Alex Prager, Photographer

Alex Prager 1
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Alex Prager
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Alex Prager
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Alex Prager
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Alex Prager 1
Alex Prager
Alex Prager
Alex Prager
Alex Prager
Alex Prager 1
Alex Prager
Alex Prager
Alex Prager
Alex Prager

“The one beauty thing I do on shoots is, if I’m shooting a young actress—someone who’s just getting into it—usually I won’t wear any makeup, and I’ll wear more masculine, ‘getting down and dirty at work’-type clothes, rather than how I normally dress…I pay attention to fashion, I want to look cute. But you know how girls are about other girls. I want them to be totally into themselves and not feel any weirdness about another kinda cute girl in the room. So I make myself ugly—as ugly as I can, really—hair up, baggy tee shirt and jeans. And I don’t know if it does anything, but it makes me feel a little bit more professional, because I’m like, ‘Look, it’s about you,’ because it really is all about them. I think they should just feel really beautiful.

I’m definitely bohemian—I’m from California and was raised eating organic foods, never too much junk food or sugar. I was never really allowed to have that and now I’m just kind of turned off by it. I’m usually looking for organic or natural, from-the-earth beauty products. I use Dr. Hauschka after I wash my face—the Rose Day Cream and the eye cream. Dr. Hauschka is one of the best really natural lines out there. I’m a big fan. Also I love Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel and Microfoliant. And I supersize the Alba Botanicals body lotion; I wear it every day because it has built in sunscreen, it’s very moisturizing and it’s all natural—no parabens or anything—and it sinks right into your skin. But when I’m going on a date, I’ll use the Bliss Lemon and Sage Body Butter because it smells nicer. Guys always compliment me on it! Once it mixes with my skin it doesn’t smell like lemon, it just smells fresh…like I’m making an effort. [Laughs] Oh and my deodorant is like liquid salt, ‘Thai Crystal’. It doesn’t keep you from sweating but it definitely stops you from smelling too much.

For makeup I use Bare Escentuals original Bare Minerals foundation, with the brush. And I have this Dior eyeliner that I love, and black YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils mascara. Sometimes I’ll fill in my brows with Anastasia Beverly Hills powder. I pluck my own eyebrows; they’re so thick that if one hair goes astray, it’ll leave a huge gap, so it’s good to fill them in a little. I use Desert Essence Jojoba Oil as eye makeup remover—it’s really cheap, and it works better than any eye makeup remover I’ve ever used, and it’s totally natural. It’s like, four bucks for this little size. And that’s pretty much it for makeup.

I was bleaching my hair platinum blond for a long time, and lately I’ve made it more natural blond—I thought I was getting a little old for platinum hair. Being from LA and being tan, and small, the whole combination just wasn’t really sitting right anymore. I get my hair colored at the Nelson J Aveda salon in Beverly Hills, because the color they use is as close to natural as you can get with lighteners—and I don’t bleach it, I highlight it. And I use the Aveda Blue Malva shampoo and conditioner to balance out the brassiness. And I like John Masters Organics Lavender & Avocado conditioner, from Whole Foods. I get a lot of products at Whole Foods; my mom works there. I wash my hair every three or four days. I use Moroccan Oil…I have really unruly and rebellious hair. [Laughs] I also just ran out of the Moroccan Oil hair mask I love to use.

I’ve got a bunch of stuff in my shower—I got this scrubby cloth from Japan; they use it in all the bathhouses there—all the older Japanese women were doing it so I decided to copy them. You know how a lot of loofahs, as soon as they get wet, they get soft, and it doesn’t do the exfoliating you expected it to do when it’s dry? This is really rough which is good. I use Borghese mud on my face sometimes—you feel it tingling on your skin. And I love Dr. Bronner’s soap; you can use it for anything…like, even laundry detergent, if you run out!

Also, I’m big on supplements—Calcium and Magnesium are both great for stress; I usually only take these when I go to New York, I’m not kidding. [Laughs] They’re really good for calming yourself, your nerves and everything. I absolutely notice a difference when I take them…I can go to sleep really easily. It works. Another thing I take a lot is B1—it’s really good for hangovers, and if you travel a lot…it’s called the ‘morale vitamin’ because it really does boost your morale. Like, if you’re having bad dreams…or if you’re feeling really depressed, because of the hangover. [Laughs]”

—as told to ITG