A model's beauty secrets: Bette Franke tells it all

I met up with the lovely Dutch model Bette Franke a couple of weeks ago around tea and raspberry choux à la crème at the See by Chloé perfume launch to talk beauty and makeup. When not strutting the catwalks or fronting Stella McCartney campaigns, Bette is a laid back, fresh-faced girl who wouldn't look a bit out of place in the chicest spots of the Hamptons. Beauty treatment junkie as I am, I just had to get the lowdown on her beauty routine.

What's the best beauty advice you've ever been given?

After years of wearing dramatic make-up at work (and sometimes being made up several times a day), I can positively say the best advice I've been given is... to keep it natural! Make-up artists have often advised me against pancaking my face with foundation, lipstick and eyeshadow, so on a day to day basis I just wear a touch of blush and some pink lip gloss. 

Tell me your anti-stress miracle remedy.

I'm not one to run to fancy spas when I want to relax... Instead, I enjoy biking around Central Park; exercising and looking at the trees really takes my mind off my day. Otherwise, I just make a cup of green tea and curl up on the sofa with a book. I am a big fan of cocooning. 

Your favourite beauty product?

I have the same problem as most models: I tend to get allergies and reactions on my skin from all the make-up I have to wear... Luckily I've found a miraculous moisturizer, Nars's Crème Hydratation Lumière. I've been using it for several months, it's really thick and creamy and just feels incredibly comfortable. I've become addicted to it!

Who is your beatuy icon?

I don't really have one. I often find most of the people I meet (not just models!) are beautiful in different ways or have striking facial features. As I see it, anyone can be a beauty icon. Beauty is such a broad concept...

What's your beauty routine before a party?

It's not very different to my everyday routine, to be honest; just a little more sophisticated. I do wear foundation when I go out at night. My favourite is Calvin Klein, it's really luminous, which comes in handy after an exhausting day of work. I also wear a very light, sheer lipstick, also from Calvin, in a fuchsia tone. That's all. No eyeshadow, no mascara. 

...And your anti-hangover plan the day after?

First of all, getting up. You start feeling sorry for yourself in bed and your whole day is automatically ruined! A shower and a home made carrot and ginger juice give me a jumpstart (I love juicing), then I make a point of getting out of the house and brunch out with friends.Works like a charm, every time. 

Do you ever detox or diet?

No. I do eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis and I don't eat sugar often. I'm not a big fan of cake, so it doesn't bother me all that much. But I don't believe in dieting: all it does is make you desperately want what you're not supposed to eat. Indulging from time to time is necessary, just as eating healthily.

Throwback Thursday: Remember when Kate got pink hair?

... And pink hair never looked better. Move over Charlotte Free.

Halloween Aftermath

On wednesday evening I decided to enjoy Halloween all the way... even my fingernails were celebrating! I had fun doing some nail art which I admit I copied from one of the patterns designed by the amazing GHETTO NAILZ girls. Ghetto Nailz is, I think, the first nail art salon in Madrid, which means it's also the first one in Spain. The trend is still far from arriving to Paris (seriously what's up with this city lately?! When did it become yawnfest central and the most old-fashioned fashion capital?) so I had to experiment and do the nail art myself. Actually I'm really happy with the results, although you can clearly see I'm right-handed when you look at the nails I had to do with my left hand:

I mean those darned Dracula fangs? Couldn't bite a neck if their life depended on it. However, despite still having to practice a bit with my left hand, I'm really happy with my newly-found talent and I'm even willing to start manicuring my Parisian friends who are craving nail art and can't get it done in the city's salons (seriously get in touch!).

How was your Halloween? I wanna hear all about it! I confess I still haven't taken down my decorations and my flat is filled with pumpkins and cotton cobwebs... and I absolutely refuse to change my manicure!

Hair

Brooke Shields in The Blue Lagoon is my summer's idol (without all the "why did you have a baby" "I don't know" shenanigans).

Nailing It

Over the last few years I've come to realize one of the first things people notice about me are my nails. I once overheard a make-up artist saying about me: "every time she comes into the studio her nails look so neat". And someone described me to a friend as "the girl with the really red nails". I confess to having a slight nail fetish (maybe a little more than slight). I've been lucky enough to work with one of Paris's top manicurists; he regularly collaborates with Vogue -among others- and he's got a whole suitcase filled with nail polish which he brings with him every time we are shooting in a studio. He obviously likes me, as not many people get so stupidly overexcited about new colours, products and shapes as I do.
Fetishes aside, I do think smooth hands and tidy nails are de rigueur, as your hands are very visible and say a lot about you, in a non-spoken language kind of way. And of course if your nails are really nice that's a plus. The thing is nail fashions change just like regular fashion, so one season it's all about square long nails and the next one is about short, rounded nails.

