If there’s one person we trust to give us beauty advice, it’s legendary supermodel (and newly minted author) Claudia Schiffer. With over 30 years in the fashion industry, she’s amassed quite a repertoire of tips and tricks for keeping her skin healthy after photo shoots, runway shows, and long-haul flights around the world. We can also attest that, after sitting down with Schiffer in New York, her infamous blonde hair is just as arresting in person as it is in photographs. Better yet, the color is out of a box.
“I use light blonde in 10.1 by Schwarzkopf,” she explains as we chat in her sunny hotel room. “[It’s] a range I’ve done with them.” Even from several feet away, her trademark highlights seem to sparkle. “When I’m at home, I try not to use any blow-dryers and just dry naturally. Or when I’m on holiday, I put a lot of balm and oils in it—anything that’s hydrating—and just put it in a bun.” Yes, even supermodels will occasionally hydrate their hair on the go!
Check out the rest of Claudia’s travel-friendly beauty routine, how she keeps herself healthy and energized, and her ingenious hack for avoiding sugar in her coffee without sacrificing sweetness.
How do you keep yourself healthy with such a hectic schedule?
“When I work, I try to squeeze everything into one or two days and then go home again so I have a balance between being in the real world, sort of, and then enjoying the highlights of working. In order to keep [my] energy up, I try to not eat much sugar. I do some pilates and some barre workouts whenever I can. The aim is to basically [stay] healthy at all times, and by doing so, your energy goes up, and that helps.”
Do you drink coffee or tea?
“I love coffee. I have it with almond milk. I used to always have loads of tea with maximum amount of sugar in it, and when I decided I want to cut the refined sugar to a minimum, I realized I can’t have tea without sugar. So I was like, ‘I must try coffee.’ In the morning I put espresso shots into a NutriBullet with almond milk and dates because dates are very sweet, [but] they don’t have any refined sugar in it. Then you actually don’t need any sugar, and with coffee it’s amazing. Unless of course you can have it without sugar, which I can’t.”
What’s your in-flight skin-care routine?
“I [always] have a lip balm with me. My lips get very dry, and I try to drink lots of water and herbal teas, like chamomile. I try to sleep if I can. I take one of my favorite chocolates with me, actually. A little snack [laughs]. [They] do have sugar in them, but they don’t have any dairy.”
What are five things you always travel with?
“I travel with [the] Luxurious Volume Mascara for my range. [It’s] very thick, and [I use it] with an eyelash curler. So when I arrive, I put that on, because you don’t really need much more makeup besides a lip balm. And then an illuminator, which just gives you a little bit of a highlight, so you look fresh and awake off the plane. Otherwise I have the book I’m reading at the moment, or my iPad and headphones. A cashmere blanket from Johnstons of Elgin. And my favorite coffee.”
What hair styling products do you love?
“I always use hair brushes that are quite soft. There’s not a particular brand, but I like them to be wooden. Nothing that’s plastic or hard. Brush your hair from the bottom up, not from the top down so you don’t damage it too much. Don’t sleep with an elastic band. I like the ones that don’t have any of the clasps in between them. I think they rip less hair out when you take them out.”
How do you style your hair if it’s a Sunday morning and you’re running out for errands?
“It’s always just a ponytail—a really high ponytail—and then all of these little hairs everywhere, so it looks like you slept in it. I love that look. [laughs]. It’s not perfect.”
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