Model Arizona Muse Talks Activism, Farming, & The Healing Power Of A Manicure

Sometimes it’s the smallest changes that can make a big impact. This rings especially true when it comes to one’s health. In TZR’s series Step-By-Step, tastemakers speak to the minor moves that can lead to mighty changes.

When it comes to sustainability, Arizona Muse knows her stuff. For the past 10 years, the model-turned-activist has been staunchly dedicated to educating herself on supply chains within the fashion and beauty industries, to better understand the impact they make on the environment as well as solutions to reduce that impact. If it sounds like a lot of work it is — but the Arizona-born mother of two is more than up for the challenge. Over the years, she’s heavily researched the sourcing practices of the materials and ingredients that make up one’s day-to-day routine. She founded DIRT, a charity organization with a mission is to grow and process all of fashion’s raw materials biodynamically. And, most recently, Muse was announced as Clarins’ first Global CSR Advocate. At this point in the game, sustainability is more than just a buzz word to the model. It’s a way of life.

“I really love what I've been able to become in this industry off the stepping stone of having been a model,” says Muse to TZR. “And I do still model, of course, it's my job, I guess. And I'm grateful for what it brings, but it doesn't stimulate my soul in the way that this advocacy work does.”

Her aforementioned partnership with Clarins, for example, feels like a full circle moment. Muse explains that her relationship with Clarins Managing Director Virginie Courtin, dates back some 14 years, when the two were “really young in Paris,” and in the early stages of their respective careers. “Now to reconnect with her over our passion is amazing,” says Muse. “And I'm just in awe of how she's built sustainability into the DNA of [Clarins] as soon as she arrived. Often I speak to companies who have their head of sustainability, who's really knowledgeable, but they feel a bit like their hands are tied behind their back, because the higher echelons of the company haven’t really bought in. And this is not the case at Clarins. It's coming straight from Virginie and that's really impressive and transformative.”

In this new role, Muse will do what she does best: use her voice. According to a recent Instagram post, she’ll focus on advocating for “regenerative farming and soil health” while also educating the general public on Clarins’ social and environmental commitments. “This is not just a superfluous kind of little PR project,” explains Muse. “This is something the business is dedicating the whole team and a lot of resources to. It's very impressive. So this is what is drawing me to Clarins now is the story of the dedication to sustainability above all, as well as the products that are so effective and so good.”

Perhaps this latest initiative — “trying to get everyone else into nature” — is a means or stepping stone to Muse’s overall end goal: to be a farmer. Yes, you heard that right. “I know the challenges of farming and I've spent a lot of time with farmers,” she explains. “And it can be a very lonely path. I see that the solution is to farm in community with a shared responsibility where, yes, you have to do a lot of work, but it's not all on your shoulders. This is what I really hope we can create — a future together where farming is fun again, and where enough people are doing it that it actually becomes a community process.”

In the meantime, Muse’s non-farming life still aims to reflect her heart for the planet. For her beauty routine, the 36-year-old sticks to products and brands that align with her sustainability values. Clarins is obviously high on that list, with the best-selling Double Serum a particular “favorite” along with Weleda’s Willow Bark Cleanser.

Nail care is a big piece of the self-care puzzle for Muse, as well. The model explains that she’s eschewed professional nail salon treatments (due to the toxins that impact the employees) in favor of at-home manicures. “I do it about every three or four days, which means that my nails are always in much better condition,” she explains. “Because when I used to go to nail salons, it would be every two or three weeks, and in between that time the skin would be coming up and the polish was chipped.”

This weekly nail ritual opened up another door of mindfulness, as it creates a designated space and time for creativity and reflection. Muse says she’ll play with different designs and looks, painting each nail a different color or decorating them with a single stripe or dot down the center. “I've got these brushes for nail art, and it's just become a really nice piece of my self-care routine and my wellness routine that I love,” she says. “I do it deliberately with good intentions for myself, with kindness, with love, with appreciation. I really noticed and learned that it's very important to have a friendly self-talk narrative with yourself.”

Indeed, because sometimes caring for the environment, starts with the one you create for yourself.