We tend to equate the word "model" with perfection, and while it's true they're blessed with the "ridiculously good looking" gene, it doesn't mean that they're impervious to beauty mayhem. Models deal with zits and bad dye jobs and waxing-gone-haywire like the rest of us. Want proof? Just read through these hilarious "beauty disasters" (we can laugh now because it's in the past) that runway models shared with us backstage at NYFW.
Image via Imaxtree
Image via Imaxtree
"I was trying to go for that silver-gray hair trend a few years ago, and I ended up bleaching my hair to the max capacity and the next thing I knew I had a very short chemical-induced haircut. What was supposed to be very cool blonde edgy hair turned into a Sia bob," said Denise Bidot at The Blonds (the irony!). "It was a shit-show for a second there. Some of the front pieces were so short that it looked like I literally shaved my head, and it took a really long time to grow back. Jonathan Van Ness is my go-to stylist and he really helped save my hair after that. He told me he knew he loved me after I turned around with my short, terrible hair and said to him, 'I'm still cute, right?'"
Image via Wendy Rose Gould
Image via Wendy Rose Gould
My biggest beauty disaster — and I'm sure we've all had this one happen — is just basically waxing almost my entire eyebrows off. This happened right before a NYFW show about four years ago, and they're just growing back now," said Hunter McGrady, who we spoke to at Chromat. "I had to draw them in until they grew back again. I found that Anastasia Beverly Hills' brow pencil is amazing for that. Also, Boy Brow from Glossier is another one of my favorites because it volumizes them a bit."
Image via Wendy Rose Gould
Image via Wendy Rose Gould
"I was in Mexico City and got a facial with extractions, and it was super, super harsh," said Ashley Karah, who we spoke to backstage at Rebecca Minkoff. "They basically extracted everything — even things that weren't quite ready to come out. It definitely helped my skin in the end, but I had really red and inflamed skin with marks and stayed in the house for days afterward."
Image via Wendy Rose Gould
Image via Wendy Rose Gould
"I dropped my curling iron on my leg one time, and it left a pretty obvious burn mark. I covered it up as best as I could, but really I just had to live with it for a while. Even now, it still has a little bit of a white mark where it burned my skin," recalled Isabella Rickel at Alice + Olivia.
Image via Wendy Rose Gould
Image via Wendy Rose Gould