Download June’s ‘The Beauty Issue’ for free

After countless fashion campaigns, catwalk appearances and magazine covers, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has unrivalled beauty knowledge under her belt.

Despite being one of the highest-paid supermodels, cover star and face of several campaigns, Rosie Huntington- Whiteley’s approach to beauty could not be simpler. Taking the lead from her mother who taught her to enhance rather than hide her features, Rosie has been a self-confessed beauty geek since before she exploded into the modelling industry. Huntington-Whiteley however, also attributes her understanding of what women really want in a beauty product from sitting in a makeup chair.

With a devoted social media following of over 11 million on Instagram, in 2018 Rosie decided to launch her very own beauty platform Rose Inc. through which she shares tips, tutorials, insightful features and products that she genuinely loves, including Hourglass. After using the 100 per cent cruelty-free products and recommending it to friends and makeup artists, she became the first global ambassador for the brand.

Currently self-isolating in Los Angeles with her husband Jason Statham and their son Jack, Emirates Woman caught up with the supermodel over Zoom.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rosie HW (@rosiehw) on

Being an ambassador

I’ve been a fan of the brand for over seven years after being introduced to the products by a makeup artist. The next day I went out and purchased the products myself for my makeup bag, so I’ve been a true fan ever since. I recommended it to my friends and makeup artists and when I launched Rose Inc. in 2018 and I was doing beauty tutorials, I would mention the products. Eventually, I was introduced to the brand and its founder Carisa Janes and we just started this natural friendship. I did a few small projects with the brand and the partnership has grown and evolved naturally, so becoming a face of Hourglass is a massive honour and it’s exciting to work for a brand that you really love.

Inside her makeup bag

I always recommend the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Palette. It’s universal and even if you don’t wear a lot of makeup, it’s a wonderful product that you can seamlessly fit into your routine and it gives this candlelight diffused finish to the skin. Another favourite of mine would be the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting pencil – mine is Warm Blonde – and it’s the quickest way to get perfect brows. Then the Hourglass Vanish Airbrush concealer that launched in January and I’m just an enormous fan of the formulation. It gives me the coverage I need, without being cakey. Personally I haven’t used foundation since I got my hands on these concealers. I basically moisturise my face and apply concealer where I need and blend it out. It’s buildable, stretches across the skin beautifully and I use two shades, Fawn and Pearl. I always recommend to purchase two shades of concealer and foundation, that way you can create dimension and also adjust if you get exposed to the sun. Hourglass Confession Lipsticks are incredible, I personally believe they are the best lipstick formulations out there. They are high pigment, dense in colour, with a creamy almost satin-like finish. One swipe and you have a strong lipstick look, and there is a well-curated colour range. I have a signature shade called ‘You Make Me” which is a very warm terracotta nude hue which is very unique. I always wear bronzer and the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers are incredible.

Switching it up for the evening

During the day I don’t wear eyeshadow, so in the evening I like to apply Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eye Shadow that are so easy and impactful to use. I usually then apply a few more coats of mascara and perhaps do a bold lip colour for the evening. In the day time I always want the same sort of look, natural complexion, bronze contour, blush cheeks, mascara and an easy-to-maintain lip, so I go for a lip oil or lip gloss that I don’t have to worry about.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rosie HW (@rosiehw) on

Inherited talent

I always remember watching my mother get ready for work or for a night out. I’d creep into her bedroom and she would allow me to sit on the bed and watch her get ready if I was silent and didn’t ask any questions because it was her time. As a mother I totally relate, getting ready is often your own ritual, it’s a time to transform. So, I would sit and watch her. It was so intriguing for me to see her go from being my mum to a woman who was going to work for the day, or a woman who was going out for the evening. It transformed her confidence and for me as a young girl, she was the most glamorous thing I ever laid my eyes on. Then once I became a teenager, I saved up money to buy a baby blue eyeshadow or pink lipstick at the local pharmacies and begged my mum to allow me to wear makeup.

She would let me wear some but only if it was very natural. I remember her saying to me “makeup is about enhancing what you have, not hiding what you have”, and that stuck with me ever since I was a young girl. What does that mean? The sentiment of this has changed for me over the years, but what I think she meant was, don’t worry about hiding the features, don’t spend all your time masking your skin, embrace them. Focus on the good things so that has always been my approach to makeup. I always want to look and feel like myself, but just a little bit better.

If modelling didn’t work out

When I was 14-years-old I just remember always being obsessed with fashion and beauty. I grew up in a rural countryside town in the UK and my only connection to that world were magazines. There was no YouTube or Internet and it was such a shrouded business for most people, and I think that was part of why it drew me in. I would look at these beautiful images in the magazine and I wanted to be part of creating them. I remember my first few shoots and sitting down in a makeup chair and being surrounded by all these products, I wanted to learn everything. If I wasn’t doing what I’m doing I’d probably be a makeup artist, or an art director or stylist, I would’ve always ended up in a creative field and certainly I believe fashion or beauty.

The personal gamechanger

One thing you hear universally from all experts is to take care of your skin. I’ve been someone who struggled with acne-prone skin my entire adult life and my mother had acne too. I have been on this lifelong quest to research how to better my skin and it’s something I’m constantly learning about. A game-changer for me has been using non-comedogenic formulations when it comes to skincare and makeup products. It basically means it’s a formulation produced without pore-clogging ingredients in it. Since changing my products to non-comedogenic formulations, my skin is so much more managed. It improved in a matter of weeks.

Making it in the beauty industry

The beauty industry and beauty companies are built on a community. You have to connect with your consumer, there has to be a two-way dialogue. People respond to brands that stand for something. It used to be enough to have pretty makeup and packaging, but now you have to stand for something. Whether it’s a cruelty-free message that Hourglass has, or sustainable messaging or a brand that embraces diversity, so it’s important there is s community and messaging behind a brand. There needs to be a culture surrounding a brand.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hourglass Cosmetics (@hourglasscosmetics) on

What women want from beauty

I always study how a woman wears her makeup and despite there being endless glamorous looks we can nd on social media, women just want to feel like the best version of themselves. They want to feel natural, and there are different variations, but ultimately they want to feel like themselves. I notice women sticking to classics that suit her. You want to apply your makeup in the morning, feel great all day and not think about it. I don’t want to think about it, I want it to work for me.

Most unusual item in her makeup bag

I use a toothbrush to groom my eyebrows with, not the one I use on my teeth.

The keepsake

One item I could never throw away is my Confessions Lipstick, it’s a little heirloom.

Her Hourglass highlight

I really enjoy working with Marc Reagan. We have such a similar way of applying makeup, he’s so technical and precise and has a true depth of knowledge. I love the look he did when we met which was Scattered Light Glitter Eye Shadows and Vanish foundation and it’s my go-to evening look. One of the things I learnt from Hourglass is to line the upper inner waterline of your eye and it’s amazing how much it transforms and enhances the shape of the eyes.

To read the full interview, pick up a copy of June’s ‘The Beauty Issue’ or download it here

– For more about Dubai’s lifestyle, news and fashion scene follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram

Images: Instagram