In The Bag: Karlie Kloss, model

When it comes to beauty products that actually work and the lesser-known secrets of the ‘lotion and potion’ industry, not many can boast the insider knowledge of a model, especially one whose face has been featured in countless magazine covers and inspired the aesthetic gaze of the world’s most renowned masters of photography and fashion design.

Here’s the routine which Karlie Kloss – the Missouri-raised, classical ballet-trained supermodel – calls her own.

SKIN

“I always pick up a bunch of stuff at City-Pharma, a big discount pharmacy in the Saint Germain area of Paris. I was there one time after a show and so was, like, every makeup artist I’ve ever known! I was like, ‘Hey, so, since you’re here…what should I get?’ [laughs]. Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir is amazing. And Embryolisse is where it’s at. Labello for lips, is my favorite—so creamy, and Christian Dior’s balm; it smells like roses. I also like Rosewater mist. The Arbonne line is great too; my mother agent Mary [Clarke] got me hooked on it. I use the Nurturing Day Lotion that smells like kiwi, and the Hydrating Cleanser + Freshener, just really good, simple, fresh and light. And Julien d’Ys told me about Pond’s—good old Pond’s Cold Cream; he said it’s the best to get makeup off and he’s right. After a show when I have tons of thick mascara and piled on stuff, I just slap on a big dollop of this—it’s a démaquillant and cream all in one. All the girls in the old days—all the supermodels—this is what they carried around. It’s the old-school cheap trick.”

HAIR

“My hair was really temperamental for a while, after being dyed dark and light and red, so I started using Oribe’s products and they’re great—I love the Shampoo For Beautiful Color. And Nexxus Humectress conditioner from the drugstore is really good. Also, Jessica Stam told me about Viviscal supplements. I bought a 3-month supply—you take one in the morning and one at night, and literally the difference in my hair is like night and day. It has some sort of marine complex—some kind of fish oil—whatever it is, it’s amazing.”

MAKEUP

“For makeup I love Lancôme’s Définicils mascara. I also can’t live without Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage—I actually use it to do a nude lip; my lips are really dark so I like to take the color down a little bit.  It’s truly the best concealer. And the Madina stick is really good—you can only get it in Italy. Literally, Pat McGrath, the way she gets the dewy, glowy skin—the secret, I swear, is in this stick. You just apply as a highlighter on the nose, cheeks, under the eyebrows, and on the Cupid’s Bow on the upper lip—it’s magic. If you ever hear Pat saying backstage, ‘Use the Shiny Stick on the Bow!’ this is what she means. That’s the command.”

FRAGRANCE

“I always wear Lola by Marc Jacobs; I’ve dropped it a million times but it still smells great and that’s all that matters.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

“But I like to stay pretty simple. On a normal day I’ll do my Embryolisse and I’ll do some lip balm and use some mascara and maybe a little blush. And, I have to say, I just got new toothpaste—Crest 3-D White Advanced Vivid—and I swear, it works like magic. I’ve used it for a week and my teeth are blindingly white. And it’s, like, $5. Also I’m doing Invisalign—I just pop them in; I only wear them at night because I can’t talk when they’re in and it’s embarrassing. But I think they’re way better than braces. That’s pretty much the only beauty ‘service’ I get; going to my orthodontist in St. Louis. [laughs]”