Scouted at school by a friend’s mother who just happened to be an agent, Lucinda Taffs is now very much doing the ‘planes are my home’ fashion thing as a model and photographer, including creating her very own original content with girlfriends like Bambi Northwood-Blyth. She invited us into her eclectic New York home and told us about the NYC salon she swears does the best blonde, and what the one exercise is that she feels you can never do enough of.

“Every day, there are two steps – first, wake up, second, coffee. Then I shower and wash my hair with Shu Uemura’s Ultimate Remedy range.

I absolutely swear by their shampoo and conditioner, and do the treatment once a week. In the shower I also cleanse with Milky Jelly cleanser from Glossier (Ed note: not available in Australia). Sometimes I do a full dry brush and then moisturise my body with coconut oil and my face with a rosehip oil.

I have very sensitive skin so I try to stick to old favorites and natural products to avoid reactions.

I also love to do face masks at home, and find Peter Thomas Roth are they best as there is one for every need, from exfoliation to hydration. Along with having an amethyst (my birthstone) nearby, some of my everyday favourite treatment products to help my mood and stress include Loewe 001 Woman (I can’t live without this smell), Crop natural rose oil and Essential Rose Life’s Lavender Light Mist (Ed. note: both not available in Australia).

I usually do a light foundation and pinky lip and cheek, plenty of highlighter and lots of lashes.

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is my go to, as it is long lasting and natural. I always use it with Caudalie facial mist that I keep in my bag, both because it freshens my makeup after a long day and also because it feels amazing, a nice pick me up. I really like Glossier’s Boy Brow gel for natural yet defined brows (Ed. note: not available in Australia) and Charlotte Tilbury mascara for the eye. At night I amp it up with one of Charlotte Tilbury’s red lipsticks, and do a cat eye with a liquid liner.

I have salons in both Sydney and New York that I really trust for all the necessary maintenance.

In Sydney I see Melanie Grant for facials and get my hair done at Wild Life Hair. In New York I get infrared sauna treatments at Higher Dose and go to Cutler for my hair – they do the best blonde.

I am so lucky with my work that I get to play around with beauty. I love getting my makeup done and being able try out different looks.

It can get pretty exhausting with all the upkeep many of us women do. Sometimes it’s nice just to be super natural, and let your skin breathe.

I don’t know that I can say I have one definite style, because what I gravitate towards changes so much depending on what city I am in and the climate.

My favorite designers are Proenza Schuler, Paco Rabanne, Jacquemus, Ganni and Orseund Iris. I am also a big vintage shopper and find a lot of things on Etsy. I recently bought a Jacquemus white shirt dress that I’m never taking off, and a beautiful black one shoulder Roland Mouret dress. I always love the way his clothes fit.

It may sound like a model cliche but I do a lot of exercise and don’t mind the odd detox.

My regular routine here in New York includes SoulCycle, lots of walking, and sessions on the pilates reformer at a class called SLT. Twice a year I do a detox, like the amazing Sakara Life one I just finished. In Sydney I love to run the Bondi to Bronte and take Physicore reformer classes. I really find an Epsom salts bath and meditation help with stress. I genuinely feel my best after a lot of sleep and when I know I’m living in a healthy way.

My normal diet is based on salad, quinoa, sweet potato, avocado, and fish… but if I feel like a cheat day and want a pizza, I’ll eat a pizza. I think ‘everything in moderation’ is the best way to eat.

I love making healthy smoothies. My favorite right now is:

  • half a banana
  • frozen blueberries
  • almond milk (I don’t have any dairy in my diet)
  • spinach
  • greens powder
  • coconut oil
  • almond butter
  • protein powder (usually hemp)

I also take a probiotic every day and love CBD oil as it helps manage aches, pains and anxiety.

I try not to spend too much time thinking about my appearance because it can become unhealthy, but the reality of working as a model is you are told what works and what doesn’t constantly.

I think my eyes are my favourite feature, I guess because they get the most compliments. I also don’t mind my feet, haha. But then I hate my ears (it’s just one of those weird things) and my butt, because I have to do about 7000 squats a day to get one.

My mum always encouraged us to be ourselves and to feel free to experiment. She never told me how I was ‘supposed’ to look, she let me be myself.

As well as mum, I also had another great beauty inspiration in my family – my late Grandma Pearl. She always had her hair perfectly done right up until she passed away in her late nighties. I love that. When it comes to ageing, I just think there’s nothing worse than people with too much work done. I want to follow in my family’s footsteps and age gracefully!

Story by Zoe Briggs.

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