Yahoo Lifestyle Actor Emma Mackey on fragrance and her favourite French pharmacy buy
While her on-screen personas – from Maeve in Sex Education to Jacqueline de Bellefort in Death On The Nile and Physicist Barbie in Barbie – have seen Emma Mackey embodying some memorable beauty looks, the 28-year-old actress embraces a much more minimalist approach to hair and make-up off-screen.
"In my everyday life, I just wash my face, wear sunscreen and maybe a bit of blush from time to time, but that's the extent of my look," she tells Bazaar.
On-screen, however, beauty plays an important role in helping her build a character. "It's so essential," she says. "If you're lucky, you get to have a say, and I think that process is really interesting because it's like a puzzle. It's thinking about what elements of the character we want to show off – how can we make it nuanced, how can we refine it?
"The older I get, the more I'm trying to refine my taste and understand what I like and how that can come through in the work that I hopefully continue to do."
With her latest film Hot Milk (based on the novel by Deborah Levy) slated to come out this year and the comedy movie Ella McKay on the horizon, we can expect to see much more in the coming weeks of Mackey, who's also the new face of Burberry Goddess Intense fragrance.
Ahead, she opens up to Bazaar about the Barbie aesthetic, her favourite London facialist and the scents of her childhood.
On the Barbie look...
"How Greta envisioned Barbie was that it was very much about what makes you feel good. What makes you feel beautiful as an individual? What do you want to try? What have you never tried on-screen, or tried with a character?
"We had a really excellent Oscar-winning team to help us all, so that was great. But there was a real freedom in figuring out how we wanted to look and what elements we could bring to our own Barbie characters."
On camera-ready make-up...
"There's so much that goes into a picture or a shot that people don't realise. I find that really intricate and exciting – learning about skin texture and lighting, it's so technical and interesting. I don't like having powder on my face, it immediately looks cakey. I want to free the skin a bit."
On her beauty influences...
"(My beauty muses) are the classics: Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin, Jeanne Moreau and Katharine Hepburn. I love them more because of their talent."
On her earliest memory of scent...
"It would be my childhood-related smells of food and nature. Things that would take me back to a camping trip or playing in the garden. I spent a lot of time playing imaginary games when I was a kid."
On using fragrance in her creative process...
"It's a nice excuse to try new perfumes! It brings something different to the character and how you hold yourself. It's not a conscious thing, it just happens. I try to find an element [within a fragrance] that sparks interest or curiosity with regards to that character and if it helps, it helps. It usually works out nicely."
On her streamlined beauty routine...
"I have a La Roche-Posay cleanser. There's a cream by Ada Ooi which has zinc, I really love that – it's so nice. The Madara tinted SPF I really love, it gives a bouncy little glow, which is lovely. When I'm in the UK I'll try and treat myself to an appointment with Ada. It's such a nice treat and I just love being with her. She's very soothing."
On Burberry Goddess...
"The first time I smelt it was on someone who worked at Coty. It smells so good! My first impression is that it felt very summery and warm. It just reminded me of a balmy summer's day and that's such a nice feeling.
"The perfume has evolved now into this new iteration [Burberry Goddess Intense] which is much woodier and smokier. I feel like it's more of a classic evening scent. It has an extra layer to it. I do one spray on my wrists and behind my ears."
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