If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair, but the hand sanitizer and the electric toothbrush. We asked model Imaan Hammam — who recently launched a collection with Frame — about the cereal, perfume, and sunscreen she can’t live without.
I’m not really a coffee drinker; I’m more of a tea person. Arizona is something that I grew up with. Growing up in Amsterdam, you could get it everywhere: every supermarket, every deli. I remember that I loved the packaging with the flowers on it; I was just attracted to it when I was young. I drink maybe like five a day — are people going to think I’m crazy? Okay, maybe I drink two a day. The green tea gives me a little wake up if I need it.
I have a couple of perfumes, but Killian is definitely the one that I use the most. It’s just a very refreshing smell. I was in Qatar and went to this mall and this woman was like, “Oh, try Killian,” and I remember looking at the bottle and the packaging and thinking it is so beautiful. It comes in this white case with a snake on it, like a gold snake. The bottle looks nice enough to be décor. And then the smell is really good. So yeah, it was a perfect match. I also just love the name “Good Girl Gone Bad.” When I’m going to have a fun night out with my girlfriends, that’s when I put it on, because the smell is just very sexy, like, “Oh, I’m trying to be cute.”
Something I’ve been using for years now, since I was 13, 14 years old. I always have lip balm. I can’t leave my apartment without it, especially during winter. This is really moisturizing, and it doesn’t really have color. I have it in every bag. It’s easy to carry and apply, so I use it every day.
My day-to-day moisturizer. What I love about it is that it has SPF, which I need every day. I get a facial at this place called Advanced Skin Care Day Spa twice a month, and the facialist told me that this is a good fit for me. It’s very moisturizing and everybody should put SPF on their face every day. I used to not use SPF because I was like, “Oh, no, I’m darker,” but over the years I’ve learned how it’s really dangerous for skin to have full-on sun. I use it in the winter, but I also really like it on the beach — really, you can use it anywhere, any day. After I shower, I put a serum on and then I apply the
X-Treme Cream; sometimes I apply makeup, sometimes I just put the cream on and mix it with rose oil. It just kind of makes my face set for the day.
Every day when I wake up, I light a candle. That’s just part of my ritual; candles radiate a vibe in your environment, especially at home. Diptyque Baies is my favorite smell. The first time I got the candle was as a gift from someone. The smell is so refreshing and also warm, in a way. From that day on, I’ve bought boxes of the candles so I always have one in my apartment. I travel with them as well — one is always in my suitcase wherever I go.
I have two favorite cereals — Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruity Pebbles — but if I had to choose, it’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch because I love the taste of cinnamon with milk. Growing up in Amsterdam, we didn’t have Cinnamon Toast Crunch, so I discovered it when I moved to New York at 16 and didn’t really know how to make breakfast or cook. Now I’m obsessed. I can’t stop. I’ll have it maybe two times a day.
I have very ashy dry skin, especially during the winter. It’s like, really bad — I get cracks on my legs. I started using this maybe a year ago; I saw it at Duane Reade and thought, “Let me try this.” I’ve been using it ever since and I’m so happy with the results. My skin is just so much more hydrated. I’ve used so many oils and similar products, and I feel like this is the best one. Sometimes I mix it with Moroccan argan oil.
My hairstylist put me on to this. He works at a salon called Suite Reyad, which is where I always go when I want a color or a cut. After using many shampoos and conditioners, I’m really happy with this product. My hair is so much healthier. It has some kind of keratin in it and makes my hair softer. I don’t wash my hair that often, maybe twice a week, because it’s curly. Because I don’t wash my hair that often, when I do, it has to be with a good shampoo that can actually clean it, but also moisturize and hydrate.
If I bruise or cut myself, it’s a miracle product. I learned from my mom to always have it on me, and I use it for anything, even on my pimples. I was in Africa and getting a lot of mosquito bites, so I used it on them. Sometimes they get infected — I had a mosquito bite get infected, so I applied the tea-tree oil on it every day, and it was gone in like three days.
I wake up to music. I fall asleep to music. If I feel good, I listen to music. If I feel sad, I listen to music. I also want to make music — I have a guitar that I’m trying to learn how to play. I’m just really interested in music, and having a Spotify account is the best thing ever because I can make my own playlists. I have Apple Music as well, but I feel like Spotify is just easier. I can find playlists faster, and it has a lot of artists. I listen to a lot of African music, and it has all the African artists and Arab artists I like.
The inspiration behind my 20-piece collection for Frame is really just me and my friends. The whole collection is about mixing the pieces. My favorite piece is the red suit. Every woman should have a suit in her closet — I have a bunch, but feel like this one makes such a powerful statement. You can wear it with sneakers or you can put a heel under it for a night out. And I chose red because it’s such a bold color. When I wear red, it just makes me feel confident.
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