Fall can be a hard season to work with in the beauty department. One may never know what to wear when it’s winter in the morning and summer in the afternoon. On top of that, seasonal allergies are terrible and a person’s already dry desert skin just gets drier. Autumn beauty is a universal struggle. The Chrony has tracked down a few professional models who just happen to be in school and asked them how they uphold their beauty standards against the toughest of seasons. Surprisingly, both of these models absolutely love fall.
Ellie Cook is a journalism and communications major here at the University of Utah. She has been modeling for NIYA Model Management for almost two years, but has been in the limelight acting since she was six years old. Bailey Mueller is a McCarthy Model of two years and is majoring in strategic communications with a minor in design.
“There is nothing more magical than watching nature do a full one-eighty within a few weeks,” Mueller said. She struggles with perpetually dry skin, just like the rest of us, but it’s especially bad in the fall. Luckily, Mueller has a flawless skin care routine to help her out and a secret weapon.
“I love Rosehip Oil because it’s non-comedogenic and has naturally occurring Vitamin A,” Mueller said. Translation: It won’t block your pores, and Vitamin A encourages skin regeneration, keeping your face tight and beautiful. Mueller is fastidious in her routine, washing her face twice every night. This way she can use two lightweight cleansers to get the day’s pollutants off without using anything harsh which might dry out her skin. Then she finishes off with a moisturizer, and she never forgets her sunscreen.
Cook loves fall for the “In-between fashion we get to have. In the fall I can mix [summer and winter pieces] together to create a fun trendy type of look and I can experiment.” Her skincare routine is simplicity itself — all she needs is a little moisturizer and she is good to go. She still deep scrubs her skin twice a week and does a weekly charcoal mask to minimize her pores, however. There are a variety of charcoal masks that can wash off instead of the terrifying peel-off masks one might see on Instagram. Cook said, “I definitely lose that summer glow” in the fall, but she makes up for the loss with a little extra eyeshadow and some fun new looks.
One upside to autumn is that one no longer has to worry about makeup literally melting off.
“I like to let my skin breathe as many days a week as I can,” Mueller said. When she does wear makeup, she combats melting by keeping it simple. A little blush, (“think borderline sunburnt,” Mueller said) brows and a rosy lip are all she needs.
Cook wears a little more makeup generally, but it depends on where she is going or more importantly who she is with. “I don’t want to look like I just woke up when there’s a hottie around,” Cook said. Brows are essential to her, too, and along with some contour and highlight, she completes her easy, effortless look.
I asked about the go-to product our local models always have on them. The answer for both was chapstick. At first I was surprised, but then I thought about my own chapstick obsession and it all made sense. “You never know when your lips could use a little flavor or moisture,” Cook said. Sipping on delicious autumn lattes can definitely dry them out. As for Mueller, she “always [has] about fifty lip balms and nude gloss[es].” Her current favorite is BITE Beauty’s lip gloss in salted caramel.
Next, we talked about fashion. What is the perfect fall piece to round out any on-trend look? For Cook, it’s a cardigan. “Especially since you can use so many looks for them. Plus, they go with anything,” Cook said. When she wants to nail that sexy yet comfy look, she turns to oversized flannels or hoodies. “It’s a look that makes me feel sexy and can be either dressed up or dressed down,” Cook said.
Mueller is in on the sweater craze too.
“My favorite fall piece is a good slouchy sweater,” Mueller said. However, if you are looking for her on campus, you might want to keep your eye peeled for a Versace leather jacket that she recently thrifted and can’t seem to take off. Sounds like a staple to me.
Finally, I got down to the real questions. What does beauty mean to these models and what advice would they give to up-and-coming models and beauty lovers everywhere?
“I think [beauty is] more about feeling good. Feel free to tell yourself ‘damn girl, you are looking like a snack today,’” Cook said. For Mueller, self-care is incredibly important. Her favorite de-stressor is a LUSH bath bomb and a face mask. “Learn to express your creativity in a way that you enjoy and don’t take s*** from anyone,” Mueller said.
So that’s the secret. Love thyself and nourish thy skin. The rest will fall into place this fall, as long as you are true to you.