Like many couples these days, model Josephine Skriver and singer/songwriter Alexander DeLeon couldn’t escape a few Covid interruptions when it came to planning their nuptials. Three dates, a location change from the U.S. to Mexico so her Europe-based family and friends could attend (because of U.S. restrictions on Europeans entering the country), and a last-minute hairstylist replacement were three of the blips. But none of it seems to have deflated this optimistic couple. And eventually, over the first weekend in April, with Cabo as a backdrop, they got the wedding they dreamed of. Before saying her I Do’s, Skriver generously carved time out of her busy wedding weekend to discuss all things beauty with Sunday Edit. The model and her makeup artist, Leah Darcy, divulged all the details on skin prep for the big day, their thoughts on trends vs. going classic, and the unexpected Sunday Riley product they use as a highlighter.
Glow Getter
Darcy usually recommends to bridal clients, who have included fellow model and Skriver’s best friend/business partner, Jasmine Tookes, to start prepping skin “at least a few months” in advance of the big day. And Skriver, 28, happily obliged. “I’ve been super consistent with the skincare routine,” she says. “My normal routine is I wash my face and I use the pink spray first — that’s a new trick I’ve learned.” (She’s referring to Sunday Riley’s Pink Drink Firming Resurfacing Essence, which promotes the skin microbiome, firms the skin and adds a preliminary layer of moisture in one fine spritz.) “And I love Auto Correct eye cream — it has helped my dark circles; I’ve used it for three months now, and it’s made such an improvement. And then — not every day, but some days — I follow with Good Genes, and if not, I’ll go straight to the vitamin C serum, followed by the C cream.” This is the super-hydrating combination of C.E.O. Brightening Serum and C.E.O. Afterglow Vitamin C Gel Cream, both excellent at brightening and hydrating the skin, which is a must for this former Victoria’s Secret Angel. “I moved to L.A. and had to rethink my whole skincare routine because it’s so dry. Vitamin C has changed my skin. It’s not as dry anymore.” And finally, what she calls her most important step: Sunscreen. “And not just here in Mexico, but every day. I will not leave the house without sunscreen.”
“I’ve also been upping my facials,” says Skriver. Darcy says to start doing facials “or things you wouldn’t normally do in your routine, like lasers, so you can get your skin used to more treatments.” Why? “In case you do a harsh treatment too close to the wedding day, and the skin has a reaction,” she explains. In the days leading up to the wedding, Skriver’s had daily facials using the Sunday Riley suite of products, focusing on “lymphatic drainage and getting the blood flowing.” Likewise, the 150 wedding guests and bridal party have been given the option to have a facial pre-wedding. “My whole wedding party will be glowing.” And so will the groom. “We’ve been doing facials together every day,” says the bride. “He’s stoked to get them. And I’ve gotten him onto eye cream and sunscreen.”
Beyond the skincare routine, what else has Skriver done to get her skin its most luminous? “I’ve treated my wedding like Victoria’s Secret fashion show and started working out heavily for the last three months and took an hour for myself to get all the stress out of my body and feel my absolute best when I walk down the aisle.” Skriver is a fitness enthusiast and even has an activewear line with BFF Tookes, called JOJA and the duo post-workout ideas and healthy living tips on the brand’s Instagram page.
Water, clean eating and minimizing toxins and stress are also key to skin looking its best. “Definitely drink a lot of water,” advises Darcy. Adds Skriver: “I’ve been more cautious with drinking a ton of water. I had this whole plan of not drinking a lot of coffee and alcohol, but then I arrived in Mexico, and all my friends and family were here…but I’m good with my water!” Darcy recommends clean food, juices, and “trying not to party too much” the night before the wedding. Also, “Try to stay relaxed and not stress too much because that does have an effect on your skin.”
Wedding Day Makeup
Because Skriver and Darcy have collaborated for more than three years — their first time working together was Oscars night 2019, when Skriver attended Elton John’s viewing party, followed by the Vanity Fair do — they didn’t need a run-through for the makeup, though that’s something Darcy recommends other brides do. “I could do Jo’s makeup with a blindfold on.” But if you’re not used to a glam team doing your hair and makeup, “Do a test run. You want to have people that you trust do your hair and makeup for your special day, so you know what to expect and you’re not stressed out about it.”
Skriver knew what she wanted when it came to her look: Timeless, classic, beautiful. “I want to be able to look at the pictures and think it could be now or ten years or 20 years from now. That’s the common theme with the wedding — we didn’t want anything too trendy.” And Darcy agrees: “Some brides make the mistake of doing a look they wouldn’t usually go for. And they look back and wish they’d done a classic, simple look that looked like themselves.”
That’s not to say Skriver and Darcy don’t experiment at other times: “I like to play with makeup on the red carpet or for parties,” says the model, who has practically worn it all on fashion runways, glossy editorials and major fashion campaigns. But her wedding is not one of these times. “I told Leah I want to go a little more natural but still glowing and pretty — just luminous and great.”
The focus for the duo has been to get the skin in its best shape, so less foundation is required, which is also key in a warm environment like Cabo. “We had a white party [where guests all wore white] yesterday, and you could see everybody had hugged each other, and there were a few foundation shoulders,” Skriver laughs. “That’s why skin has been so important for me, so you don’t need much to cover up.”
So what are some of the wedding-day essentials in Darcy’s kit? Definitely the Auto Correct eye cream, “Which is a brightening cream as well,” explains Darcy. “I mix it with concealer to give a really luminous effect around the eyes. I can also use it as a highlight [on the face] because it’s really pearlescent and pretty.”
For foundation, she has Tom Ford stick foundation for “a natural, creamy finish that’s not too heavy.” She loves Hourglass Cosmetics’ “really luminous setting powder that we use for glow and to set Jo’s makeup.” And for eyes, she has Pat McGrath eyeshadow palettes and Hourglass Cosmetics Unlocked Mascara: “It separates each lash like lash extensions — it’s a gorgeous mascara.”
For lips that have staying power, Darcy recommends a lip pencil topped with gloss or lip balm. She’s using the new Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil, which she calls “beautiful and natural” — right in line with Skriver’s beauty goals for the day. For touch-ups throughout the day, Darcy “loves a good facial mist like Sunday Riley Pink Drink, which is light and refreshing and perfect to reset the makeup.” She’ll also dab Auto Correct eye cream on the under eye area for a quick eye refresh when any dryness creeps in.
For hair, Skriver requested a clean, simple bun for three reasons: “I want to stay away from trends to be timeless; It fits my veil well, and we’re in a hot place, so I didn’t want my curls to fall.” Because her original hairstylist had to bow out, very capable pro Glenn Ellis stepped in to create her hairstyles throughout the wedding weekend, including the ‘90s bombshell volume for the white party.
Skriver’s given the bridesmaids free rein on their tresses: “Hair up or down — it’s up to the individual. I want them to be happy. And that’s the same for their dresses — they’re all wearing the same color, but they picked their shape for their body type.” She did, however, make a request for the makeup: “I requested they do fairly natural makeup — not too heavy because I want them to be themselves.”
And what about the groom’s grooming? Pretty straightforward, says Skriver: “I was asked how short or long my fiancé’s beard should be. We landed on a number two, but I don’t know what a number two fully means. Other than that, I just want people to be themselves and be happy.”
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