Vogue Editors on Their Fashion Week Beauty Staples and Strategies

“A visit with the always smiling Oscar Blandi is good for my soul, and my hair. I am constantly amazed at just how much better I look when my hair is freshly trimmed–clean, precise, polished. Ditto (deceivingly natural) highlights with Kyle White. My hair goes from 0 to 60 in one-and-a-half hours flat (and that’s including a blow-out with fabulous Arthur).” Oscar Blandi Salon, 545 Madison Avenue, NYC; 212.421.9800

“Slipping away for a nail appointment is a luxury I rarely grant myself, so, over the years I have become quite speedy and adept at self-service. (In fact, the luxury for me is how much time I save, and all I can get done during the process—like watching Michelle Obama deliver her incredible speech at the DNC Tuesday night while my toes dried, propped up on a pillow.) The secret to making a manicure/pedicure last is the bulletproof sandwich I create around the polish with my trusty Kensington Caviar Basecoat and Topcoat from Nails Inc. Mid-week, I’ll slap on a fresh layer of the top-coat to rev up the shine, and to make sure the color couldn’t chip if it tried. Cuticle oil (Essie makes a good one) before bed also really makes a difference to hands and feet, regardless of mani-pedi state. Dry skin and scraggly bits immediately disappear.”

"I have invisible blonde eyebrows which, left untended, appear as a blur hovering fuzzily, shapelessly, above my eyes. Once Maral Balian at Warren Tricomi’s salon at The Plaza gets her hands on me, though—tinting, plucking, waxing, fussing—my face comes into sharp focus. My eyes look greener; I suddenly feel like a grown-up. The subtle dark blonde (vegetable dye) tint is really the key, and since it lasts exactly four weeks, timing is everything.” Warren Tricomi's salon at The Plaza, 1 West Fifty-eighth Street, 2nd floor, NYC 212.262.8899

“I only see my favorite facialist, Tammy Fender, when she is in town from Palm Beach, which is practically never. This Fashion Week, I am going to channel her by firing up my new Breville juicer, and cooking up Tammy’s signature elixir of gorgeousness each morning: a refreshing green juice of kale, spinach, ginger, lemon, and apple.”

“I do as much as I can on the Friday of Labor Day weekend—most salons and all stores are open. While almost everyone else is racing to escape the city, I take my time, hunting and gathering, highlighting, and polishing to get everything I need in order for Fashion Week:

“Kyle White at Oscar Blandi for highlights.” Oscar Blandi Salon, 545 Madison Avenue, NYC; 212.421.9800

“Yasmin Ibrahim at Eve Salon for eyebrows.” Eve Salon, 55 West 8th Street, NYC; 212.807.8054

“Bloomie nail for manicure/pedicure to have Chanel Frisson (toes) and clear polish (hands) applied." Bloomie Nail, 1320 Madison Avenue, NYC; 212.426.5566 “Soo Mi Hwang for an acupuncture facial.” Soo Mi Hwang, 145 East Sixteenth Street, NYC; 212.629.7025

“Bergdorf Goodman beauty floor to stock up on Aerin Rose Lip Conditioner, YSL Touche Eclat, and Guerlain bronzer (to keep the summer glow going).”

“Best New York Fashion Week resource: 24 Hair Party for a blow-dry at any time of the day or night.” 24 Hair Party, 450 Park Ave. South, NYC; 212.213.0051 “Alexa Rodulfo for makeup if there’s a big event.”

“SK-II face masks for nighttime.”

"Caudile Beauty Elixir.”

