“The older I get, the more my skin settles down. I used to have quite bad skin when I was younger and I was constantly covering up spots and things like that. Luckily, I don’t have to worry too much about that anymore. Over time, you learn what works for you. And, you know, I tried some interesting looks in the Spice Girls… [Laughs] At this point, I’ve done so many photoshoots and red carpets that I’ve learned so much about my beauty style by looking back at pictures of myself. And I’ve been collecting products for so long—when I had the first meeting with Estée Lauder about creating my own line, I had my entire dining room table covered with things that I liked, colors that I’d mixed up, and ideas for key products that didn’t exist but I knew I wanted. Like, I couldn’t find the perfect nude lipstick, the perfect nude lip liner, the perfect bronzer-contour. The project, for me, was about being very, very focused and honest. Otherwise, there’s no point. There’s nothing in this collection that I wouldn’t wear myself.
SKINCARE
There’re little tricks I use with all my products. The only face wipes that actually take off all my makeup are the Bioderma ones. I always use a cleanser after, but these wipes really get everything off. Then I use a combination of Sarah Chapman and Dr. Lancer products. I have a few different cleansers because I think it’s important to change up what you use so your skin doesn’t get too used to it. At the moment, I’m using Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis Ultimate Cleanse. But when I wash my face in the shower, I use the Lancer Polish. It’s fantastic—it’s quite grainy and abrasive. I can feel my face tingling afterwards. It’s the best scrub I’ve found because it really stimulates the skin. You can use it twice a day, but for me it really depends on what photoshoots I’m doing. Usually every few days I add it in to get that surface layer of skin off. Then once the new skin is revealed, I use the Sarah Chapman 3D Moisture Infusion Mask. I love it—my skin really does eat this stuff up, so I do it a few times a week. It’s one of those things where you see an immediate difference right after you use it. The actual mask comes wrapped in gauze, which I use to mask my neck, too. Afterwards, I like to use a jade roller to really contour it into my face. After I’m polished and cleansed, I’ll use this Crème de la Mer Mosturizing Soft Lotion. It’s just a very easy, light moisturizer. My foundation goes on really well on top of this.
Dr. Lancer just gave me one of his new products—it’s called the Lancer Caviar Lime Acid Peel. It’s got glycolic and various different acids in it. You put it on and you can tell it’s very active right away. You can really feel it—I only keep it on for 15 minutes. I got it the last time I went to see him in LA. My skin used to be so problematic and he’s the one who finally got it sorted.
When I’m traveling, I make sure to take off my makeup, cleanse my face, and then cover myself in the Sarah Chapman Stem Cell Collagen Activator Duo. The serum comes in these little vials with the dropper separately. Once you’re ready to use it, you break the seal and shake it to activate. I make sure to put it on my neck and around my eyes as well… The airplane air is so horrific, but this makes my skin feel so nice. Then, right before I get off the plane, I always use the Morning Aura we developed for my line. When we started working on it, I said to the team that when I travel to LA and I get off the plane after 12 hours, and there’s always tons of paparazzi. So I need a product that’s going to hydrate, moisturize, lift, give a glowy, dewy feel about it…something that’s going to make me photo-ready. That’s how we came up with Morning Aura. It’s a primer—I use it with powder—but it’s also great on its own as a skincare product.
MAKEUP
On a day when I’m hanging around the house with the kids, I just like to use Sarah Chapman Skin Insurance SPF 30—it’s basically a tinted moisturizer but with sunscreen, which is obviously really important. And it’s got great coverage for lots of different skin colors. For more of a look, I use Burberry Fresh Glow Foundation and Cashmere Concealer. I have occasionally used La Mer foundation, too. There’s one particular shade that’s quite good for me, Honey, if I can remember what it’s called.
My go-to look is a smoky eye, a strong brow, a little bit of contouring—but not too much because I can’t stand that overly contoured look—and I’ll put a nude lip liner on. And then, I have a product called Aura Gloss which is like a lip balm. In the show this season, I put it on the lips and on the top of the cheeks of all the models. I also used it on the eyelids to give it a sort of editorial, wet look. It’s really nourishing, moisturizing, and I like how I can apply my lip liner once I’ve got that on. Then, I’ll take some Morning Aura and I’ll put it on the top of my cheeks, on my eyelids, down the center of my nose, and always on this bow of my lip because it makes the lips look fuller. Also a little bit on my chin. Sometimes if I’m wearing something strapless, I’ll take a little bit, mix it with my moisturizer, and put it on my collarbone. You can do everything with it—it has this nice gold feeling that makes it a good highlighter.
