Things you should never say to a supermodel

Tamara Moss

 What's your pre-Fashion Week fitness routine?

Get sick or injured and not be able to make it for Fashion Week at all. [laughs] If that doesn't pan out, begin chanting mantras and make full use of the hotel spa and (fingers crossed) non-chlorinated swimming pool.

What are the beauty tricks that you have learnt on the job?

Use vegetable and fruit juice leftovers as face cream i.e. cucumber milk, papaya peel, banana peel; just rub, leave, forget then eventually rinse off with plain water. Do a head rinse with warm water and half a handful of baking soda to get scalp ph-levels back to normal. Same goes for any skin irritation. Always oil the scalp two days before show/shoot to alleviate hyper-sensitivity due to hair-pulling. Never use artificially scented hair oil. Never wear makeup off the job.

Kajal doesn't count as it is medicinal to the eyes as long as it is homemade or from an Ayurvedic brand. Never use soap on the face. Remove makeup with locally bought almond or coconut oil. Branded varieties are all either mixed, perfumed or both. The suckers.

As a model, what are some of the things you're tired of hearing?

"Thought you'd be the wham bam thank you ma'am type" Deep psychological issues radar sounds off. The best response that I have figured in queries about my profession is: "Ah yes, figures" or "That's obvious" --This kind of retort makes it painfully clear that there is some kind of worldwide cultish embargo on fashionable beauty i.e. being tall and thin, or that I am being objectified like a car by the 'sum of my parts'. Charming.

Fancy as it looks from the outside, being a model involves a lot more effort than pouting for the lens. We caught up with India’s best to see if we could get our hands on those precious fitness regimens and make-up hacks. Read up and thank us later.

Ujjwala Raut:  

ELLE: What’s your pre-Fashion Week fitness routine?

Ujjwala Raut: I’ve been walking all my life – on the ramp, to meetings, to my daughter’s school. I’m always on my feet, and occasionally go to the gym, though I’m not crazy about it. I’m a big fan of power naps, raw vegetable juices, and eat homemade food as much as possible. My mother inculcated a love for home cooked meals while I was growing up, and it’s something I want to pass on to my daughter.

ELLE: What’s the make-up trick you learnt on the job?

UR: I learnt how to wear less make-up, and keep it simple enough for everyone to replicate. And I always apply make-up with my fingers, and use sticky make-up. It doesn’t dry out and looks more natural.

ELLE: As a model, what are some of the things you're tired of hearing?

UR: Actually, the thing I hear most often is something I never get tired of. People always say that they can’t believe I have a young daughter, and it feels awesome. 

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Lakshmi Menon

What’s your pre-Fashion Week fitness routine?

I follow my regular ritual, so there’s nothing special. I love running no matter which part of the world I’m in, and I’m always carrying my swimsuit around. Besides those, I work out once a week with a trainer.

What’s the one make-up trick you learnt on the job?

The secret to a dark, smoky eye. Take a matchstick and burn the tip of a kajal pencil, and apply the kajal soon after for an intense finish.

As a model, what are some of the things you're tired of hearing?

I’m often asked who my favourite designer is, and I always tell them that it’s not about the designer, it’s about the collection.