Just ahead of New York Fashion Week next week, Black models are busy prepping their skin for a week full of shows. “Fashion week means that models are getting completely done-up with several different makeup looks in the same day,” esthetician and founder of Vanessa Marc Spa Vanessa Marc tells ESSENCE. “It’s just a new level of cosmetic involvement.”
Turning her spa into a pre-NYFW destination, Marc first started her career as a way to treat her own skin, including hyperpigmentation which disproportionately affects darker skin tones, and laser hair removal which is often unsafe (if the wrong laser is used) to perform on our tones.
“I realized early on in my career there weren’t many Black luxury spas that existed in midtown Manhattan that offered services that catered specifically to Brown and Black skin tones,” Marc says. With her clients including front row celebrities, like Zendaya and Cardi B, and top models Jasmine Tookes, Adut Akech, and Anok Yai, “they’re all involved in this glam world of beauty and high fashion, but so are their pores.”
Using high-tech machines to draw out impurities, exfoliate dead skin, and hydrate, all of her services are customized to the specific skin concern of each model. “I’m very specific with using key ingredients in products that will allow them to have the most optimal results,” she says, offering a number of services from the Korean Caviar Facial and lymphatic drainage, to chemical peels and tightening services.
Requiring special skin treatments before getting in the makeup chair, “I would say that my signature Oxygen Hydra Facial and lymphatic drainage massages are my most sought out services during NYFW,” she says. Also known as the “Red Carpet Hydra Facial” the facial service is a deep-cleansing treatment using pressurized oxygen, Vitamin C and a hydrating solution to draw in moisture, a high frequency wand to shrink pores (Pat McGrath style), ending with a custom mask.
Meanwhile, lymphatic drainage can reduce bloating, swelling, and promote circulation to give a more snatched, sculpted look. “Whether they’re dealing with redness or even acne-prone skin, it’s important to detoxify, unclog pores, and rejuvenate the skin for lasting results,” Marc says.
Even after NYFW ends, however, fashion month is still on. While Marc recommends a once-per-month deep-cleansing facial to keep your skin in top shape, models are continuing their skin care through fashion week’s next three destinations: London, Milan, and Paris.
“For at-home care in between appointments, it’s important to use the right products to maintain your results,” she says. “I usually provide my clients with a detailed skincare regimen to use at home, which includes everything from cleansers, serums, moisturizers, and even sunscreen, which I always recommend wearing everyday.”