1. How do you feel about the industry’s fascination with anti-ageing? And how do you think it will move forward?
“I don’t pay a huge amount of attention to a lot of stuff like that, but I see enough of the world by accident to know that it’s been very profitable for people to say things like ‘anti-ageing’. I think there is a kind of weariness and amusement that it’s always about women. We think that a gentleman getting older has huge value and is sexy and we look with awe at them as like a species of virility. I think we’re missing the point a little bit. But I have faith that if the consumer is becoming as weary of it as I am, they’re going to start suggesting that it’s ‘anti-living’ because that’s what [it is] saying.
“Because a year is life—it’s being alive and having more opportunities to exist, learn, teach and share; to love and be of service and generous, to be a good friend, mother, wife, girlfriend, partner—whatever. So I have a feeling that they will hit a threshold and we will start thinking more about what feels best when living. You know, how are we living versus how are we ageing?”
2. What part of your beauty routine makes you feel your most confident?
“I think feeling like myself has been something that I’ve recognised for a while is how I feel best. Even today, I’m wearing way more makeup than I would ever wear in my own life every day. It feels like you’re in an altered state. Like if this were me and I were meeting you over Zoom, to be honest, I’d have my hair back in a bun with no base on and a messy eye. So it’s not that I don’t feel good today because I do, but I think it’s when I feel most really like myself that I feel best. And I’m not assuming or there’s not an artifice that isn’t my choice, you know?”
3. Is there any beauty advice that you would give your past self?
“I mean, probably [to wear] sunscreen, that’s it. I don’t want to give myself advice as a younger person because whatever it was, it added up to today. And it’s not like ‘and look where I am’. It’s more like I’ve had experiences and I’ve made mistakes and chose the wrong thing, or turned left when I maybe should have turned right. I don’t want to have to try to make it easier. It’s like, ‘Yeah, wear sunscreen earlier, wear sunscreen earlier.’ But other than that, not really. Wear the wrong lipstick, put the wrong eye shadow on, have long nails when you shouldn’t have. I do it all. Figure it out, try it, experiment, get it out of your system.”