The rising British actor (and daughter of former Chanel model and British Vogue contributing editor, Lorraine Pascale) and Clé de Peau Beauté ambassador lets Tish Weinstock in on her self-care secrets.
On her evolving relationship with beauty
When I was super young, it was always just, “Mama knows best”. You learn about the moisturising situation – you know, those fundamental things. But then you start going to school and you get influenced the other way. I think we all at some point had a terrible eyebrow phase. And then the too much eyeliner phase. I had a wonderful My Chemical Romance period. Then I started learning more about what it was that I liked doing as a person: being active and keeping fit, so I had to learn a lot about how to look after my skin post work-out. It’s about finding what works for you. Then I got a part-time job, which meant I could afford products that weren’t just from Sainsbury’s. I’ve been lucky to be able to try lots of different products, some things made me break out and some had a really positive effect on my skin. You learn by trial and error.
On embracing her natural beauty
In the last few years, I’ve really started to embrace my natural beauty a lot more and begun using products that complement my skin. Being comfortable in your own skin is such a personal journey. I think it’s something you continue to work on your whole life.
On what makes her feel beautiful
I feel beautiful when I’ve had the benefits of the sun. Everyone loves a little bit of a tan. But on a less sort of surface level, I think it’s so interesting how your emotional state plays into how you glow. How you feel about yourself radiates outwards. I feel like I’m now in a place where I’ve learnt to really be okay with myself, whether in a pair of sweats or in a face mask.
On her morning routine
My approach is very routine-based. I love doing my morning routine because it really gives me that sense of accomplishment. The first accomplishment of the day is a shower, and the next is my morning routine. I recently incorporated the Serum and La Crème from Clé de Peau Beauté into my routine. I’ve also got my vitamin C and my hyaluronic acid. It makes me feel very fresh.
On taking her make-up off before she goes to bed
I always say to my friends: “No matter how late we get back, ladies, we are washing our faces.” I’ll use the Softening Cleansing Foam from Clé de Peau Beauté, and then I will use the Intensive Fortifying Cream. I don’t use a lot, as I like my skin to breathe when I sleep, but I will use a bit before bed and I’ll wake up feeling fresh.
On her approach to make-up
Everyone has an alter ego. I love being able to play around with my alter ego when it comes to make-up. I love bold eyeshadows in particular. But the key is my foundation. One thing I learned recently is that everyone thinks that they only have one colour, but actually, the skin on your face shifts and changes. To structure your face in a way that looks great you don’t want to do one wash; you need darker colours around the outside, and [to] highlight with a lighter foundation everywhere else. It’s about putting different colours in different areas and blending it together. There’s something very poetic about make-up, the way that you can just make art on your face.
On how being an actor affects her understanding of beauty
I started in theatre, where you have to be quite loud with your make-up so that people in the back rows can see it. When I was doing my drama A-Level, I studied a lot of Kabuki make-up and commedia dell’arte, and how different masks and facial features give a sense of character and personality before you even open your mouth. I think it’s interesting to apply some of those concepts to when you’re doing make-up. People pay such close attention to eyebrows. You can look very fierce when you do your eyebrows slightly straighter, whereas they’re softer when they’re round.
On learning from the pros
Being at the hands of all these amazing glam teams and make-up departments, they always show you tips and tricks that you had no idea about. They’ve worked with so many people and put together a kind of toolkit that I try and share as much as possible.
On what beauty means to her
Beauty is literally whatever you think it is. On those days where you might not be feeling your best self, I always try and remember that everything is so subjective. It’s so wonderful that everyone can have a different point of view. I love the idea that some person might find something amazing that another person might not. The fact that you have your own opinion, the fact that you have your own voice, your own essence, your own life – I think that is the thing that’s so beautiful; the things that make you you.
