If, like us, you’re (healthily) obsessed with discovering the latest beauty tips and tricks, there’s one woman/goddess always on our radars: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. As a big-time supermodel, her skin and hair go through much more than ours, yet she still looks like pure perfection. The secret? A beauty routine she swears by. Luckily for us, she doesn’t keep it hush-hush.
She not only doesn’t believe in gatekeeping, but is forever on the hunt for new beauty hacks to share – the very definition of a girl’s girl. She proudly told Marie Claire that she’s either “a makeup artist’s most annoying client or their favourite client because I’m literally watching them the whole time, analysing everything they do and watching them pick up every product. I ask them every single thing about it”.
Either way, it’s safe to say she knows what she’s talking about, having quizzed beauty brainiacs since she started modelling at 17-years-old.
For a sneak peek into what she’s learned over the years, keep on reading…
In This Article
Face
Start the day with a glass of lemon water
After hitting snooze (relatable), Huntington-Whiteley likes to rehydrate with lemon water. We lose a lot of water at night thanks to a little thing called TEWL, otherwise known as Trans-Epidermal Water Loss, which is when water evaporates through the skin into the environment. As our skin is preoccupied with repairing and restoring itself as we sleep, the skin’s barrier is weakened and more moisture escapes.
The slice of lemon gives a splash of vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant to prevent free radical damage to the skin from environmental stressors, such as UV rays and pollution. It also helps remove toxins from the body, and as a result, clears up your complexion. So before you do anything else in the AM, drink a glass of liquid gold.
This actually sounds really gross, but I don't wash my face in the morning
Skip the morning face wash
Whilst this goes against everything you’ve heard pretty much your entire life, skipping the morning face wash can earn you brownie points with dry and/or sensitive skin types. Overwashing can strip the skin of sebum, a naturally moisturising oil produced by the skin, leading to dryness and irritation.
Instead, “the first thing I do in the morning is run my basin with some warm water and dampen my face cloth in it,” she continues with Marie Claire. “I take a deep breath, move it around my face, and soften up the skin. I use my Resoré face cloths, which are amazing because they’re antibacterial”. It’s like washing your face without actually washing your face.
Apply eye cream first
In an episode of Go to Bed with Me with Harpers Bazaar, she reveals she recently learned from Shandi Darden to apply eye cream before applying any other face product. This creates a barrier, protecting it from actives and serums that can upset the sensitive eye area, and she hasn’t looked back since.
“I’ve been going to my facialist Shani [Darden] for going on 12 or 13 years now, maybe a bit longer. She introduced me to most of the skincare products that I use now, so when she launched her products, I couldn’t have been happier,” she excitedly told PEOPLE. Her ride-or-die? The Intensive Eye Renewal Cream.
At-home microneedling
In the same episode with Harpers Bazaar, her at-home microneedling tool from Environ makes an appearance. Microneedling lightly punctures the skin, stimulating skin regeneration, collagen, and elastin as part of the healing process for brighter, tighter skin that bounces back. Plus, it also creates micro-channels in the skin for better product absorption for maximum results. We can’t wait to get our hands (and face) on it.
Keep your lips hydrated
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that Huntington-Whiteley is genetically blessed, especially when it comes to her perky pout. To make sure it stays juicy, she likes to apply a hydrating lip treatment in the evening for a long night of uninterrupted moisture. The Lip Treatment by Biba de Sousa is quite the treat for the lips.
Body
Hand cream
One of her guilty pleasures has got to be hand cream – the richer, the better. Byredo Rose of No Man’s Land Hand Cream is ultra-indulgent and one that gets a well-moisturised, perfectly manicured thumbs up from her.
Use a body serum on the days your skin is extra dry
Sometimes, you need more than a body moisturiser when your skin is particularly parched. Enter The Body Serum by Necessaire. With five different molecular weights of pure hyaluronic acid – an ingredient she’s always fangirling over – it deeply hydrates every layer of skin for long-term results. “I’ve been enjoying this serum because it’s not too thick,” says Huntington-Whiteley to Harpers Bazaar. “It’s fast-absorbing, and I love that it gives a nice glow to your skin.”
Hair
Never underestimate hair oil
Hair oil usually falls under the ‘is it really necessary?’ category, but if she told TZR it is, then today is a good day for hair oil as it’s officially being promoted to necessity. “After showering, I use a Wella oil that I’ve used forever, or one by Olaplex,” focusing on the ends.
She also raves Olaplex to Marie Claire, so you know it’s worth trying out. “I use a lot of the Olaplex products. I love how much they rebuild the hair structure. I’ve had broken hair over the years, and I found Olaplex to just be a really great bonder and strengthener for the hair.”
Always detangle from bottom to top
“One of the things that’s really important for me to do is to start at the bottom and work your way up higher and higher,” she tells Who What Wear. This minimises the strain on the hair and potential breakage caused by detangling stubborn knots.
When you start from the bottom, you can focus on gently removing tangles in small sections, which helps prevent pushing tangles down toward the ends, where they become more tightly packed and much harder to remove. Grab your Crown Affair comb and say bye-bye to bedhead!
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