Model Achok Majak Named One of the New Faces of Tiffany & Co.’s Signature Perfume

Tiffany & Co. knows that in actuality, there’s not one but two keys to a girl’s heart — diamonds obviously being the first. And when you fill a diamond-inspired bottle with a sparkling, delicate scent that transports you to a field of irises via a carefully aimed spritz, romance is basically guaranteed to blossom, right? Earlier this month, the brand announced a re-launch of its signature perfume, Tiffany & Co. Eau de Parfum — and if a Tiffany’s diamond isn’t exactly in your yearly budget, $100 seems a little more attainable.

Even more exciting than the debut of a brand-new fragrance for fall is the model squad Tiffany & Co. has enlisted to embody the brand’s signature scent. Major faces like Vittoria Ceretti, Julia Nobis, Georgina Grenville, and Achok Majak wearing nothing but tiaras, diamonds, and Tiffany’s EDP comprise the traditional black-and-white shots of the campaign, which was shot by none other than legendary fashion photographer Steven Meisel. We recently caught up with Achok herself to learn what the Tiffany’s fragrance means to her personally, the one makeup staple she thinks most women overlook but shouldn’t, and how her hairstyle has given her more power than any product ever could.

Teen Vogue: How did you feel when you initially found out you would be one of the faces of the new Tiffany & Co. signature fragrance?

Achok Majak: I have no words. It’s an incredible feeling! I’m still processing it. I found out right after last season’s fashion month. It was unbelievable — and it still is.

TV: What do you love most about the scent?

AM: Personally, I love just putting on the fragrance. You know when you spray perfume, and you feel really feminine? I love how all the notes stick with me. It captures my personality in a sense — it’s floral but musky, and it just stays with you. It represents me.

Teen Vogue: What's your first memory of fragrance?

AM: My godmother, who is the first living angel I ever encountered, [always wore perfume] and there was just something so beautiful about it. I never understood what it was. Everyone was so blown away by her. She’d leave the room, but two hours later you still felt her — not only her presence, but you could still smell the perfume she was wearing.

TV: Are there any beauty products you can’t live without?

AM: I have moisturizer, Chapstick, and face mist on me at all times. And foundation, just in case of emergency!

But my absolute favorite is blush. I love blush more than anything else. Right before I was walking a show, [the makeup artist] Yadim was like, “You’re missing one thing — blush!” And then he said, “You love blush, I can tell.” Blush is everything to me.

TV: Do you prefer cream formulas or powder?

AM: Cream. You can break down creamy blush and blend it in, [while] powder just sits on your face. I don’t just love blush, I live for blush. If [you’re a makeup artist and] I sit in your chair, you don’t need to put anything on my face except blush. I love a red shade — it warms me up, and it brings out my personality.

TV: How and when did you first learn to put on makeup?

AM: I first learned to put on makeup just by watching my older sister. I didn’t really understand the process, but I was fascinated by it. I was 8 years old or so. I’d literally stand in the back of the mirror just watching her.

TV: Do you have any eyebrow horror stories?

AM: I don’t really have eyebrows! [I get it from] my mother — she barely has eyebrows herself. Once at a fashion show though, they were bleaching everyone’s brows backstage. I hid in a corner! I just sat in the back, repeating “No bleaching, no bleaching!”

[I got away with it]. I was only one of like 80 models who didn’t have their eyebrows bleached. I just couldn’t envision myself with blonde eyebrows. That would be a horror story in my book. I’d rather bleach my hair. Maybe next season!

TV: How would you describe your relationship with your hair?

AM: I love that my hair is short. It’s me. Growing up, I would spend six and a half hours sitting on the floor while my mother braided my hair. Six and a half hours! I remember her saying, “One day, you’re not going to have braids. You’re going to have short hair like me.” She was right. I’m the only one in my entire family who has short hair now, besides my mother. It was the best decision I ever made.

TV: Does rocking short hair make you feel powerful?

AM: I used to think that long hair defined beauty — but my short hair essentially created my beauty. It empowers me everyday.

If I could send one message to girls, it’s to be yourself. Be what’s comfortable to you. People get so attached to their hair. At one point, I had four blonde braids, but I became the true woman I am today when I got rid of all of them. I became myself. I [embraced] a different vision of beauty, and that’s when everything fell into place.

TV: The beauty industry has come a long way in terms of representing many different people. What are your thoughts about the current state of representation? How do you feel it can continue to improve?

AM: We can push it even farther by maintaining the belief that it can go farther. We can’t get stuck in the mentality that there’s only one type of beauty. There are multiple types of beauty. It’s about being open-minded. These things are not going to change overnight, but they have already changed so much in my lifetime. We just have to continue to spread that belief and encourage understanding.

TV: Define beauty on your terms.

AM: Confidence makes everyone beautiful. Once you have that confidence and self-love for yourself, it translates. It translates to physical beauty. It translates to everything.

Related: Tiffany’s-Inspired Nail Polish is Here — And It’s SO Pretty