HELLO, IT’S ME: Annalisa Arcando, Moustachic.

LOCATION: Milan.

WHAT’S ABOUT: My makeup and skincare routine, the products I use every day.

AROUND THE WORLD

I was born in Brussels because my dad was there for work. We came back here in Milan when I was three years old and I stayed here until high school when my dad had to move back again to Brussels and I decided to follow him. There, I attended the International School. And there my creativity exploded: it’s a kind of school that leaves you a lot of spare time, to really understand what your skills are, they do a lot of tests to help you choose the next study program in a very scrupulous way.

There I attended an art course and one day some schools came to make a curricular presentation. One of them was the Central Saint Martins from London, and I fell in love with it, but I had to do a whole year of preparation before and I didn’t really want to waste all that time without having the certainty to get in. Also, I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay for three years in London.

“…my creativity exploded.”

So, I did an interview to enroll in the Istituto Marangoni. The first year was challenging, our class started with 30 students and we finished the third year with only 13 of us. The first year I studied in London, but the city and I never hit it off, the second year I studied in Milan and the third year I went to Paris. I chose Paris a little bit out of curiosity, it’s beautiful but let’s say it…I love Milan!

Now I like Paris very much and probably I would go back to live there, but the fashion environment was hard, the relationships with people weren’t the best, I liked staying at home watching the “Big Bang Theory” [laugh].

Then I went back to Milan and worked for Vanity Fair as a secretary assistant, and I also helped to organize stuff during Fashion Weeks. It was a good experience and while I was there, the assistant to the director told me that Barbara Bartolini, the main stylist of the magazine, was looking for an assistant. Barbara was the only person who had shouted at me during the fashion weeks for something I still think I didn’t do. So, initially, I thought I didn’t want to work for her but when I met her I realized she was the most beautiful person in the world: very strict at work but a true mentor and I stayed with her for about a year and a half and together during which we did covers and the Venice Film Festival.

“I chose Paris a little bit out of curiosity, it’s beautiful but let’s say it…I love Milan!”

I had a lot of fun and I liked it, but I missed the most creative part. Doing covers is not easy because you have to follow the “VIP rules.” And then celebrities might also have collaborations with brands, so we had to pay attention to that aspect and creativity wasn’t part of it.

MOUSTACHIC BLOG

Between London and Milan, I had been living in New York and right there I started my blog, a bit for fun, but while I was working for Vanity Fair I didn’t have the time to develop all my ideas.

When I realized that the editorial/magazine life was not for me, I decided to leave it and do something of my own. I wanted to make a T-shirt line, so I started to study a bit of marketing and communication until I got a call from an agency in Milan asking me to be part of their team of bloggers and that’s how it all started.

THE GLAM SQUAD:

– Espressoh Lipsticks

– Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Foundation and Clinique Even Better Glow Foundation

– The Skincare from Hervivore Botanicals

– Frank Body Scrubs and Lipglosses

– Cicapair By Dr. Jart

– Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara

– Tatoo Liner by Kat Von D

BEAUTY ROUTINE

THIS IS HOW I ROLL:

My favorite foundation is the Pro Filt’r by Fenty Beauty, but I use it when I have to take pictures because it has a perfect finish. For every day I use Clinique’s foundation, Even Better Glow. I have been using it for a long time and it’s great.

I don’t use too many lipsticks, but right now I like the ones by Espressoh, in particular, the shade Aroma Corretto. Generally, I like a nice red lipstick but only for an event, or to shoot a particular photo. I am a bit distracted, so I prefer something like a lipgloss on a cherry color and hydrating.

I’m one of those people who never go to bed without removing makeup or without applying moisturizer and, if it happens, I wake up pissed off, I don’t know why (laughs).

Now I’m obsessed with the silk pillowcases: your hair will feel the difference. You wake up and your hair is combed because silk has these properties that let both the skin and hair breath. It really works.

“Now I’m obsessed with the silk pillowcases: your hair will feel the difference.”

Moisturizers have always been a must for me – thanks to my grandmother. People always asked her, “How can you have a skin like that?” and she always said that the secret is to never forget to apply the moisturizer and I was impressed by this thing.

As a day moisturizer I use the Pink Cloud by Herbivore, while for the night, always from the same brand, I use the Moon Cloud and the Créme de La Mer. This last one I warm it up with my fingers before applying it on my skin.

One of my favorite masks is Blue Tansy by Herbivore, I love it and it has a crazy good scent.

Three accessories for my skincare routine that I recently added are the Ufo by Foreo for the masks, and then the Foreo Moon, to clean the face and I really see the difference. I also use the Jade Roller by Herbivore with their oil.

“Moisturizers have always been a must for me – thanks to my grandmother.”

BEAUTY IS CHANGING

Last year I attended the Condé Nast Academy and the topic of my dissertation was “beauty as inclusion:” an ideal of beauty that is not related to total perfection but that sheds light on the importance of including everyone and the importance of meeting the consumer needs. For example, when last year Nars announced that it would extend its business to China, and by doing so, moving towards animal testing, I thought they wanted to commit suicide. Such a thing can really lead to a change of interest and target.

I used not to pay so much attention to these things but now, with the work I do, and and the fact of being always exposed, I want to be more careful.

As a brand which is following inclusion, I presented Glossier, but I have to admit I haven’t tried any of their product yet since they don’t ship to Italy. Last year Glossier made the advertisement for their body products where there were naked girls, completely different from each other, with normal bodies and not retouched. Beautiful photos around town showing different skin colors, sizes and kind of beauty. Completely out of the aesthetics you see every day.

“…different skin colors, sizes and kind of beauty. Completely out of the aesthetics you see every day.”

In addition to Glossier, I spoke about Frank Body, a brand on which I spend a ridiculous amount of money: all that is made with coffee for me is religion and their coffee scrub is unique. Their products are also amazing for psoriasis, acne and stretch marks. Their Frank Body lipgloss is the best, it’s made with coffee and it’s crazy good. They have played on women diversity too.

Another brand with a similar philosophy with which I had the opportunity to collaborate is Herbivore Botanicals. They make products with very nice packaging and the product itself are a “wow” for me, they are really good. They have also a beautiful Instagram page.

DREAM BEAUTY PROJECT

I’d like to do a campaign like the one that Glossier did last year. I don’t know if I will have the courage. I receive many comments that tell me that I’m confident with my body and yes, it’s true, but not so much as people think.

“…all that is made with coffee for me is religion.”

A BEAUT(Y)FUL TRIP

The trip that I liked the most in terms of style was the one to New York: the City frees me of any fear and uncertainty. In New York I feel “the queen of the world,” I have a kind of creativity that I have never had in any other city. I had the chance to live there and I felt free.

On a beauty level, this summer I went with the girls to the Bahamas, and that trip installed in me something new. It was about a certain kind of peace, given by the endless white beach and there was no one. A feeling of peace that made me appear in photos even more self-confident, more natural. That’s the thing I like the most. The pictures that I love are those in which I’m at the beach with messy hair or that aren’t perfect but where I feel beautiful.

“The pictures that I love are those in which I’m at the beach with messy hair or that aren’t perfect but where I feel beautiful.”

MY FAVORITE TV/FILM BEAUTY LOOK:

I always get confused when they ask me this question. For me, there is no TV series in the world like “Friends.” It’s a series that I know very well, and I’m not even a person who often re-reads a book or re-watch a movie, but “Friends” relaxes me.

But, as a beauty look, I like the transformation of Anne Hathaway in “The Princess Diaries.”

Photos by Johnny Carrano.

Follow Annalisa: @moustachic.