Manis With Marie Claire: Getting a Manicure with Supermodel Jessica Gomes
The supermodel—and newly minted blogger!—divulges details about her low-key primping process. FYI, there's a lot you don't know about Miss Maybach Music...
I grew up in western Australia, 45 minutes outside of Perth right by the sea. It was such a relaxed environment, and as a result—as cliché as this may sound—I've always felt like less is more for me, in every aspect of my lifestyle.
A simple girl at heart, I like to be comfortable—my daily uniform consists of a white tee, jeans, heels and a leather jacket or a tailored blazer. I also love spending time outdoors, and I try to stick to an organic paleolithic diet. I enjoy cold-pressed green juices in the morning and I rely on Pilates reformer classes to stay toned and in shape. My beauty philosophy is the same; keep it simple and not too complicated.
Take my go-to makeup look for example. In my off time, it's just lip-gloss and mascara (both of which I hoard—I have to learn to let go!), but when it comes to attending official events, it's either eyes or lips—never both. I'm almost always all about glowy skin, a nude lip, and an open, smoky eye with lots of lashes. (I'll usually ask my makeup artist for the "J. Lo" and she knows exactly what that means.)
Occasionally I'll go for a red lip and virtually no eye makeup whenever I'm attending an event in Asia. I do that because I feel like that allows me to proudly show off the Asian half of my heritage—my mom is Chinese (and my dad is Portuguese).
As for my skin, well I get that from my mom as well. Her beauty regimen has always been very simple: 1) Hydrate every single inch of your body immediately after bathing, and 2) Wash your face before you go to bed, and again as soon as you wake up. To this day, I faithfully cleanse every morning and night whenever I'm working (i.e. wearing a ton of makeup). I use SK-II Facial Treatment Cleanser and SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. The former leaves my face feeling squeaky clean, while the latter soaks into my skin really nicely so it always feels really soft and hydrated. With moisturizing, my skin type falls on the drier side, so I'll use something light with SPF during the day, and at night I slather on a nourishing cream from Amore Pacific.
When I'm at home and off-duty (or paddle boarding on a beach in Byron Bay for the holidays), sometimes I skip the whole cleansing-and-moisturizing step altogether and just mist my face with a hydrating mineral water as soon as I wake up. I like to switch it up a bit since I'm usually hanging by the beach and not wearing makeup. I tend to use brands like Embryolisse, Bioderma, Nuxe and Avene, which I always purchase at French pharmacies in Paris. There's something extra special about shopping for beauty products in the Marais district or St. Germain; maybe it's the beautiful packaging or the boutique atmosphere, either way, the entire experience just feels decadent and luxurious.
I usually stock up on everything else from duty-free shops at airports around the globe. I fly a lot so I'm already there, plus the sales associates are always so knowledgeable and helpful, and testing beauty products is a fun way to pass the time while waiting for my flight. At this point, shopping for skincare at the airport has become a ritual for me; it's definitely not something I can ever do online.
Since I'm away from home a lot, I always find ways to pamper myself. I love burning a Diptyque Paris Roses candle on the side of the tub and soaking in a lavender mineral salt bath at the end of a long day. Not only is it a soothing way to send yourself off to sleep, evening salt baths also help your body replenish the vitamins and minerals lost throughout the day.
I also frequent Korean spas for acupuncture massages, body scrubs, hanging in the steam room, and oxygen facials, which I get at least once a month—maintenance is important for your skin when you're always on the go. And whenever I'm in the air, I'll apply a SK-II Facial Treatment Mask because they're so hydrating and refreshing; cabin air is incredibly dry.
With my hair, how it's styled really depends on the season. In the winter I maintain my cut, keep it well conditioned, and I'll wear it really dark and really straight. But in the summer I like my hair to look blonde and sun-kissed and styled really messy and beachy. For that look I'll just apply a little Moroccanoil before using Kevin Murphy Hair Resort Spray. He's an Australian stylist, and his beach spray works really well and it smells just like the ocean, which is nice since I'm a beach girl at heart.
Then, there are my nails. I got into the whole nail art phenomenon when I lived in Korea, where I shot a reality show and a season on their version of Dancing With the Stars. Every week my nail artist would create a super fun look that went with the theme of the dance I was set to perform. These days I tend to keep it clean; with my line of work it's always safe to show up with something nice and neutral on your nails. Right now, OPI in Samoan Sand is my go-to nude.
It's ironic; if I weren't modeling, I probably would have stayed in Perth to open a beauty salon and spa, having learned how to do waxes, nails, and facials during an apprentice program through my high school. For now, I'll continue on the path that I'm on; traveling, modeling, playing the didgeridoo(!) and getting into film at some point in the near future. And of course, writing my amazing new fashion and style blog, Jess Off Duty.
Story as told to India-Jewel Jackson. Photo credits: Elizabeth Griffin. Shot on location at Paintbox (17 Crosby Street, New York, NY 10013; 212.219.2412; paint-box.com).
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