Right now there seems to be a revival of the 1930's nail, slightly pointed in an almond-like shape and, for adventurers, with a half-moon (which looks impossible to do but is actually not that hard, all you have to do is start painting the nail on the centre and go towards the sides then to create the half-moon). The look is very sophisticated and grown up, which is why Dita wears it. I actually really like it... although I must confess I'm ultimately and forever a fan of Barbra Streisand's nails!

Upon telling my friend Vanni some time ago that I loved Barbra's look but that many people think her nails are far too long and extravagant, he answered: "What do those people know? Tranny nails, baby, that's the stuff". Well, I guess now I know what I am at heart.
In any case, and while I let my nails grow praying to Saint Barbra (Mama can you hear me?) for them not to break, I'll tell you about my other nail fetish: red polish. One of YSL's fitting models once came to me in shock saying how someone had told her "are you wearing red nails? Don't you know how perfectly vulgar they are? Ladies never wear red nails, just tramps". Investigating a bit further on the subject, I came to know that there are indeed some (aesthetically) conservative people who think all a lady can wear is transparent polish, or light pink and beige at the most. I like pink and beige, but I also do like a little bit of bad taste (it's also de rigueur in any look- perfect good taste is yawn fest) and hey! a wee bit of trampiness is fun. Also, not two reds are alike, so I indulge in my love for red with about 30 different shades of red which invade my fridge (another tip, it's great to keep your polish in there, as it keeps liquid for longer). And yes, there is more nail polish than food in my fridge, that's something people who come to visit seem to notice too. Anyway, this winter it's all about red, and that means the nails too. So here are some of my all-time favourite reds. Which one would you go for?

YSL's Rouge Absolu

Chanel's Dragon is amazing, looks like Chinese lacquer on your nails.

Nars's Dovima


Nars's Jungle Red

OPI's Malaga Wine

YSL's Copyright Rouge, the ultimate classic red!

Nars's Matto Grosso

Chanel's Rouge Noir. The It polish.

MAC's Vintage Vamp

Nars's Saratoga

Illamasqua's Scarab

To go with these beautiful colours, here are some classic products which are guaranteed to make your hands look their best!

Chanel's nail polish remover is the smoothest one around. And instead of smelling like poison it has a soft, nice perfume.

L'Occitane has the best hand creams, especially the karité one. The texture of your hands will positively change after using it for a couple of days.

Dior's Crème d'Abricot is an iconic product; models are all big fans of this nail cream which strenghtens and beautifies your nails and cuticles. It's one of the best presents you can offer yourself!

Blonde or Brunette?

Gentlemen prefer blondes. But they marry brunettes. Blondes have more fun... Etc etc etc. Many times I've wondered whether these clichéd sentences were true - or had some truth to them. When asking my blonde friends (who, for the record, are not dumb) if they did have more fun, the only answer I got was "er, I don't know... How is it like to be a brunette?". Most of the boys I know don't really have a preference between brunettes and blondes; they will not mind hair colour as long as the girl is smart, nice and cute. And I'm not married to some monocle-wearing diamond mine owner who used to prefer blondes. Is it not true then what they say about blondes and brunettes? So why do we actually give moral and narrative meanings to women's hair colour?

For Roman women, being blonde was the sign of a high social rank (which is why many of them dyed their hair with a mixture including animal's pee). Preraphaelites used strawberry blonde models to portray languid, sickening beauty. The fact that Manet's cheeky Olympia was a brunette is no coincidence: for a long time, brunette was synonym with temptress and vamp. During the XXth century, Hollywood channeled best the collective thoughts on women and their hair tones.

With bubbly blonde Ziegfeld-Follies-golddigers and Anita Loos's masterpiece Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, soon in the 1930's roles were inverted, and blonde bombshells like Jean Harlow went out and had a ball while brunettes like Barbara Stanwyck stayed in and... oh wait, Barbara Stanwyck also did go out and have a ball. Now that I think about it no one wanted to stay in playing the good little wife in the 30's. They were right.
Later, in the 40's, colour codes changed a bit: usually blondes were the seductive, ambiguous and fun ones (Veronica Lake and Marlene Dietrich) while brunettes were the mysterious, feline, evil ones (like Ann Blyth in Mildred Pierce- you just have to watch that movie!- or Gene Tierney in... most of her films). There was also a new category, the fiery redhead. And if your personality didn't match your hair colour, you could just dye it!

Rita Hayworth went from redhead to blonde for The Lady From Shanghai but nobody liked the change. So do gentlemen really prefer blondes?
In the fifties there was of course Marilyn (and a thousand Marilyn wannabees), but at the same time...

...Doris Day became a symbol of all the Peggy Sues and Sandy Olsens in America.