“Because I wear my hair in a haphazard ponytail/bun most of time, I try to get away with having Jordan M at Bumble and Bumble cut it just twice a year, once in February before fall collections and once in August before the spring shows. I hate to see summer go, but I love the feel of chopping off the dry, split ends and starting fresh! Bumble and Bumble, 415 West Thirteenth Street, 8th Floor, NYC; 212.521.6500

“I resisted blow-outs for years, but a few months ago I went to Drybar before an event and have become a convert. They have a super- easy iPhone app, so I’ve been booking 7:00 a.m. appointments for Fashion Week with wild abandon.” Drybar, 4 West Sixteenth Street, NYC; 212.561.5392

“I go for a mani/pedi at Jin Soon on Jones Street once before New York and then again before Europe (Nars M. Butterfly on my toes, clear polish on my fingers). At my post–New York/pre-Europe appointment, I ask for an extra few minutes of foot massage both as relief from the week before and prep for the cobblestones to come.” Jin Soon, 23 Jones Street, NYC; 212.229.1070

“Before the shows start, I book a string of massage appointments with Thomas Robles at Clay, my gym, which has a fantastic spa (the real reason I joined). I schedule one before New York, one after New York, and one after Europe. This season, I’m going to try to squeeze in a session with Junnon Sawamura-Mérigoux in Paris, too. She gives a killer sports massage (yes, 24 hours in six-inch Pradas qualifies as sport) and makes hotel calls!” Clay, 25 West Fourteenth Street, NYC; 212.206.9200

“Before coming to New York, I’ll get a mani/pedi at NiteSpa, my neighborhood nail salon here in Los Angeles. Christina is so thorough and her manicures last longer than anyone’s. I rarely wear color, but for Fashion Week it’s nice to feel a little more done-up. I wear a classic red, Chanel Pirate, when I want to feel ladylike.” NiteSpa, 490 Santa Clara Avenue, Venice, CA; 310.396.5122

'I do Pilates with an amazing instructor and dancer, Mimi Wilheim, who runs a tiny studio out of Venice, California. I will definitely do a few classes before and after Fashion Week because I feel two inches taller after each session.”

“I often try and set up an appointment, also before and after Fashion Week, with my chiropractor, Dr. Gareth Monks, who has changed the way I think about nutrition and exercise. I’ll try to remember his firm and very persuasive words to go easy on the sugar, grains, and the coffee during the week to come.” Dr. Gareth Monks, 292 S. La Cienega Boulevard, Beverly Hills; 323.769.6266

“I like to pop in for a foot massage at Angel Feet in the West Village. It’s not far from where most of the shows are and after long days of walking around in heels, it’s a must. Even for just 30 minutes, I feel totally relaxed and transported. It’s a tiny little space, which can only take about three customers at a time, so you must book in advance.” Angel Feet, 77 Perry Street NYC; 212.924.3576

“No plans for a haircut, and I’m completely useless at blow-drying and styling my own hair. Right now I’m using Hamadi Organics Shea Spray because it’s easy, gives my hair texture, and will be good against the NYC early September humidity.”

"Scheduling is always the biggest hurdle for me, especially when I’m covering events after work, so I have to find that sweet spot between when I can leave the office and when I have to be at an event. Tuesday night that was 6:00 p.m., when I went to have my eyebrows tweezed by Mauricio at John Barrett salon. He does a great job keeping them thick and kind of bushy, Eugene Levy–like, which I love.” John Barrett Salon, 754 Fifth Avenue NYC; 212.872.2700

“The other option is going before work and, fortunately, it’s gotten easier to find places that open early. Yesterday I went to Drybar at 7:30 a.m. because I had to cover a lunch and two evening events tonight. I felt more powerful and ready to face the world with freshly coiffed hair. I love the location that opened recently in the Underground of Le Parker Meridien—they have an entire beauty lair down there. TenOverTen nail salon just opened next door, and I looked longingly at it as I left yesterday, since I do sorely need a pedicure to fix my Labor Day beach toes.”

“I recently got Bumble and Bumble’s Concen-Straight home smoothing treatment, and my usually frizzy hair has been transformed into soft, compliant waves—which makes days when hair is a last priority a lot easier.”

“I am the queen of health supplements, so before Fashion Week I like to ramp up as a preventive measure. My skin is the first thing that suffers, so this time around I’m taking along a nettle leaf tincture and drinking nettle tea everyday. It helps keep my skin clear from breakouts.”

