Victoria’s Secret Model Blanca Padilla Believes In Drinking Homemade Nut Milk and Eating Fermented Foods

Ever since Spanish model Blanca Padilla was first discovered on the metro in her hometown of Madrid three years ago, her career has been on the rise. She has walked for the likes of Chanel, Armani and Dior, and become the face of brands including Dolce & Gabbana and Givenchy. In December, the 23-year-old model even made her debut at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, and now she’s ready for fashion month. Here, Padilla explains the makeup, skincare, and fitness tips that keep her runway ready at all times.

I always start my morning with:

A quick stretch, and my phone in airplane mode.

Most underrated beauty essential:

Ginger and fermented foods. They help your skin, your immune system, and your gut! And natural products such as apple cider vinegar. For years I’ve been using and trying expensive chemical products, and while some may work and there are an endless amount them in the market, I like to incorporate some natural ones too.

Three things that are always in your purse:

Burt’s Bees lip balm, headphones, and hand cream (my hands get extremely dry in the cold).

Best beauty tip from the pros:

I’ve learned that you cannot apply foundation if the skin isn’t ready and properly moisturized, because the result won’t be the same.

Good skin starts with:

Cleansing. There’s so much dirt in the air and we expose our skin to that during the whole day, so it’s so important to not only take care of it, but to keep it clean.

Magical skincare trick:

Natural oils for the face. And a good virgin coconut oil for my body. I adore the smell, it always makes me feel so fresh after the shower.

Beauty from the inside out:

I always keep my water consumption in mind, especially on airplanes. It’s so easy to forget to drink while you’re shooting or in the middle of a busy day in the city. I make sure I’m hydrated. A good trick that always makes my body feel amazing is coconut water. I’m obsessed with coconut in all its forms. I was the happiest person when I was in Thailand this Christmas – I had pure natural coconut water and meat at least once a day!

Desert island beauty product:

A good oil that could work for both face and body. They not only reduce your wrinkles, sun damage and prevent further aging with their antioxidants but also protect your skin again pollutants, and they really penetrate into the skin if applied correctly, while many other creams don’t. I believe oils are an amazing trick, but you have to find the right one for you. So many people think they make your skin more oily, but it did the opposite for me.

Drink of choice:

Homemade mocha latte. I make my own milk out of cashews and it’s so easy, you just need a blender and a cheesecloth, a cup of nuts and water. Also the possibilities are endless: once you’ve chosen either cashews or almonds, you can add vanilla extract or cacao powder for flavor to make chocolate milk! Once I have my milk ready I store it in my fridge and I prepare big morning coffees. I add a spoon of fair trade organic coffee, a tablespoon of collagen and cocoa powder for the chocolate flavor.

A good hair day starts with:

I should do it more often, but air drying my hair instead of constantly using a blow dryer. Every time I do it, I add oil to the ends and allow my hair to recover so it can get back to its natural texture. I get a wild wavy feeling that I love, and after you can finalize it by adding some texturizing spray. I’m not a big fan of hairspray.

Go to workout routine:

A good stretch. It doesn’t matter where in the world I am, it always helps me to feel better. As for technique, it would have to be my trainer Stephen Pasterino and the method he developed, ‘Pvolve.’

A woman should smell like:

Dior no doubt – the scent I use is called Hypnotic Poison.

3 items to never leave the house without:

Keys, lip balm, and my phone.

People say my doppelgänger is:

Penelope Cruz and Keira Knightley.

Makeup for a night out:

A strong cat eye with nude lips, or a very clean eyeliner. I usually prefer eyes over lips, it’s more comfortable for me.

Night time routine:

I simply clean my skin with a toner, apply hyaluronic acid and a face oil.

The item of clothing I’m lusting for right now:

I’m obsessed with JW Anderson bags and sneakers!

Book on my bedside table:

Raise Your Vibration, by Kyle Gray. It was a present from a good friend