While the new brunette icon, Sofia Loren, was so much of a sex bomb that she actually scared men.
It seems so strange how the codes keep changing; and depending on the decade and your hair colour you're in turns supposed to be a good wife, a witch, a sex goddess and an innocent schoolgirl. And the public never fails to recognize the hair's meaning, no matter how much eras change. Ultimately, I guess the division of the world between "blondes" and "brunettes" is nothing but an aesthetic reflection of the long established (and very chauvinistic) idea that there are two types of women: the marrying kind and "the others". I'm not going to make a feminist speech here -I confess I do have a lot of fun with the whole good woman/fallen woman deal- but has anyone ever seen men divided in blondes and brunettes, each being given a set of inherent characteristics?
Anyway talking about gentlemen... there was one who very clearly preferred blondes: when asked about his leading ladies' hair colour, Alfred Hitchcock replied "blondes make the best victims. They're like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints". Be as it may, Hitchock's distant, regal blonde heroines are now true icons.

On the other hand, Davind Lynch, even if he often gives leading roles to stunning blondes, he always focuses his fascination on mystery brunettes, usually passionate, dangerous and dramatic.

I think after all I agree most with Mr. Lynch's opinion that "there is a blonde and a brunette inside every girl". What do you think?

Tell me where you go on holiday Vol. 2

The streets of Paris are starting to look all summery: people on terraces, kids who have finished school and more tourists than usual look relaxed and all holiday-ish. So as I finish all my work for various September issues and I get ready for my own holiday (as far away from Paris as possible), I thought I'd bring you another hair & make-up guide for your summer trips. Last year's guide was one of my blog's most read subjects ever (see here), so I've done the same with new exotic places and chic styles.

1. Antibes

The most elegant spot in the Côte d'Azur has more chic people and less tacky Ferraris than average. A Chanel look is mandatory: very neat make-up (why not try smoky black eyes to add some drama to the prim and proper French look) and a tight low ponytail suit most faces. Add a stone brooch to conceal the elastic band on the ponytail and extra long fringed earrings for a touch of ad lib.

2. Shanghai

A city holiday is the perfect occasion to be sophisticated when it comes to clothes and make-up. A walk along Shanghai's Bund district allows some 1930's darkly elegant elements. Vuitton's metallic eyes and burgundy luscious lips are perfect, and a twisted chignon covering one eye will give you the perfect femme fatale look.

3. Klaipeda

A little charming coastal city in Lithuania screams for some Baltic chic. A natural look, with not much makeup; loose, lean hair and some lipgloss can be completed with a gingham headscarf, as seen at D&G.

4. Istanbul

A grown-up ladylike style is the way to go when vacationing on this metropolis. To keep fresh, try a twisted chignon (just part a ponytail in two and twist both parts together with lots of hairspray). And to keep fabulous, go for ruby-red lipstick, Terracotta skin and golden earthy eyeshadow. As seen in Gucci.

5. New Orleans

Be a perfect Southern belle combining light chiffon dresses (aren't the Proenza Schouler ones just dreamy?) with a romantic and slightly chaotic hairstyle: use just hairpins to fix some backcombed locks on one side of your head. That, combined with a delicate touch of rosy lipstick, blusher and well-defined eyebrows will turn you into a Tennessee Williams heroine.

6. Kenya

A summer in the savanna is no excuse to stop being stylish; although, of course, you have to tone it down as much as you can. Natural hair with just a touch of wet effect and no makeup will do the trick. After all, you're going to be watching animals all day long, aren't you? If you still would like to pretty up for the giraffes, I recommend just a little orange blusher or some Terracotta (yes, Guerlain's Terracotta is the answer to everything during the summer months). Bottega Veneta's style gives you all the clues.

7. Granada

An exotic spot in Andalusia is full of magic and Spanish passion. So is Hermès's look (again, lots of Terracotta skin and Terracotta lips). All the fire and the charm is in the eyes here. Combined with hoop earrings and a Flamenco hat the look is impressive. And combined with a braid mixed with an Hermès Carré (just wrap the carré around your head and use the extra fabric with one of the locks to make an uneven braid) it is simply irresistible.

8. Waikiki

Hawaii is the spot for some 1940's pin-up reminiscence. Dior's sailing girl look is fantastic. Lots of matte red lipstick, a touch of bright colour in the eyes and 40's waves, topped with cat sunglasses and a tilted sailor hat... And everyone will go nuts about you.

9. Montevideo

It's all about an apparently strict ballerina chignon (as seen at Chloé) if you are holidaying in Uruguay's capital. A minimal look fit for culture, tango and seduction.

10. Kyoto

If you just feel like a zen holiday enjoying the wonders of total calm and Japan's excellent food, then your perfect spot should be Kyoto. But even if you are there for a spiritual break, you can be all Kawaii in Cacharel mixing a low key ponytail and pale pink lips with hot colour block sunglasses.

10. Bergen

A holiday in the Norwegian Fjords calls for some Scandinavian understated drama. Céline provides the answer with a pale complexion, barely marked eyes and a lovely backcombed low ponytail. Dare it!