“Creating a meal—and having fun with flavors—is very natural to me,” says model and chef Alex Szwalek. The 26 year-old Polish beauty grew up picking and preparing the produce that grew on her family farm alongside her mother.   “We had a kitchen culture in our house,” recalls Szwalek, who is also a lifelong vegetarian. Now, when she’s not working as a coordinator for the World Central Kitchen on the Ukrainian border, she can be found foraging in local forests or making herbal teas and simple fresh dishes in her own Warsaw kitchen.

The skin-boosting benefits of Szwalek’s sustainable, seasonal, nutrient-rich approach to food are evident on her Instagram feed. Here, she shares photos of her culinary creations alongside strikingly fresh-faced selfies, which she credits to a plant-based diet—and a pared-back collection of cosmetics that include toner, moisturizer, and Westman Atelier makeup. “I love my magical Complexion Drops,” she says of the serum-strength tinted treatment formula, which she credits, alongside Lit Up Highlight Stick and the Les Nudes lip palette,  with a noticeable shift in her complexion and her mood. “I can be on a farm and feel beautiful,” she adds before breaking into a laugh, “even when I’m covered in mud.” 

Chef Alex Szwalek spends time every day gathering flowers, herbs, and plants from the fields of her native Poland—while enjoying the crisp outdoor air.

“In the fall, when it’s not so sunny in Poland, I use the Les Nudes lip palette for a little morning color.”

\Alex wears Lit Up Highlight in Nectar.

“The cooler season is a time to extend my mornings. I make breakfast, drink my coffee slowly, take care of my plants, and have a calm start to the day.” 

“Three times a week, I go outside of town to visit local farms, gather my produce, and learn about harvesting.”

"I love to take a little beauty time with my Complexion Drops. They're an instant shift for my skin. Even on grey days, I feel as blooming as if it was mid-summer."

“After time on the farm, I come home, wash my vegetables, make a fresh lunch, and reset.”

"It's mushroom-picking season in Poland and forest escapades are special. Fresh dew and the smell of trees and moss are so vibrant—they give me so much energy. It's a gratitude overload!"