Erin Wasson may be fashion’s favorite Texan, but France is her forever home—specifically, the emerging creative hub of Marseille. After spending most of her career in New York and L.A., the Dallas-bred supermodel moved to the Mediterranean city three years ago for love, and she’s staying for the culture and community. "It’s just a different way of life,” she says. "I love going back to California and having a few days in New York here and there, but once you spend a couple of years in Europe, something inside of you shifts.”
With Paris only a three-hour train ride away, Wasson zips up to model for shows and shoots, or to work on her longtime side career in design (she recently launched an eyewear and jewelry collaboration with Jacques Marie Mage). The Gallic influence has also inspired her beauty strategy. “People talk about the French woman, how does it look so nonchalant? It’s what you’re exposed to, the visuals on a daily basis,” she says. “You don’t see a lot of makeup.”
Wasson’s everyday favorites play up glowing skin: Vital Skin Foundation stick to conceal dark circles or touches of redness, Lit Up Highlight Stick in Brûlée on the eyes and cheeks for warmth and luminosity, and Baby Cheeks Blush in Coquette for a hint of peach-pink color. She’ll often finish with strong brows and a touch of mascara (always brown, never black, for a natural effect).
Yet when it’s time for a dinner party or a Paris event, Wasson knows how to work a statement look—which almost always revolves around a red lip, preferably using Lip Suede Matte in Pip. “How do you do the least amount possible that gives the most elegant result?” she says. “I’ve been in the fashion industry for a really long time and I’ve learned the subtle tricks from everyone, including Gucci. Her feeling of using your fingers and pressing into the skin—I’ve always been drawn to that way of wearing makeup.”
Wasson’s best makeup advice? “It’s the way you blend things. It’s the way you line your lips. Knowing how far to extend the brow, brushing it in a direction that works for your face. It’s just knowing yourself.”
Here, she demonstrates her techniques for luminous skin, strong brows, and the ultimate red lip—all fait en une minute.
