From Makeup Tricks to Simple Self-Care Tips, Ashley Graham’s Stress-Free Guide to Holiday Vacation Packing
Ashley Graham is as calm, cool, and collected as supermodels come. And while she daily demonstrates as much with her charming, refreshingly honest candor on her Instagram Stories, her breezy disposition in the hours leading up to her latest appearance as a global ambassador for Revlon, during which she will inevitably be mobbed by adoring fans, cements it.
With mom Linda by her side, Graham is still as giddy as she was just under a year ago, when she first signed with the iconic brand, becoming the first-ever plus-size model to land a major beauty contract. “I still can’t believe it!” she says. “I mean, Revlon was a staple in our home growing up. My mom had all of their lipsticks and nail polishes and that was our thing. And then to be the first curvy girl of my generation to have a beauty contract? It’s revolutionary.”
As a body activist within the industry, shaking up social constructs and redefining beauty ideals will always be a part of her day to day on the job as well as off, with 7.8 million followers looking out for her next #BeautyBeyondSize post. “We’ve made strides but still have a long way to go!” she says. Still, even superhuman Graham needs a vacation, and thus, she plans to spend the forthcoming Christmas and New Year’s break doing just that. After jetting off to Thailand to cohost the Miss Universe pageant, she’ll be officially off the clock when she travels with her husband to Ethiopia and Egypt. “We like to immerse ourselves into a whole other world when we travel,” she explains. “That’s our way of disconnecting.”
With several long-haul flights and lots of sightseeing planned, Graham says she will be packing light, streamlining her beauty and wellness regimens in the process. From how she plans to stay present to her favorite multitasking beauty products, here’s Graham’s guide to effortlessly looking and feeling great while globe-trotting.
Keep Skin Extra Hydrated
While her skin doesn’t require the same level of camera-ready flawlessness as it does on a normal workday, sustaining her complexion’s natural luminosity amid the token elements of travel, from frigid cabin air to excess sun exposure, is a must for Graham. And that’s where German scientist Augustinus Bader’s cult The Rich Cream, originally designed to help heal serious burns by reactivating the body’s dormant stem cells, comes into play. “I am obsessed,” she proclaims of its transformative results. Offered in a TSA-friendly travel size, the next-level hydrator is enriched with a well-honed concentration of ingredients, such as argan and evening primrose oil, and rich in antioxidants and omega-6 fatty acids to supercharge the skin. While the “miracle-working” cream does most of the work, she says, she’ll also layer a vitamin C serum underneath to “give my skin that extra bit of glow.”
Don’t Cover Up—Conceal
“I’ll wear foundation when I have a look, but when I’m traveling, concealer is a must because I want something easy and quick so that I feel like I’m awake but don’t have a ton of makeup on,” she explains, pulling Revlon’s new creamy PhotoReady Candid Antioxidant Concealer out of her handbag and highlighting the tube’s built-in doe foot applicator for convenient ease in a pinch. “It has caffeine in it,” she says with a laugh. “Bye, under eyes!”
Put Your Brow Pencil to Work
A brow pencil has always been a makeup bag essential for Graham, but in addition to using it to fill in her arches, she’s been repurposing it ever since Brooklyn-based makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes taught her how to use it as a lip liner when sporting a plush nude hue. “I’m all about it because it makes my lips look bigger and more contoured,” she says of the two-in-one product. Adding that after she does her brows and lips, she wiggles a few coats of mascara into her lashes and “calls it a day.”
Stretch, Stretch, and Stretch Some More
“When I’m traveling, I don’t work out just as much because, honestly, it’s hard to figure it out schedule-wise. Plus, I know I’m going to go hard once I’m home,” says Graham, who regularly boxes and weight-lifts among other strength-training exercises to stay in shape. But to keep her muscles loose and boost blood flow, particularly after spending endless hours stationary on an overseas flight, she relies on self-myofascial release with a travel-friendly foam roller: “I’m all about rolling and stretching, so I’ll always bring a collapsible roller that I can take around with me super easily.”
Unplug as Much as Possible
As is sure to be the case for many, Graham’s New Year’s resolution is to rack up less screen time. And once on vacation, she’s planning to get a jump-start on that goal. “I’m the girl who wakes up, taps my snooze button, then gets on the phone to look at Instagram, Twitter . . .” she admits. “So when I’m away, I want to start easing into [less screen time] by waiting to go on my phone until I’m—at least—ready to leave the house.” It’s a tall order for anyone in this day and age, let alone someone with Graham’s social media clout. But reaping the benefits of unplugging, from feeling more relaxed and present to carving out additional time to recharge, on the other side of the world is a great start.
