Madison beauty - Coco Rocha's beauty secrets

Model Coco Rocha talks skincare, make-up and her best hair tips with madison's Sherine Youssef.

What’s your skincare regime like?
It's not as exciting as you may think. I wake in the morning and cover my face with a cream that has some sort of SPF - even in the winter, fair skin like mine needs protecting. At the moment I like L’Oréal Paris’ Hydra-Renewal. At night, I remove my make-up with Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes, wash my face with Clearasil Ultra Overnight Wash and then put cream on again. I've never had any laser treatments and I very, very rarely have professional facials as I find they do more damage than good.

Women with Celtic backgrounds – and those of us in Australia – are usually careful about sun exposure…
The sun and I are not the best of friends. Too much sun exposure is one of the quickest ways to age a woman, especially fair skinned ladies like myself. If I do find myself in the sun, say by the pool or on a beach, I cover myself head to toe in the highest SPF I can find. I also try not to lie out in direct sunlight for more than 15 minutes before I cover myself in a towel, clothes or find shelter under the nearest palm tree. It’s hard since my husband naturally does really well in the sun and loves to be out and about. On a beach, I'll be covered with a blanket and under a tree next to him, holding hands where the rays meet the shade.

What do you do with your hair?
My hair is a constant problem for me. As a model I do all kinds of crazy shoots where tons of product is thrown in my hair; it’s brushed, teased and yanked to shreds. I've also coloured my hair so many times that it has become extremely dry and frizzy. To counteract that, I wet my hair every morning and leave conditioner in it so that it has some sort of moisture throughout the day. I've only recently started this, so ask me in a few months if it really is working!

How do you stay in shape?
I don't have a regular gym regimen; in fact, if I had to think of the last time I went to a gym it would probably be about two months ago! I do walk everywhere in New York, miles and miles every day. If I have the time, I will always walk. I'm also known as a very active model on set and I like to push my body to create interesting shots. Sometimes it means dancing, other times I'm holding an insane yoga pose for 10 minutes while the photographer shoots. I usually work up a sweat so I guess you could say the studio is my gym. I try to be balanced in what I eat, but I never really over-think it. If I want a cheese burger, I'm going to have a cheeseburger.

Did your mother or grandmother pass on any beauty or grooming tips?
Yes. My great grandmother taught me to rub raw potato all over my face before balancing clover on my eyelids. I'm kidding. My family was not huge on make-up but I can promise you my daughter will learn a few tricks.

Your love of make-up is well-known…
I’m around masters of make-up three to four days a week – how could I not be inspired when I learn at the feet of the best? I never understand how models can go through that sort of "beauty university" and NOT know how to apply their own make-up. Are they sleeping the whole time?

What is your signature beauty look?
I guess if you were to draw a cartoon character of Coco she would have a black slanted cat eye and a dark lip. My hair would be pulled back in a tight, high ponytail. That’s my superhero alter ego.

Have you found your perfect red lipstick?
My go-to is Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte in Red Muse. It’s a liquid red and just spreads like butter, so if you're not careful, it’s easy for it to spread right over your lip line and across your face like a crazy person.

What do you wear on a day-to-day basis?
I love a base. Sometimes, because of my fair skin, I can end up looking a little sickly or patchy because of my freckles. I usually try to get my complexion to the same, even tone without looking like I have pancake mix on my skin.

Can you name a career highlight?
I can only think of my career as a staircase - each moment adds to the last and it just gets better and better. I'm so thankful to still have a career in an industry that usually gives girls three or four seasons at best. I'm in my ninth year as a model who gets to work with some of the most talented and creative people in the world. For a young girl from Vancouver, this journey has been amazing every step of the way.

What are you working on next?
If I could only tell you! The hard thing for models is we are constantly sworn to secrecy. Actors and singers get to talk about their current projects while they are still in production, but models have to be silent until their editorial or campaign is officially released. It makes for boring red carpet interviews.