Joan Smalls didn’t always stand out in a crowd. “It was really easy for some girls to get booked automatically into an agency, but I had to go to appointment after appointment and a gazillion castings, and sometimes no one looked at me at all,” the model, who initially wanted to be a veterinarian, told Porter magazine. “I would cry out of frustration because I didn’t understand why. I didn’t want to quit. I’m determined. That’s the fuel for my fire. I’m like, ‘I’m going to show you. Sooner or later you’ll see what happens when you don’t believe in someone.’” Now considered one of the fashion industry’s finest, Smalls walks the runways for Lanvin, Michael Kors and Givenchy — and has one of the most covetable street styles in Hollywood. Stylish spotlights the 28-year-old’s top hair and makeup looks.
Beauty of the Day: 5 Secrets of Joan Smalls’ Style
Joan Smalls didn’t always stand out in a crowd. “It was really easy for some girls to get booked automatically into an agency, but I had to go to appointment after appointment and a gazillion castings, and sometimes no one looked at me at all,” the model, who initially wanted to be a veterinarian, told Porter magazine. “I would cry out of frustration because I didn’t understand why. I didn’t want to quit. I’m determined. That’s the fuel for my fire. I’m like, ‘I’m going to show you. Sooner or later you’ll see what happens when you don’t believe in someone.’” Now considered one of the fashion industry’s finest, Smalls walks the runways for Lanvin, Michael Kors and Givenchy — and has one of the most covetable street styles in Hollywood. Stylish spotlights the 28-year-old’s top hair and makeup looks.
Joan Smalls didn’t always stand out in a crowd. “It was really easy for some girls to get booked automatically into an agency, but I had to go to appointment after appointment and a gazillion castings, and sometimes no one looked at me at all,” the model, who initially wanted to be a veterinarian, told Porter magazine. “I would cry out of frustration because I didn’t understand why. I didn’t want to quit. I’m determined. That’s the fuel for my fire. I’m like, ‘I’m going to show you. Sooner or later you’ll see what happens when you don’t believe in someone.’” Now considered one of the fashion industry’s finest, Smalls walks the runways for Lanvin, Michael Kors and Givenchy — and has one of the most covetable street styles in Hollywood. Stylish spotlights the 28-year-old’s top hair and makeup looks.
"[Don't] wear too much makeup!” the Puerto Rico native (in Michael Kors at an event in NYC October 17, 2016) told Cosmopolitan. "I love makeup, but sometimes it's better to look translucent and see your skin instead of covering it and putting on a mask. Latin women are so beautiful to start with, they don't need to cover up so much. You should just highlight and accentuate what you have.” Case in point: those cheekbones!
The star (at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills February 26, 2017) describes her style as “fun, sexy, tomboy.” As for the one thing in her closet she’d never part with — it’s a leather blazer, which she told Harper’s Bazaar is a “good investment and a timeless piece."
“I love Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair, the serum,” the brand spokesmodel (at the MTV Music Awards in NYC August 28, 2016) told Harper’s Bazaar. “I always mix that in with my moisturizer. Even though the bottle says ‘Night,’ I still use it throughout the day so I get the benefits all the time." When she’s in a pinch, she’ll put honey on her face “for a moisturizing home-remedy.”
For an event in NYC on June 6, 2016, Smalls modeled Givenchy’s off-the-shoulder cut. "I don’t diet. I’m Puerto Rican! You can never take my rice, pork and beans away. Plus, I love to cook. I’m one of those people who stay in the kitchen standing while everything is cooking, checking on everything. I picked that up from my grandmother. So yeah, I’m still going to indulge. I just do the extra 10 minutes at the gym. I’ve been boxing since college,” she told Glamour.
Before pulling out the stops on the red carpet, the 5-foot-11 stunner (wearing Altuzarra at the Tony Awards in NYC June 12, 2016) does a dress rehearsal at home. “See how you feel, and take a picture. The picture is important — see how it looks in photographs, and then make your decision,” she told Allure.
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