“After seeing the Keith Haring exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, I’ve been dying to get my some Haring-inspired nail art. I’m booking myself in for a gel manicure at Valley, so the art will last.” Valley, 198 Elizabeth Street, NYC; 212.274.8985

“I usually get a blow-out at the beginning of New York and London Fashion Week. In London, I book at Daniel Hersheson’s salon on Conduit Street. They’re great at adding a natural-looking wave to my hair, so it doesn’t look too perfect.” Daniel Hersheson Salon, 45 Conduit Street, London; 011.44.20.7434.1747

“I’m determined to flaunt major lashes all week (it’s easier for me to maintain than lipstick when I’m on the go), so I have been on the quest for the perfect mascara. Benefit’s They’re Real is what I’ll be wearing this season.”

“I keep a bottle of H. Gillerman Organics tension remedy oil in my purse. The smell of it is totally calming when I’m stressed—plus it’s smaller than the size of a pen.”

“My hair is short and requires a cut every four weeks, so I have to time it perfectly to make it all the way from New York through Paris without looking like a total lunatic. I stop in to Tommy Guns for a cut with Derek Bogle exactly one week before New York (and then pre-book my next cut for the Friday after I get home from Europe). In Milan, I always schedule a blowout or two with Alessandro Lisi. By the time I get to Paris, I usually just cross my fingers and hope for the best. But in a true emergency, I’d head to David Mallet’s wildly chic salon for a trim.”

“I get my nails done with the manicurist Maki Sakamoto no more than two days before the shows. I usually run into her backstage, so sometimes she’s nice enough to help out in a pinch. Last year, she fixed a chip for me after the models had gone off to first looks. For my pedicure, I head to Jin Soon in the East Village. Her pedicures last for two or three weeks, which is essential because I won’t have time to stop in again before I leave for Europe. I don’t usually need a touch-up until Paris. There I head to Nail Factory, where the manicures are so good, you would think you’re in New York.”

“If I can squeeze it in, I’ll get a quick facial in New York before the week starts. My skin gets incredibly stressed from the lack of sleep and jet lag. I just saw Kate Walsh at Shibui spa for the most relaxing hydrating facial of all time. She uses Elemental Herbology, which is this gorgeous line for London, and her touch is absolutely amazing. She makes your skin glow. In Paris, I prefer the really old-fashioned French facials, which are heavy on massage. It’s like a built-in one-hour nap: I’ll drop in to the Darphin spa on Rue Saint-Honore, which is around the corner from the hotel, the Dior spa at the Plaza Athenee, or the Clarins My Blend at the Royal Monceau. Last season, Tom Pecheux gave me the name of his aesthetician at Biologique Recherche’s Ambassade de la Beaute, so that’s on my agenda for this season. Because whatever Tom is doing, it’s working.”

“In Milan, I take an early morning steam at the gym at the Hotel Principe di Savoia. Makeup artist Lucia Pieroni told me to steam out my toxins to stave off the fashion flu and give your skin an amazing glow. I swear by it now.”

“Brows with Maribeth Madron at Sharon Dorram for Sally Hershberger Uptown. I cannot function without her.”  17 East Seventy-first Street, NYC; 212.535.3519

“I try to squeeze in a few extra workouts before Fashion Week begins. It de-stresses me, gives me energy, and it’s usually my last chance to fit any sort of physical activity in until mid-October. There’s just no time in Europe. I take ballet and contemporary dance classes at Broadway Dance Center, where I’ve been going for years, and I swear by Mary Helen Bowers’s Ballet Beautiful studio in SoHo. I also SoulCycle at least once a week because I need the crazy endorphin rush to make it through the shows!”

“Between school starting, my son’s birthday, and New York Fashion Week, the beginning of September is hectic to say the least. I do book hair appointments with Joe Martino at Orlo— it’s the one thing I just cannot deal with during Fashion Week mornings.” Orlo Salon, 34 Gansevoort Street, 3rd floor, NYC; 212.242.3266

“On the health front, I have juices delivered from Organic Avenue or Liquiteria to keep the energy up.”

“I always stock up on Jao, an amazing lavender hand refresher.”