Helena Christensen is a supermodel with a lengthy list of other accomplishments. She’s the co-founder and former creative director of Nylon, the face of countless high-profile beauty and fashion campaigns, and one of the original Victoria’s Secret Angels. At 55, her career continues to thrive. She’s an ambassador for the Scandinavian scalp care brand Hårklinikken, a muse for Victoria Beckham Beauty, and a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. It’s no wonder her beauty regimen continues to captivate fans. In a recent interview with The Zoe Report, she shared her top makeup hacks and skincare rituals. Below, we’ve compiled the best insights from her routine.
Helena Christensen’s Red Lipstick Hack
“My number one must-have throughout my life is always a beautiful red lip, because you can use that [everywhere]. You can dab a little bit on your fingertip and use as a blush, you can put a little bit over your on your eyelid — just a really thin layer making it a sheen of red—and then add a Vaseline or any sort of gloss or balm on top. It’s such an easy way to elevate your look subtly. And then, of course, it’s so great on everybody on the lips, but it’s not everyone who can, for lack of a better word, dare wear it. They’re like, ‘You can wear it, but I could never.’ And I’m like, ‘What? Why don’t you think so? Just try it.”
One of her favorite red lipsticks…
Lisa Eldridge Velvet Ribbon True Velvet Lip Color
Helena Christensen’s Unconventional Skincare Rituals
“If I’m upstate, I will go down to the river and scrub my whole body with either a sugar or salt scrub, then get into the cold river water. I’ll grab a big handful of mud from the river, put it all over my body. I’ll sit in the sun and feel it or the wind, listen to the birds—that’s my kind of meditation. Once the mud is dry, I’ll get back in the water, rinse it off, and then put coconut oil all over my body. That’s more or less the only thing I use, you know, when I’m in nature. I don’t really bother so much about a ton of products [out there].”
“In the evening, if it’s winter time, I love taking a bath with a face mask on—but not a full bath, just really low water. Sit in it with your feet, your hands, and you’ll feel like you’re in the 19th century. My skin really loves anything that it can absorb. I think all the years of flying so much [gave me] dry skin. So in the evening, if I have time and I’m at home, I’ll do a mask, but then also face wash, mist, serum, oils, some kind of good hydrating night cream, eye cream—more or less normal stuff that you would use for bedtime. And sometimes I sleep with a night mask which is not good for your pillow, but it’s good for your skin.”
Helena Christensen’s Nature-Inspired Haircare Rituals
“[I like] very, very natural products, such as clay, mud, coconut oil. I use them so much that I just get a jar, go to the river, and take a handful of the mud up, and I will incorporate that into my daily routine. I buy honey make my own little sort of concoctions. I used to put a mix of vodka and lemon juice in my head—it worked very well, actually, because the sun really catches on to it and gives you a little bit of a highlight over the summer, even when you have dark hair like me. A then you just make a cocktail out of the rest of it.”
