Model, entrepreneur and philanthropist Flaviana Matata on her favorite beauty hacks
She has been named one of the world’s top-10 Black models and is the founder of the Flaviana Matata Foundation, which provides educational opportunities for young girls in Tanzania. Here, Matata shares why skincare is more important to her than makeup, her love of spas and the lo-fi beauty basic she (and her grandma) swear by
The first thing I do in the morning…
…is say my prayers, after which I drink a glass of water. I also have days when I wake up and check my phone, but I'm working on not doing this.
My skincare routine is pretty simple
I clean my face using Dr. Susan’s High Performance Clear Acne System, followed by Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum. When it comes to moisturizers, I switch it up depending on how my skin feels, but I do use Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Sun Drops if I plan on leaving the house. Most importantly, I try to drink a lot of water during the day to stay hydrated. If I wake up with puffy skin, I rub ice around my face – especially under my eyes. And, if I do pamper myself, it has to be during the day, as I get super-lazy in the evenings – I’ll dry brush, use the Dr. Barbara Sturm Face Mask, light a Lavy scented candle from my own line, and take a bath.
I don’t enjoy working out…
…but I know it’s important for my physical and mental health. So, unless I’m working out with my trainer (doing Nofar Method Pilates), you’ll never find me in the gym working out by myself. I’ve tried fasting but can only manage a few hours; food is everything to me and I get very grumpy when I’m hungry.
The best pictures of me are when I’m not wearing much makeup
My go-to [for an event] is just some mascara, eyeliner and a very well-moisturized face. I invest more on my skin to make sure it’s glowy, because I don’t like wearing foundation. But if I do have a big red-carpet event, I try to have a facial the day before.
I love spas
Two of my favorites in New York are IMD Beauty Spa, which is the dream when I need a good lymphatic massage and an infrared sauna – I always leave feeling so light after getting rid of the toxins in my body; and Dr. Barbara Sturm for facials at its Soho pop-up store. You can’t go wrong with either of these spots!
I don’t care what people say about Vaseline…
…it’s one of my go-to products. My grandma has the best skin and it’s the only product she’s used for years. I once got a skin rash while I was out – she advised me to apply Vaseline and it completely healed me!