Jen Monroe, Meals Artist, Dangerous Style

“Dangerous Style began out of a need to see what I felt was lacking within the meals world. I burned out working in restaurant kitchens at a very younger age. We discuss restaurant kitchen tradition due to The Bear and that was very a lot the tradition I grew up in—males with tattoos sporting bandanas and this obsession with meat. I realized in a short time that from a inventive and bodily stamina standpoint that I wasn’t going to have the ability to hack it in that setting for a very long time. This was round 10 years in the past and the meals media panorama was so totally different from the place we are actually. Just a few individuals have been beginning to get extra experimental with meals on Instagram. It was a really slim subject, however I used to be looking for a lane that made sense for what I believed might be actually attention-grabbing and difficult about meals. Round that point, I began throwing small dinner events out of my house for pals. Finally these events was small ticketed occasions in Bushwick. I obtained slightly little bit of press, and it wasn’t lengthy till manufacturers got here calling to work on tasks that would inform their model’s story by way of meals.

I went full time with Dangerous Style in 2019. I’d say it’s nonetheless a scrappy-feeling operation, however we’ve gotten to do all types of actually thrilling tasks for manufacturers like Simone Rocha, Coach, J.Crew x Christopher John Rogers, and Marc Jacobs. Schiaparelli was a white whale shopper for me as a result of there’s a lot play and irreverence within the clothes and jewellery. Final yr, we made an enormous 300-square-foot pavlova for the Public Artwork Fund’s gala. Massive-format desserts are having this loopy Instagram second proper now, however on the time, it was a number of, ‘Can we get it to be this huge? Is it even doable? What would that appear to be?’ I used to be actually, actually jazzed.

You would possibly assume that I’m going out to fancy dinners fairly a bit as a result of I work in meals, however that’s not likely how my social life works. After I have to blow off some steam, I prefer to go dancing—typically all evening lengthy. I like These days, Basement, Mansions, and Paragon. There are additionally a handful of recurring invite-only events and raves which might be actually particular, a few of which transfer round within the metropolis and a few of that are upstate.

SKINCARE
My pores and skin will get slightly bit hormonal once in a while, however the true kicker for me skincare-wise is that I get eczema on my arms, which, while you’re a chef, is a catastrophe since you’re continually washing them. I’ve to be actually conscious about sporting gloves once I do dishes and ensuring that I’m continually slathering my arms in moisture. It will get so dangerous that within the winter I’ve to sleep with lotion gloves to forestall my pores and skin from cracking.

I prefer to preserve my cleanser easy. I’ll most likely use Cetaphil endlessly, but when I discover my pores are beginning to get slightly grubby, I’ll do an additional cleanse with DHC’s Deep Cleaning Oil after I get out of the bathe as a result of I really feel like that is when my pores are essentially the most open. I’ll give myself a therapeutic massage with it for perhaps 10 minutes.

In the summertime, I discover myself utilizing Peter Thomas Roth’s Water Drench moisturizer, however in the course of the winter, I like utilizing the Nivea creme to lock in as a lot moisture as I can. It’s thick and wealthy. Pores and skin Meals can be heavy-duty, however I solely actually use it as an eye fixed cream when my eye space is feeling slightly bit dry. I apply it to my arms, toes, and elbows, too. I like the way it smells. Oh, and if it’s nonetheless mild out as I get able to exit, I’ll do a layer of Nivea’s UV Tremendous Water Gel SPF 50.

MAKEUP
I discover that if I attempt to get too ‘performed up’ to exit, once I look within the mirror, particularly once I’m two drinks in, I get a jarring, who-is-this feeling. Additionally, I really feel like all the pieces begins to run off your face and also you look type of loopy as quickly as you begin to get sweaty.

If I needed to decide two magnificence merchandise to take with me to a desert island, I might take my Shu Uemura eyelash roller and blush. However earlier than I get to both of these, I mud on CoverGirl’s Clear Matte powder in Buff Beige—I’ve been sporting it since I used to be an adolescent. I really feel like sporting tinted powder is fairly dated lately, however I want to be matte. That being stated, I’ve very pale, cool-leaning pores and skin, so it’s very straightforward for me to look washed out and useless. I are likely to go fairly ham on the blush to make myself appear and feel alive. I’ve been sporting Glossier’s Cloud Paint in Puff for years—it really works actually properly on my complexion. After I was rising up, I used to be taught to smile as I put blush on the apples of my cheeks, however now I prefer to put my blush fairly near my nostril and, typically, even fairly near my mouth. You keep in mind while you have been pressured to run a mile in fitness center class? We’d all the time be very pink after and it could sit actually near the nostril. I all the time thought that was lovable, so I prefer to imitate that look.

I don’t put on forehead pencil each day as a result of it begins to make me really feel very performed in a method that doesn’t appear to be me, but when I’ve to exit to a elaborate cocktail get together for work, or if I’ve a photoshoot, I fill within the sparse areas with Revlon’s ColorStay forehead pencil in Darkish Brown. I do put on Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Forehead Freeze gel just about each day to fluff up and lock down my brows although. And as for lips, Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Cheat in Pillow Speak is a basic. It’s barely darker than my pure lip coloration, which is what I’ve all the time wished. There’s no universe during which I’m reapplying lip liner within the mirror once I exit dancing, so I put on this if I’ve to go to a pleasant cocktail get together or someplace else the place I’m going to have my {photograph} taken. I not too long ago found the Hourglass Phantom shiny balm in Haze. It offers you essentially the most flattering, lovely shine, and the colour is the true sheer pink that I’ve been on the lookout for my total life. I maintain off on placing it on till proper earlier than I stroll into a celebration so I can actually maximize it. Oh, and I actually, actually love the ChapStick sweet cane lip balm. I refill in the course of the holidays. I all the time have one on me.

HAIR
I by no means do something significantly concerned with my hair as a result of it’ll find yourself in a grungy ponytail inside the first half hour I’m out dancing. However I’ve actually wonderful hair and I battle with quantity, so about six months in the past, I switched to Hairstory’s New Wash and it’s helped so much. It’s given me a ton of elevate from the basis that I didn’t even know was doable. It’s type of costly, however the benefit right here is you can get away with utilizing it twice every week. If my hair begins feeling slightly bit greasy in between washes, I exploit Dwelling Proof’s dry shampoo.

FRAGRANCE
I don’t know an excessive amount of about fragrance. I grew up with the foremost gamers—Calvin Klein, Tom Ford, and Dior—however as I become old, I’m studying that there are such a lot of indie and experimental perfumers. The Ghost within the Shell from Etat Libre D’Orange is slightly bit harsh and bratty in the best way it smells. It makes me consider Veruca Salt tearing the heads off of her Barbie dolls or one thing. I’ll put it on if I have to exit and I’m feeling slightly bit insecure or socially anxious. I additionally catch myself placing it on earlier than Zoom calls the place I wish to be slightly bit extra fearless and provides slightly bit much less of a shit. It’s a enjoyable method to trick your mind into being no matter type of particular person it’s that you might want to be at that individual second. Then I’ve this rotating solid of fairly simple important oil roll-ons. I prefer to preserve one in my purse as a result of while you’re a few hours in on a sweaty, gross dance ground, throwing on perfume is a really candy factor to make your self really feel slightly cuter. It will probably get slightly smelly on the market. [Laughs] Invariably, individuals who go dancing with me all know to stay their wrists out as quickly as they see the roll-on come out. I’m loving the Gia Labs rose geranium roll-on. Aesop has a Ginger Flight Remedy that I actually like, too.”

—As instructed to Daise Bedolla

Photographed by Alexandra Genova in New York on August 15, 2024