler such as this, we don’t have to be scared about having our lashes curled.