A fleet of 47 leggy beauties (though only eight are officially ordained Angels) recently landed in the UK for the Victoria’s Secret fashion show, ready to strut their stuff while pop stars Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande performed.
Much is made of the models’ pre-show prep, but unless you’ve got four hours a day to spend doing ballet barre classes or are willing to forgo solid food, the chances of honing the body of an Angel are, no pun intended, slim.
You can, however, steal some of their beauty secrets.
DEVON WINDSOR
“I’m a product fiend,” admits platinum blonde Devon, before reeling off all the gadgets and lotions she uses to keep her skin runway ready.
“I love the Clarisonic cleansing brush, it’s an amazing exfoliator that gets rid of all the dirt every day. And I use Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clarifying Lotion – it’s a good preventative. I also use Chanel Hydra Beauty Creme, it’s not too heavy but very moisturising.”
Devon says she’s perfected her smoky eye technique by watching the pros at work.
“One of my favourite tricks is using a cream pencil or liner on the waterline under the eye, then it makes your eyes look bigger and brighter.”
If they had to forsake all other make-up for just one item, the VS girls are unanimous about what it would be: mascara.
“I like the Chanel mascaras,” says Devon. “They have a daytime one and then a thick, voluptuous night-time one, so I switch them up, depending on the occasion.”
Any nutritional tips? “Just drink water,” advises Devon, admitting it’s not easy to hit that two-and-half-litres a day target.
KELLY GALE
To stay hydrated on the flight over from New York, 19-year-old Kelly kept a rose water spray to hand. But what’s her top beauty tip? “Curl your lashes before you put mascara on!”
LILY DONALDSON
You’d think that after all those hours in the make-up chair, these girls would have picked up a tip or two, right?
“Absolutely, you learn from the best,” says Lily, one of only three Brits who walked in the show. “There are so many tips, like smile when you put your blusher on, to make the apples of your cheeks come out. And apply lipstick with your finger because it makes your lips look plumper.”
Her top beauty tip?
“Coconut oil. It’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever used. You can use it to take your make-up off, to moisturise, in your hair, on your body, and it smells good too.”
LAIS RIBEIRO
Brazilian Lais said: “On the flight over, everybody was talking but I was sleeping. And drinking a lot of water.”
So, the one thing you should definitely invest in to get model-worthy looks? Probably a good night’s sleep.