What makes a woman an icon? The number of social media followers she has, or the number of girls who dress up as her for Halloween? Is it a woman's ability to shake things up, or simply her enviable bone structure? According to Merriam-Webster, an icon is “an object of uncritical devotion”—in which case, model Anja Rubik fits the definition to a (well-tailored) T.
A muse of Karl Lagerfeld and favorite on the runways of Chanel, Chloé, and Gucci, the Polish-born model has certainly left her mark on the modeling world—just flip through any major magazine and you’ll see the proof. But this year, Rubik is venturing down a new path—that of a creator, rather than muse. Her newly-launched fragrance, Original, is a soft, lily-based scent that Rubik says is "more than just a beautiful smell."
We hopped on a call with her expecting to learn about her fragrance, and perhaps pick up a skincare tip or two. Instead, Rubik turned out to be a fount of beauty knowledge, with a wealth of product recommendations, makeup tricks, and hair advice that she was more than happy to divulge. Keep scrolling to find out Rubik’s fragrance philosophy, why she rarely shampoos, all about her love of fake freckles, and more!
On Hair
Trusted Colorist
“My biggest secret is my colorist. Although we talk about texture, having the color done the right way also gives the right texture to your hair. My colorist is at Suite Caroline in Soho—Lena Ott. She is amazing.”
Model-Off-Duty Hair
“I have a lot of products, a lot of things done to my hair constantly on shoots, so it tends to get a little dry. If I don’t have to, I won’t wash my hair for as long as I can. When you over-wash your hair and you use too much shampoo, it dries your hair out. When I do wash my hair, I like La Biosthetique products. Also, I use a lot of oils—I love adding some Moroccanoil ($43) in after I wash my hair.
I brush my hair when I wash it and then I don’t brush it until I wash it again. I don’t blow-dry my hair, so I usually go to sleep with wet hair. Obviously there are different ways to do that kind of model-off-duty texture. You can do little buns on top of your head, and then when you let it go, it has that natural wave. Or, try a French brand with a dry shampoo—I like Klorane’s Dry Shampoo($20). And also a little bit of hairspray; L’oreal Elnett ($13) is a classic. Just put your hair upside down and mess it up, it gives you nice boost. I brush it, then apply some oils, then let it go."
