Alek Wek Has A Different Signature Scent For Each Decade Of Her Life

At only 40 years old, model Alek Wek has certainly defied the act of aging. As one of the most iconic faces in fashion having been in the industry for over 25 years, the British-Sudanese model shows no sign of slowing down and can can still be spotted on the runways at Balenciaga and, just last week, Erdem x H&M. And in keeping with her youthful glow, Wek breaks down her beauty and skincare essentials sharing her love for facial and hair oils to her favorite beauty products. Here, Wek reveals her best nutritional practices, her love for swimming and dancing, her best kept beauty secrets and more.

Medicine cabinet snapshot:

Palermo Hydrating Body Oil, Johnson’s Baby Oil Gel, shea cocoa butter, almond oil, Neutrogena oil, and Lancôme face cleanser.

Good skin starts with:

Nivea oil lotion, La Mer lotion, Vaseline.

Best advice from your dermatologist:

Dove soaps and non-perfume body lotions.

Best advice from your facialists:

I wash my face before bed, do not sleep with makeup, cleanse, and moisture.

SPF of choice:

Anything from L’Oréal or Estée Lauder.

Makeup miracle:

Lancôme Juicy Tubes ($19, ulta.com) always glam a woman up and smell amazing, Chanel Rouge Lip Gloss in dark red, Pat McGrath blus, Kat Von D Black Liquid Liner, Diorshow Mascara, and Giorgio Armani, Diorskin Nude, and Bobbi Brown foundations. Make Up For Ever HD Foundation is also light and has great range of brown skin colors!

Most underrated product:

Rosebud Salve Lip Balm ($6, sephora.com).

Never leave the house without:

Hermès Voyage, lipstick, blush, powder, and mascara.

A good hair day starts with:

Oribe hair oil and Aveda Brilliant. I love the smell and feel, coconut oil, almond oil.

Beauty from the inside out:

A banana or two a day, two eggs with salmon spinach, orange juice, fresh ginger tea with honey, sea bass, baked chicken with vegetables, and okra stew with rice.

Exercise obsession:

Yoga at least five times a week, Ishita Studio, run with my dog in the morning and evening, swimming, and dancing.

Drink of choice:

Carrot, ginger, apple, beets and banana milkshake.

In-tub must-read:

W magazine, any Maya Angelou book, and poems.

A woman should smell like:

From ages 14-17 it was YSL Paris, Hermès Voyage and Chanel Coco; in my twenties it was Prada Les Infusions Iris Eau de Parfum; and from age thirty to now, it’s Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue.

Best advice from Mom:

Don’t wash your face with soap, clean, and eat healthy.

Best-kept beauty secret:

I love drinking warm milk with honey in the evening.

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