Exclusive: Jasmine Tookes on Pilates and Her $5 Beauty Steal

A common misconception in the beauty industry, and society in general, is that models, actresses, and influencers don't spend time and effort on beauty and wellness rituals like the rest of us. Their routine—or lack thereof—consists of waking up, changing into an effortlessly trendy outfit, and walking out the door. News flash: that couldn't be further from the truth.

Victoria's Secret Angel Jasmine Tookes is proof of that. She's a wellness devotee who's vocal about encouraging healthy lifestyle habits. In fact, she has an entire Instagram account dedicated to sharing her fastidious workout regiment and clean eating habits (she runs the page, @joja, alongside fellow VS Angel Josephine Skriver). She's also a beauty enthusiast who cultivates natural products for a minimalist routine. In other words, she devotes time and money to beauty and wellness rituals, just like the rest of us.

We met up with Tookes in L.A. as she was promoting a Victoria's Secret fragrance called Bombshell Wild Flower. It's a limited-edition version of the brand's original Bombshell fragrance: bright, floral, and unabashed, with notes of desert wildflower, star lotus, and something called "neon rose." The latter is a good description of the scent, as the florals are so bold and so concentrated, they seem almost Technicolor in nature.

When we ask her what feeling or memory the scent invokes, she laughs. "Oh gosh, well it’s called Wild Flower, so all of my wild moments that I have," she jokes. "No, it reminds me of when I feel really good, really powerful. It makes me feel really bold. You spray and it on and you’re like, ‘Okay, I’m going out,’ or ‘I’m gonna kill this meeting.' It gives you that feeling that you can do anything. It’s a sense of confidence."

Victoria's Secret Bombshell Wild Flower Eau de Parfum $23.00

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Wellness

Scroll through Tookes' Instagram (either her personal account or the aforementioned @joja account) and you'll see that fitness is truly an intrinsic part of her life. While she's done almost every type of workout imaginable, Tookes calls Pilates her favorite. "I’ve really gotten into Pilates classes, so I go do that for an hour, I come out, and I feel so much better about myself," she says. "It relieves all my stress, especially if I’ve been traveling a lot."

For her, fitness is a form of self-care. As such, it's not difficult to drum up workout motivation on days when she's feeling uninspired. All she has to do is remember how working out makes her feel. "I always put in my mind how I felt the day before after I worked out," she explains. "If I worked out the day before, then I felt really good, really energized, and ready to do anything. If I just slump down and do nothing my body doesn’t feel good. I have to remind myself."

If all else fails, she turns to an age-old trick: the buddy system. "I call my friend and I’m like, ‘Hey, let’s schedule a workout, cause if not I’m not gonna go,'" she says. "The buddy system is definitely up there at the top of how I stay motivated."

She works out almost every single day that her schedule allows. And get this—she does so without drinking a sip of coffee. Tookes tells us she forgoes our favorite inky beverage in favor of protein smoothies and tea; green tea is her favorite. "Normally I wake up at 9 a.m. I’ll start out with a protein shake. I’m always working out, so I need to make sure I’m giving my muscles protein," she tells us. Her smoothie recipe of choice is quite simple. It's a combination of various superfoods to give her body a nutritious morning kick: "I love to do banana, strawberries, plant protein powder, goji berries, cacao, and a little bit of almond milk."

"I drink my protein shake and go into the bathroom to wash my face," she says. "Then I’ll normally go to my workout and do weight training or a Pilates class. Then—it depends on if I’m shooting or not—if I’m not shooting I’ll normally just chill at home and get some work done."

Skincare and Haircare

Tookes is known for her glowy, radiant skin, and ultra-shiny hair. She credits this to minimalist skincare and haircare routines, focused on natural products (many of which are from her friend and colleague's own brand). "You know whose products I love?" she asks. "She’s a good friend of mine—Miranda Kerr. Her Kora Organics line is amazing. It’s full of essential oils and she has lots of lavender in there, so it’s very calming."

Kora Organics Balancing Rose Mist $34.00

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"She has a rose mist spray which is really awesome," Tookes continues. "She also has a little rose quartz face roller, so if you’re puffy, you can use that." As for the latter, Tookes is referring to the brand's Rose Quartz Heart Facial Sculptor ($58), which works like a Gua Sha tool to lift and sculpt the skin on the face, while also stimulating lymphatic drainage. We mention that it must be a handy beauty accessory to use mid-flight. "It's so good," she agrees.

Tookes begins her skincare routine by removing makeup, which she does with Neutrogena's cult-favorite Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes ($5). "They’re my go-to," she says. "Whenever I work with my makeup artist, I ask for makeup wipes and they’ll put out some other ones and I’m like, ‘No, I need the blue ones!’ They remove everything. I swear by those."

Then she cleanses her skin to remove any residual makeup, dirt, or debris, and moisturizes with natural oils. "Normally I just do cleanser; I love oils," she says. "Now I've just gotten into toners, so I’ve been using a Ole Henriksen toner. It’s so good; I love it. Maybe I am a toner girl now." She laughs. "I also like to use vitamin e and vitamin c on my skin," she continues. "I always have fresh aloe vera in my fridge, so I’ll put that on my face."

Ole Henriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner $28.00

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The toner is formulated with witch hazel, lemon, and glycolic and lactic acid to treat dark spots; this is convenient for Tookes, seeing as she names hyperpigmentation as her biggest skin concern. "I get hyperpigmentation really easily, cause I’m dark," she says. "I swear by not putting my face in the sun. Whenever I go out into the sun, I wear a hat and try to keep my face out of it. It’s super key. "

The theme of her beauty routine can be summed up with one phrase: consistently simple. She uses a small number of effective products and takes practical preventative measures (like keeping her face out of the sun). Her low-key beauty approach probably stems from her job as a supermodel. She's around so much makeup and styling in her work life, that she likes to keep it simple on her days off. "I try to keep my hair untouched whenever I’m not working," she says. "During work shoots they’re always blowing it out and straightening it or curling it, so it gets really damaged. I like to put castor oil in my hair—or I’ll do olive oil—and I’ll sleep with it in there to keep it really moisturized. I try to do that once a week. I feel like it’s the only thing that keeps my hair together."