Mouchette Bell may have the sculpted cheekbones and elegant linearism of a Modigliani muse, but that’s not why she looks familiar. Decades after modeling for major fashion photographers like Peter Lindbergh and Patrick Demarchelier, the “model turned style editor turned model again” is back on the runways—and she couldn’t be happier. “It’s easy to develop little insecurities as you get older, but today’s modeling world is very come as you are, which is truly life affirming for me.”
Born in Ireland to an Irish mother and African father, Bell’s beauty caught the eye of legendary creatives like editor Franca Sozzani. In the early ‘80s, Bell started landing jobs in magazines like Vogue Italia and Mademoiselle, the latter of which she eventually served as Accessories Editor. Then, she became Fashion Editor at British Vogue, and went on to contribute to the likes of Elle, Tatler and Vanity Fair. “I’ve had a few careers in my lifetime,” she says with a laugh. The one constant? Bell’s striking beauty look: a bright lip, two long braids and naturally glowing skin—no Botox needed. “The young models all love that I’ve got some lines,” she says.
What’s Bell’s secret? Every day begins with a shower, followed by a trusted lineup of moisturizers for her face, hair and lips, and then a 10-to 60-minute meditation. “It tunes me into feeling positive,” says the Buddhist of her twice daily practice, which began nearly two decades ago. “I think part of looking good is feeling good.”
If the day is spent at home in her London flat, she’ll go makeup-free to practice qigong, a form of tai chi, for exercise. If she’s heading out, Bell applies Skin Activator Serum on her face. “It reminds me of this one shoot in Jamaica where a masseuse applied fresh aloe onto our face and body,” she says of the deeply hydrating serum, which she follows with Vital Skin Foundation Stick— blended onto dark spots or under her eyes.
In her bag, she always carries a favorite red “lippee.” Right now, her daily go-to is Lip Suede Matte Lipstick in Le Rouge. “A pop of red gives me this healthy look,” she says. “I’d probably look younger if I did Botox, but I’m too scared of needles. I just want to age as gracefully as I can.”
