GEMMA CHAN
Rising to stardom with her breakout role in Crazy Rich Asians, Gemma Chan has continued her upwards trajectory in two new series: I Am and Thunderbirds Are Go. The L’Oréal Paris ambassador shares her early beauty memories
TO ME, BEAUTY ISN’T ABOUT HIDING THINGS OR TURNING BACK TIME, it’s about taking time for yourself during the day. Even putting on a bright lipstick can cheer you up.
ONE OF MY EARLIEST BEAUTY MEMORIES IS AS A CHILD, wandering into my mum and dad’s room and walking into a cloud of Elnett hairspray with its distinctive smell. [To this day,] I always carry some with me.
I ALSO WOULD EXPERIMENT WITH MUM’S MAKEUP. The first lipstick I tried was a red L’Oréal lipstick. Mum was definitely my first beauty inspiration.
MY SKINCARE ROUTINE ISN’T THAT COMPLICATED. One of the first things my mum taught me was to never go to bed with your makeup on. No matter how tired you are or how drunk you might be, always cleanse, tone and moisturise.
IN THE MORNING, I’ll cleanse, use a hyaluronic acid serum and I’ll always use a good moisturiser with SPF. I love the Revitalift Filler Day Cream, which has hyaluronic acid in it – I take it with me during the day so I can top up my skin if I ever have a bit of dryness. When I’m tired, I get puffy eyes, so I use [an eye cream] with a roller to help wake up my skin in the morning.
IN THE EVENING, I cleanse, and I’ve started using retinol. I get the occasional hormonal breakout, and I’ve found the retinol has absolutely sorted it out.
MY FAVOURITE RED CARPET MOMENT was my look for the Golden Globes in 2019. We went quite classic with the beauty look – a simple messy bun, an understated flick of eyeliner and mascara, and a classic red lip.
WHEN I’M NOT WORKING, MASCARA IS AN ESSENTIAL. I love L’Oréal’s Lash Paradise mascara. I also wear the True Match Foundation.
MY FAVOURITE FRAGRANCE AT THE MOMENT is My Burberry, which I’ve been wearing for a while. I just keep going back to it.
I TRY TO DO EXERCISE EVERY MORNING. I do a combination of yoga and Pilates that I’ve mashed together. It’s worth releasing your body and having that 10 to 15 minutes to stretch, have a cup of tea and then launch into the day. I find my posture is different and the tension is gone.