CELIA PAVEY OF VERA BLUE

Thanks to the transformational power of beauty, when 24-year-old Celia Pavey sets foot on stage, she takes on a character.

Ihave always had red hair. It’s something that when I was growing up I came to not love. In high school there was a bit of bullying going on with being a redhead, because it’s quite a rare thing, but as time went on I developed a bit of a love for it, because I feel like there’s not many of us, so when you see another redhead, it’s like you have a secret language where it’s like: ‘Yeah, you’ve been through what I’ve been through.’ It’s become a signature look for the Vera Blue project as well – it’s how people remember who I am. There are lots of people who wish they had it, so I’m very proud of it now. I like to spin around, I like to flick it, I do a lot of head banging; it’s like an extra little extension of the outfit.

“I like to use M.A.C Prep + Prime Fix +. The one I have right now is rose, so whenever I spray it I feel relaxed and it makes me feel like I’m ready to go out.

“I’m obsessing over really glittery eyeshadow. I have a make-up artist who tried a beautiful lime green on my eyelids, and I’d never done that before. I’m having a lot of fun trying new things. I’m not very good at make-up but I enjoy putting a bit of sparkle on my eyes, because when you’re under all the lights on stage you sweat a little bit and you don’t want to overdo it, you want to keep it quite natural, but also have a sparkly element. I get really excited pre-show, figuring out what I’m going to do depending on what I’m wearing.

“Beauty at the moment is really about loving who you are and not overthinking your look and knowing that it’s okay to wear a crap-ton of make-up or not wear any at all. Developing that sense of self-love and embracing natural beauty is something that’s a really strong, powerful thing.” As told to Remy Rippon.