I have a trick for contouring, actually. I think a lot of people focus on the darker color to get that look. But it’s important to blend it in with a lighter color around the jawline, the nose, the center of the face, underneath the eyes, the top of the cheeks, and the forehead. And not with highlighter! Just with something lighter than the contour shade—I just use my Skin Perfecting Powder. It just mattes everything down and helps blend everything together. Then you can highlight on top of that. Think about it—if you’re shading, like making a painting, you’re not just going to use a dark color, you’re going to use a light color that complements the dark color. It’s like painting a picture.
For the smoky eye, I start off with a veil of color and then I’ll build it up. Then I’ll use the Eye Kajal in Black Saffron, work it into my hand and use a brush or my finger for a more intense look. Also, sometimes I’ll even use my Cheek Crème on my eyes or my lips if I’m in a rush. Quite often I’m running around with the kids, and I want to put my makeup on in the car.
HAIR
I’m better at doing my own makeup than my own hair, which is why half the time it’s just scraped up or off my face into a bun. I get my hair color done in LA, and then I bring packets of hair color over to the UK and have someone put it on here when I need it. The water is very hard in London and so it’s quite difficult to hang onto a nice, rich color. I use a lot of glosses as well, and the water can absolutely strip it. But then, you go to LA and the sun strips it. I see the same colorist—her name is Lisa—I’ve seen her for years and years. She’s the only person I’ll let near my hair. Now I’m always a dark brunette, but it tends to get lighter on the ends even if I wear a hat, which I try to do throughout the whole summer. For products I use on my own, I like Oribe’s Shampoo and Conditioner because they smell incredible.
Then I have Latisse, which I use on my brows as well as my lashes. A lot of people outside of America may not have heard of this—it’s a prescription product that stimulates hair growth. When you buy it, you get a bunch of these little brushes to go with the drops. I will use it along bottom part of my lashes and the top–you have to make sure you don’t get it in your eye because you can get brown spots that way. I’ll use a generous amount on my eyebrows as well, and my brows have completely grown back. I have gone through phases where I’ve stopped using it, and I noticed a big difference. Anastasia Soare actually recommended it to me. She’s the only person I let touch my eyebrows. If I haven’t been in LA for months and months, I never let anybody pluck my eyebrows because she is the absolute master and her products are really fantastic.
NAILS
I use this guy in LA called Tom Bachik. He is the best nail technician that I have ever worked with. I used to have acrylics ages ago and he was the one who encouraged me to take them off. Now I just have natural nails. Sometimes, I have the gel polish if I’m in a rush because you don’t have to worry about it drying. For color, I keep it simple—normally a nude. I like my nails to look clean and fresh, make sure the cuticles are looked after. That’s another product that I do use an enormous amount of—cuticle oil. I’m constantly applying it throughout the day. At night, I’ll put it on my hands and feet as well.
BODY
My body secret is Weleda Skin Food. What I love about it is that it’s not particularly expensive and you can find it anywhere. The formula is so thick and buttery. When I have a tan, I’ll mix it with coconut oil—the same you use to cook with—and cover my entire body with it. I suppose some people may not like the greasiness, but it helps me hold on to the color. And by the time I leave the house, I feel as if it’s really sunk in. Like my skin’s had a good drink. I go through so many of these…I wish they had bigger ones.
For scent, I use anything by Byredo. He’s a friend so I’ve tried them all—I don’t have a signature though. He makes a nice hand cream as well. The fragrance is just incredible. Other than that, I like a strong, minty toothpaste. Something like SR. It’s a little old school, but it’s so English and I always make sure to take it with me to LA. That, and Epsom salts are good in a bath. Most of the time, I usually shower because I don’t have the time to take a bath. I’ve got a really nice, big, stone bath in my bathroom. I’m really comfortable in it, but I never have to the time to be honest with you. If I can get in bed at a reasonable time, once all the children are in bed, and I’ve put a face mask on and I’m reading my Kindle, that’s a luxury for me.”
—as told to ITG
Victoria Beckham photographed by Tom Newton in London at the Victoria Beckham Dover St. boutique on September 22, 2017.
