Beautystacked: Paloma Elsesser
*This article was originally published in Beautystack Magazine Issue 1*
Paloma Elsesser has the glow of all glows. The kind that emanates from her entire being with a warmth and magnetic radiance that just makes you want to be her friend, and know all of her beauty secrets.
After being discovered by icon Pat McGrath on Instagram, the natural beauty has taken over the world, modelling for Fenty Beauty, Glossier and Nike, and appearing on the cover of British Vogue and Vogue Arabia.
We caught up with our fave NYC darling to get the 411 on her beauty routine, New York beauty culture and the importance of self-care.
ON HER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY
Growing up, I always felt a lot more visual condemnation from the fashion industry, because it was just so literal. It was like ‘oo here are some clothes that I love, but I can’t see what they would look like on me’. Whereas with beauty, I got into it on an experimental level. I think a lot of people have these early childhood experiences of playing with makeup, and at that time, you’re not thinking of it as a cover-up or as a corrective tool, it’s about playing, experimenting and having fun. I always liked that it was expressive - I have great memories of playing in my mum and sister’s makeup bags and just creating something weird.
As I’ve gotten older and I started accessing what it means to be in the beauty industry and who’s running it, it started to become very clear to me that there was an inherent problem in the business. That it is majority owned and operated by older white men and that it’s not very inclusive. In reality, lipstick doesn’t need a size or a gender, beauty should be a space for everyone to express themselves freely.
ON HER BEAUTY STYLE
I would say my beauty style is more intense than the average person, but I also find it quite normal - I get my nails done, I get waxes, I get facials. A lot of that consistency is inspired by my work, but I do also find that it makes me feel much more comfortable naturally. When my eyebrows are done, I feel much less inclined to do my eye makeup.
In New York, we have a very specific beauty culture. It’s very much like, ‘I get $300 facials but I don’t wear makeup’, or the makeup style is incredibly minimal. In the UK, I feel like a lot of women put their face on in the morning - there’s a big thing around makeup and people wear it every day. I think my style is a happy medium - I don’t like to be too precious or look like I’m wearing makeup. I always reference Sade’s beauty style, it was always a strong brow and a lip and always gorgeous, not too much on the skin.
The beauty treatments I get are things that make me feel great. They are all part of my personal self-care, it’s not for anyone else.
ON BEAUTY TREATMENTS AS SELF CARE
I feel like we're in a time where we’re all existing between immense self-centredness, and yet not taking enough time for ourselves. We're all working so hard, but is working 12 hours towards my goal actually taking care of myself every day? For me, it's about reclaiming what self care means.
Whether I'm going to a shoot, going to an event, doing a panel or even sitting and writing for three hours, it can be exhausting. I think you have to reclaim your time and give it to yourself. For me, it’s really important to give myself that time where I’m just doing something really nice for me, and beauty treatments give me that.