Alek Wek has walked many runways in her life, but none more important than the turn she took last night at an intimate cocktail party in New York's Upper East Side.

Wearing a peacock blue and gold dress by African designer Deola Sagoe - who is known for her use of warm, brilliant colors of the earthy African landscape - Wek was on hand to celebrate the new partnership between Diptyque candles and (RED), a charity that brings treatment, education and awareness of the AIDs epidemic to Africa.

Diptyque's limited edition (diptyque)red candle contains the signature African ingredient rooibos vanilla, which is a spicier and more exotic scent than the sweet, baking version that western noses are accustomed to. 10% of all proceeds will go directly to (RED), and the packaging is a piece of artwork itself; it celebrates the textile technique that Africa is known for, which drips wax directly onto fabric in intricate patterns that is then dyed different shades.

So how does a supermodel prep for this kind of press event?

"They told me they had no makeup artist available today, and I'm like 'who cares?'" laughs Wek. "I went searching in my cabinet and found a pretty Shiseido blush, a Lancôme Juicy Tube and a mascara that I forget the name of. I blended, blow dried my hair, looked in the mirror, and here I am. I always say, just keep it simple," adds Wek.

The 32 year-old beauty - who also loves to design jewelry and handbags - is known for her flawlessly deep skin and high cheekbones, which she also treats with the simplest of routines.


"Before I go to sleep, I wash everything off and use whatever moisturizer feels best to me - anything from cocoa butter to La Mer. That's basically it. You should use products that feel comfortable. I never use anything that makes me tingle or hurt," says Wek.

Wek has been a big supporter of African charities, which has helped draw brands like Diptyque to help the beleaguered continent.

"Africa is such a beautiful country, it's about travel and amazing exploration, but this horrible plague is happening to it. Doing something to make Africa a better place and helping people get the treatment they need is something quite special that we wanted to be a part of," says Andrew Sedlock, Diptyque's Managing Director of North America.

Though with increased involvement in the charity circuit, Wek finds that her modeling career is no longer her number one priority.

"I like to model in moderation now, which is why I'm spending more time doing things like this event. I don't know if I'm walking in any New York fashion shows this week - you'll just have to wait and see!"