When I was a little girl, I loved anything girlie or feminine. The first make-up I tried was a Tinkerbell peel-off nail polish, and I had a Polly Pocket solid perfume in a little heart watch on my wrist. My mum was quite strict and I wasn’t allowed to play with make-up until I was about eight, and then I wasn’t allowed to wear it to school until I was in my mid-teens. It was a weekend thing and obviously I was not interested in natural colours – I wanted purples, blues, greens and glitter. I had a baby blue sparkly eyeshadow that I would apply all the way up to my brows.
I remember being so fearless, too. I was up for everything, I didn’t ever judge anything and was just one of those kids who was always excited. I didn’t spend time overthinking things, and so when I started modelling in my teens, it was never a shock to the system. But after being in the industry for a couple of years, it suddenly dawned on me that it had become work. I think you make that choice as a model: do you want it to be a lifestyle or a career? For me, it became quite clear early on that if I wanted to do this as a job, I needed to take it seriously – I have a shelf life and I either had to put my head down and work hard or go back to school.
I had very over-plucked eyebrows and when I started modelling I was told I would need to let them grow back. As for beauty disasters, when I was about 14 I had pestered and pestered my mum to get a box of hair dye with brush-on highlights, and I ended up with two massive peroxide streaks, like a badger. I remember crumbling on to the bathroom floor screaming at my mother, “You ruined my life!” and sobbing my eyes out.
At 14, it seemed like the worst thing that could possibly happen to you. I think we bought about 10 boxes of hair dye to try and colour it back and it just ended up a kind of murky red and really damaged. There are no photographs of me for that whole year: my dad could never find photographs of me turning 14 to 15. I think I refused to have any taken.
Thankfully now I like to keep my hair looking natural and am really diligent with my skincare. It’s the most important thing, it’s my canvas for the make-up artists I work with, so that comes first. It’s not something that comes really easily for me. I drink so much water you wouldn’t believe and find that it has so many benefits, not only for my skin but for general wellbeing, dealing with jet-lag and weight loss. Water is the key to so much. I believe many of the issues we have with our bodies are down to dehydration.
I love to work out, too. People roll their eyes, but modelling can be physically demanding so I try to keep my body strong. I’ve always exercised: my mum was a fitness instructor when I was growing up, so I’ve always been active.
When I’m in London, I train with my brother, who is a personal trainer. I am flying all of the time and always jet-lagged, so it’s important that my body is strong and healthy.
As for beauty icons, I always think of Grace Kelly for her elegance and grace, Lauren Bacall for her sultry attitude, Elizabeth Taylor for the way she lived a life so full and wore her heart on her sleeve, and Brigitte Bardot, for her sultriness. Those are my favourites.
I know that for a lot of my girlfriends it’s a luxury to have time to themselves, any time to themselves – whether that’s a hot bath, having a massage or being able to spend time putting on your make-up. It’s “me time”, isn’t it? It’s indulgent. It’s vital to make that time for yourself because you come up with a lot of good ideas – I do, anyway, in the conversations that I have with myself in my bath. It’s a good space.
Nuit Parfum, the new fragrance by Rosie for Autograph, launches this week at Marks and Spencer
IN ROSIE'S KIT
Morning musts: Sensibio H20, £10.20, Bioderma; Tinted Moisturizer, £29, Nars
Skin secrets Retinol Reform, £60, Resurface by Shani Darden; Active Serum, £68, iS Clinical
Quick fixes Baby Doll Mascara, £25, YSL; Creme Cheek Colour in Rosebud, £21.50, Laura Mercier
Hair heroes Beachwaver, £127, Sarah Potempa; Oatmilk Dry Shampoo, £6, Klorane
