READ“I’drather
takecareof
Mumthan
buythings”his wrist, which he tells me was a gift- “I’d rather take care of my mum and
dad than buy lavish things.” Not only
is he humble, but he’s also
incredibly handsome – all
tanned skin, dark hair, dark
eyes, and a moustache that
is just the right level of
groomed. I suddenly feel
very aware that not only am
I staring at him rather a lot,
but that he’s also studying
my bare, blotchy face closer
than you would a real-life
Jackson Pollock. Suddenly,
all brisk and businesslike, he gives
instructions to the hairdresser on set
and asks for the
shoot brief. Then,
switching his
attention away
from the specifics
of the shoot, he
turns back to me...
“You’ll make me
sound intelligent,
won’t you?”
he asks, an
endearing note
of vulnerability
in his voice. “Of
course,” I respond,
finding the
suggestion that
I would have any
kind of superiority
over him frankly
hilarious.
While his
assistant sets up
his station, I’m
surprised by how
stripped-back his
make-up kit is.
In a world full
of YouTubers
and their
mind-blowingly
glam beauty-
room tours,
Dedivanovic’s
nondescript
palettes, de-potted
lipsticks and theatrical cream
pigments strike me as exceptionally
modest. But I suppose if Jesus can
feed 5,000 with five loaves and two
fishes, Dedivanovic can free me from
my blotchy cocoon with just a cream
colour wheel...
As he gets to work beating my face
with a Beautyblender (“My clients
love this feeling, it makes them feel
safe”) he tells me about his humble
beginnings in the Bronx, where he was
raised by his Armenian immigrant
parents. His mum was a cleaner and
worked in the L’Oréal head offices.
His devotion to her is evident when
he tears up telling me a story about ›They say never meet your idols and
after a harrowing 30-second meet-
and-greet with Britney Spears in 2018
that left me feeling hollow,
I briefly wonder if we
should cancel the whole
thing. But it’s too late now,
because Dedivanovic, his
assistant and his mum just
walked through the door.
In person he is less
intimidating than
I expected, dressed in an
off-duty grey T-shirt and
hoodie. The only sign of his
estimated $15 million net worth is
one single silver Cartier bracelet on
Laura: fangirl
perma-smile,
model’s own