‘Today my beauty routine consists of short showers, lots of moisturizer and rocking the clean and simple look,’ model Crista Cober says. ‘Less is more.’
You've been modelling for a long time now and have done international runway shows, major campaigns for The Gap, Topshop, Armani Exchange and Balmain, among others, and now you are starring in the video ad campaign for the new Yves Saint Laurent fragrance, Mon Paris. Oh, and in between you got married, travelled the world and had a baby. So what gets you out of bed in the morning?
Yes, 13 years and counting! Finding new things to do is what gets me out of bed every day.
You are a Canadian girl at heart, born and raised in Wellesley in Southwestern Ontario, and here you are personifying Paris style. How did you channel your inner Parisienne for this latest gig?
I am Canadian all the way. But for the Mon Paris campaign I channelled the free spirit and strong personality of the French woman. I love Paris and every time I'm there, I feel so inspired by the Parisian woman. She knows what she wants, and she goes for it.
But you still keep a place in Toronto, don't you? Or where's home?
My home is my family. I rely on them during all my travels.
Growing up, did you want to be a model? Or how did modelling find you?
Growing up I had no intention of being a model. I was scouted just after I finished high school and signed with an agency in Toronto. And that's where everything started.
Many of today's new faces are Instagram discoveries. How do you use social media to keep yourself noticed?
I use social media as my chance to share the photos of me that I take and love.
What was your last selfie and about whom or what did you last tweet?
I am not a Tweeter. My last selfie I took was of my daughter sleeping in my arms.
The YSL video shows you lip-locked with French actor and model Jérémie Laheurte while traversing the major landmarks of Paris, from the Eiffel Tower to the rooftop of the Palais Garnier. In between you hit the bars of Canal Saint-Martin and the Métro, moving to the rhythms of Jack White's 2011 cover of U2's Love is Blindness. How did you manage that marathon kiss without smearing your red lipstick on the collar of your –and his– YSL Le Smoking ensemble?
That lipstick is YSL Vernis à Lèvres glossy stain. Very long lasting.
Modelling careers are notoriously short but yours keeps on going and in new directions. How do you account for your longevity in a business always focused on the next big thing?
I account my strong Canadian work ethic and good genes. I am lucky to be surrounded by talented, creative and caring people.
We touched on motherhood, and Canadian women want to know, what's your beauty routine today and how does it fit around diaper changes?
Today my beauty routine consists of short showers, lots of moisturizer and rocking the clean and simple look. Less is more.
What's next? Have you more rooftops yet to climb?
Yes, I will keep on climbing. I am looking forward to future opportunities.
This interview has been edited and condensed.