Ming Lee Simmons, Model | Into The Gloss

“I’ve always wished to work in model because of I watched my mom work in model my full life. Correct now I help my mom with ingenious path at Youngster Phat. It’s truly fulfilling because of my mom, my sister, and one amongst my most interesting buddies and I work collectively. I even have my very personal little social media platforms the place I make quite a few model and surprise content material materials, and I’ve modeled for producers like Good American, Skims, and Glossier, too. It’s an thrilling time to model. My mom always talks about her modeling days, and the way in which fashions wanted to maintain a positive measurement. There’s nonetheless a couple of of that pressure inside the commerce, nevertheless I’m excited that producers are looking out for people of all fully completely different sizes and shapes and colors to represent them.

A night out, whether or not or not it’s in LA or New York, always consists of an espresso martini. If I have not received one I’m not going wherever. And that’s primarily because of I’m a drained girlie. [Laughs] As soon as I used to be in LA not too way back, I went to Lavo with my most interesting good buddy, and they also had an excellent espresso martini. Nonetheless my favorite meals is sushi, and in New York, my favorite spot is Kissaki. It’s possible you’ll get sake pairings, and I will probably be reliable, every time I’m going and get the sake, I end up obliterated and that’s my full night time time. I moreover love going to Cipriani and American Bar.

SKINCARE
I had truly unhealthy cystic pimples in the middle of the pandemic, so I started seeing aesthetician Sarah Ford, who I found by means of my mom. I actually like her Delicate Enzyme Cleanser. It exfoliates my pores and pores and skin with out stripping it, so I can use it each single day. I reap the benefits of a cleansing balm from Farmacy to get off my make-up though. I will probably be reliable, most of the time if I’m going out and I come dwelling and I’m a little bit bit drunkie, that’s probably the one skincare that I do.

I reap the benefits of Skinbetter’s Mystro Energetic Steadiness Serum because of Sarah tells me to. She moreover helpful Osmosis’ improvement problem serum, regardless that I don’t solely know what it does. I’ve merely noticed that if I don’t use it, I escape further. I’ve been using it for a yr, and it’s the ultimate serum I apply sooner than Augustinus Bader’s Rich Cream. I started with Augustinus Bader’s frequent cream, nevertheless as my pimples acquired worse and I wished further astringents, I wished further moisture and transformed to The Rich Cream. I actually like that it doesn’t have a scent.

For sunscreens, I alter between two—the Hyaluronic Acid Watery Photo voltaic Gel from Isntree and Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow SPF 45. They every go away me so glowy, so I’ll usually use them at night time time because of they act like a shiny base—and I always want to be dewy, certainly not matte.

MAKEUP
As soon as extra, the aim is to glow, so I start with Dior’s Glow Veil primer and Glow Recipe’s Dew Drops. For foundation, I actually like Metropolis Decay’s Face Bond. It’s matte, but it surely absolutely stays glowy for me as soon as I take advantage of my primer combo. Nonetheless I truly prefer it resulting from its packaging. It doesn’t leak, and I journey tons. I alternate it with Hourglass’ Pores and pores and skin Tint Foundation. It’s truly hydrating and pretty. Then I’m going in with the Radiant Creamy Concealer from Nars. It’s been my absolute favorite since I stole it from my mom’s make-up bag. It blends out correctly, and it’s actually so creamy. I reap the benefits of Tiramisu to cover spots and Catherine Cream for my beneath eyes. If I would love further safety though, I reap the benefits of Hourglass’ Vanish Airbrush Concealer in Beech. All of that’s being blended with a BeautyBlender, which I actually really feel like gives me further of a margin for error. I do know people say you might get dupes on Amazon, nevertheless none of them consider to the distinctive. Nonetheless, if I don’t have one with me, I like Hourglass and Patrick Ta make-up brushes.

