10 Beauty Secrets I Learned From Linda Evangelista

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From ELLE

OG supermodel Linda Evangelista has already cemented her legacy as a member of The Trinity (along with Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell). Now, at 51, she has decided to share her beauty wisdom, joining skin care line Erasa as the new creative director.

Evangelista has been working behind the scenes with Erasa, which launched in May 2015, to help develop more antiaging products. Right now, there's just one: the Erasa XEP-30 Extreme Line Lifting and Rejuvenation Concentrate ($160). A needle-free alternative to Botox, the concentrate promises to not only smooth out fine lines but also tackle discoloration like melasma, a condition Evangelista herself has experienced. Part of the magic is that one of its ingredients is a patented neuropeptide that mimics the paralyzing effect of the Australian cone snail's venom.

"I know what doesn't work," Evangelista said when we met her at the Smyth Hotel in New York yesterday. After decades of being "addicted" to trying countless lotions and adhering to multi-step beauty routines, "I realized there was wasted time and wasted money involved in my skin care regimen-[it got] overwhelming-sometimes you just can't be bothered."

Evangelista was introduced to Erasa through her facialist, Georgia Louise, and shortly after committing to the new regimen she quit concealer because her dark circles had subsided. Then she stopped exfoliating and, while tweezing her brows, noticed her pores had become visibly smaller. "I have wrinkles and I'm okay with wrinkles–but Erasa addressed so many of my other issues too. It's an all-in-one product. It knocks out so many steps of the beauty routine," she said.

Here, the supermodel shares more of her beauty secrets.

On Botox:

"Am I against Botox? No! It's good! I came out [saying I use it] against a lot of people's wishes. My mom got mad when I said I used Botox, and I think it was in the late '90s. I was just being honest. So many celebrities won't say that they use Botox. They also say they don't diet and that they don't exercise."

On her biggest beauty regret:

"When I was in my teens I would [use] the baby oil and the reflector I made out of cardboard and aluminum foil [to tan]-not necessary!"

On adopting minimalism:

"I feel like I'm wearing less and less and less [makeup], especially this year. I've done some photo shoots and I'm like, 'Do we really need to put on that much? I don't understand.' I'm feeling so good about my skin that I feel like just a tinted moisturizer will do it and a little powder, and concealer if you have a blemish or whatever. I think less, sometimes, is more. I like seeing the person."

On diets:

"I think there is something to be said about keeping a really high pH level and foods that help you with inflammation. But it's so hard for me to say, you know, stick to this or whatever. I really feel like deprivation creates desire and I have a child, so I'm not going to force him into being vegan or all that. When pizza comes through my house, which is once a week, I can resist sometimes, but once in a while I'll have a piece. So in general, though, just have natural-you know, lots of vegetables. I'm not big on fruits myself, but tons of vegetables, tons of grains, flax, hemp, some coconut oil, avocados."

On a 'Why not?' attitude toward hair:

"I've tried so many looks when I was modeling because I would get bored so easily or the mood [was different] that day. I love fashion so much and hair and makeup because it's just so fun to express yourself. Even my son this summer was like, 'Mommy, I want blue hair,' I said no. He's not even 10. Then he said 'Why not?' then I said, 'Actually, I don't know. Let's go get blue hair!' We made it brown again for school. My instant reaction was no, but my mom used to say no all the time and I didn't know why. So why not?"

On people's obsession with vintage photos of her:

"I like them. I'm like, Oh wow! It's nice to see that they're still relevant and people are still talking about them."

On her most practical beauty tip:

"I really think one should do their makeup in front of a window because I'm sure women don't know when they go out, you can see their foundation and where it ends. I really think you can get your best results [in natural light]."

On her biggest beauty advice:

"I'm always going to say wear sunscreen. We need it for safety purposes and aesthetic purposes. It really prevents damage. I was forced into it over 20 years ago because of my melasma, but I'm a huge sunscreen fan, even in the winter. With heavy sunscreens, however, you want to avoid getting that bluish-white tint that makes everything look sort of glow-in-the-dark."

On her least luxurious part of her beauty routine:

"Oh God, that fucking cardio is not luxurious, is it? I mean I have a nice rowing machine, but cardio is not glamorous. I do cardio for three-minute intervals and I don't like it."

On the most luxurious part of her beauty routine:

"My personal trainer, Michael Olden, stretches me every morning for the first five minutes. I wake up really rickety every day now. That's the most luxurious, the stretch I get. He's fabulous. He changes it every day, he shakes up my routine and I never know what I'm gonna get so I don't dread it."

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