For blush, I actually like Unusual Magnificence’s Easy Pinch in Snug or Bliss—they’re so pigmented. Nonetheless my new favorite is the Unreal Liquid Blush from Hourglass in Scene. I really feel I’ve blush blindness, nevertheless I don’t care—I would love all of the blush I can get. I’ve truly almond eyes and I wish to make use of blush to accentuate them, so I place it on the upper corners of my cheeks and blend it into my brow bones. That’s moreover good because of I’m very unhealthy at exact eyeshadow. Then I want to sculpt with Make-up by Mario’s SoftSculpt Pores and pores and skin Enhancer. It’s very simple to combine. I reap the benefits of Darkish because of it’s cooler and I like to supply myself a further sculpted look.

I want to layer my liquid merchandise with my powders to make the whole thing hold longer. After I set my face with powder from Hourglass, I add in Mac’s powder blush to my cheeks. I’ve been using Burnt Peppera reddish-brown coloration, for eight or 9 years. I moreover love Dior’s Rosy Glow in Berrya darker, purple shade. It’s sort of identical to Burnt Pepperbut it surely absolutely’s a bit further cool. Then it’s time for bronzer from Gucci. I used to fully use Marc Jacobs Magnificence’s O!Mega bronzer—after it was discontinued I had like 5 from eBay for a while. buddy helpful Gucci’s as a substitute because of it’s not streaky and I’ve been using it ever since.

If I actually really feel favor it, I’ll placed on eyeliner. I couldn’t truly inform you which ones one though. I merely determine up irrespective of’s spherical, usually on my floor. [Laughs] Or usually I’ll dip an eyeliner brush into my bronzer. I don’t placed on mascara because of I get lash extensions from Martina Tjokronolo in New Jersey. I used to solely placed on the thickest of thickest lash extensions, and it’s truly onerous to hunt out someone that may do that because of they’re not good for you. I found her on Instagram and he or she was determining of her house on the time. She’s excellent—and my lashes aren’t too thick anymore, by one of the best ways.

For highlighter, I reap the benefits of one from Unusual Magnificence in Mesmerized and Revenue’s powder highlighter in Cookie. I really merely started using powder highlighters as soon as extra. For a while, people have been saying we’ve got been completed with highlighter—that it was so 2016—nevertheless I want to be shiny. I solely place it on the tip of my nostril and the bridge of my nostril.

Regarding lips, Make-up by Mario’s suede lip pencils are my absolute favorite. I placed on Widespread Earth every single day. I prime it off with any plumping gloss, nevertheless I truly like Mac’s Squirt gloss stick.

Setting spray is the very last item I reap the benefits of. I spray Mac’s Restore+ and I’ve a little bit bit fan that I reap the benefits of to dry sooner. I actually really feel favor it truly melts my powders. Then I do a mist of Hourglass’ setting spray, which gives a glow. As soon as I actually need my make-up to stay, I reap the benefits of One/Dimension’s On ‘Til Dawn setting spray, nevertheless I can’t use it each single day. It looks like hair spray in your face—your make-up isn’t going wherever.

HAIR
Sooner than a blowout, I’ll add 1,000,000 heat protectants to my soaking moist hair. Kerastase’s Résistance heat protectant and Oribe’s Straight Away blowout cream are my amount ones. Oribe’s is especially good because of I can use quite a few it with out making my hair greasy. I don’t know learn how to do a blow out the traditional technique, with a blow dryer and a spherical brush, so the blow-dry attachment from my Dyson Airwrap does all of the heavy lifting. If I’m straightening it, I’ll go in with my Dyson Airstrait. If I’m sporting my hair up—when my hair is dirty—I would love two points: Emi Jay’s Angelstick and Got2B’s hair spray. With this combine, my hair isn’t going wherever.

FRAGRANCE
I’m obsessive about smelling truly good. I’ve always cherished Glossier You, nevertheless Rêve is even larger because of it’s sweeter and sexier. My go-to is one thing with vanilla, nevertheless I can truly scent the plum butter notes, which I actually like. I moreover placed on Boulangerie’s Soufflé Vanille perfume mist tons. Oh, and I always be sure that to positioned on physique lotion sooner than I spray on my perfumes because of the lotion makes the scents remaining quite a bit longer.”

—As instructed to Daise Bedolla

Photographed by Alexandra Genova in New York on August 1, 2024