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Whether you know her as Emily of Emily In Paris fame, or from films such as Love, Rosie, The Mortal Instruments or Mirror, Mirror, actor Lily Collins needs little introduction. The brand ambassador for Lancôme caught up with British Vogue’s beauty and wellness editor, Hannah Coates, on her beauty and wellness routines ahead of the 2024 BAFTAs.
On how she starts her day
I start the day having cuddles with our dog, Redford. He’s just like a human–he sleeps with his head on the pillow, which is so adorable. Then Charlie, my husband, makes a coffee for me–it’s part of his love language–that helps wake me up, as well as a hot shower. I’m really not into the cold shower thing yet, but I’m trying to get better at it because I know it’s good for you. When I’m in the shower, I drop some eucalyptus oil on the floor and let it steam up–it really helps clear my throat and nose and wakes me up.
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On thermal water spray
Each morning I splash cold water on my face, but with all the traveling I do, I’ve found that it’s best to carry thermal water spray. I wasn’t that educated on the way different waters around the world can affect my skin type, but every time I come to Paris–right before I start shooting–my skin rebels against me. I realized that sometimes the water is a shock to the system, so now when I splash my face with water from the tap, I make sure to follow it up with a thermal water spray, and then dab it with a tissue or cotton pad. It helps hydrate my skin, and eliminates any water impurities from the tap.
On her star sign
I wish I knew more about them, to be honest–I’ve always been fascinated by them. I don’t know enough, but I do love the question. I’m a Pisces and a lot of things I’ve read over the years have made sense. Pisces are creative and artistic, and I would definitely say I’m an empathic person, quite intuitive… I’m romantic in a lot of ways, and I like to think I’m extremely adaptable. Those are some of the things that I resonate with a lot. There are probably other ones that maybe aren’t so positive… Oh, and I do love the water!
On her skincare routine
No matter how tired I am I take off all of my makeup, because if I don’t I know I’ll regret it in the middle of the night or the next morning. My first step is ensuring my face is clean with a cleanser, then I add thermal water spray. Then, I love Lancôme’s Advanced Génefique Serum, whether in the bottle or in face mask form. The face masks are easy to travel with–I do them morning or night to help lock in extra moisture and leave my skin feeling glowy. I have used them for years and I’ve even gotten Charlie into them! If I don’t use that–and I always say it wrong, even though I like to think I speak better French now–I will use the Rénergie Triple Serum and the 300-Peptide Cream. They help with skin firmness, and given the amount of traveling I do, I feel like my skin elasticity can really fluctuate.
Maintaining the skin’s integrity is really important–and you want your canvas to be as clean as possible. For a show like I’m doing now, where you want the skin to look as glowy as possible for the character, it all comes down to skin health. [Another part of that]–and it’s basic–is trying to drink more water. I’m someone who needs to be forced because I’m not naturally obsessed with water.
On wellness
I’m definitely a wellness person. I don’t know if I would say I’m into health hacks, I’m more of a holistic follower. I’m very in tune with the mind-body-soul connection, having done years of therapy and mindfulness and reading about different wellness paths. I’m not into quick fixes anymore, I did that in my twenties and some of them end up harming you more than helping you, so it’s become more about longevity, moderation and understanding how I can treat myself well for the long haul.
It might sound obvious but wellness doesn’t just have to be about your physical wellness, although of course it’s important. But for someone like myself, who has done years of therapy and who journals every day, I think it’s important to prioritize mental wellness. My focus has been on trying to connect to and understand the mind-body-soul connection for the past 10 years. So much of it starts deeper inside, then you end up feeling more solid, centred, happier. Then you’re smiling more and feel physically happier too.
On getting bangs for Emily in Paris
The bangs thing was funny because I’d wanted them for years, but it’s also such a dedicated chop–it changes the shape of your face. I was thinking about doing it for season two, but it felt too premature in Lily’s experience in Paris. Season three felt like the right time.
Before we started filming the show, I asked [the hairstylist] Gregory Russell, who I’ve worked with for years, if he would cut me bangs as he’s the person I really trust. He was like, “Finally!” So we did them for press and then I kept them for season three. I loved them so much. I felt like they were very natural and very me. We’re still using bangs this season but we’re using amazing hair pieces instead. You can’t even tell that they’re not real. [When I had them, the maintenance] was the worst. I’m never going to be the girl who blows them out every day–I respect people who do, but it’s not in my nature. Sometimes I’d wake up and they’d look good, sometimes they’d look ridiculous, so I went with the flow.
On skin essentials she stocks up on in Paris
I stock up on thermal water spray in Paris–it’s way more popular here. There are also lots of naturopathic-style stores here where you can make your own products. They have all these oils and stuff. One of my favourites is arnica oil–I tend to bruise more easily and arnica is really wonderful and not too greasy. Have you ever heard of [Avène] Cicalfate Cream? It heals all! Whenever I have a scratch, cut or rash, my makeup artist uses Cicalfalte. You can use it on babies!
On exercise
The way I exercise has changed throughout the years. I love being active, but now it’s turned into something that’s a part of my daily life, without even needing to call it exercise. In places like Los Angeles you drive everywhere, but in other parts of the world, you walk, you cycle. Living part-time in Copenhagen, everyone owns a bike–if not two–and you never drive. All of a sudden you look down, and you’re like, “I did how many steps today?” It’s a contrast to my twenties, when I’d set myself a steps goal, and that would be in the gym. It’s a different mindset.
I love Pilates. I don’t have as much time in Paris because of the job, but I’ve done classes with Ashley [Park] and wherever I go in the world, one of the first things I do is look up local classes or running parks. I love to stay active and it’s still a really important part of my day, but now it’s part of my everyday rather than the purpose of it.
On how she maintains her famous brows
I tweeze every night if there’s something I see, but otherwise I just let them do their thing. There are very few people I trust to do them. I used to overdo it and then realized that that’s just not a look, so now I let them grow and I cannot tell you how freeing that is. Growing up, I didn’t have the confidence to do them myself and I stressed so much unnecessarily. It’s something you hear when you’re younger–the older you get, the less you stress about these things. It’s refreshing not to think about it. I use a clear brow gel to brush them out and keep them in place–I don’t have a favorite, whatever my makeup artist has.
On her off-duty makeup look
I’m a less-is-more person in my off-time. I’ve always loved mascara–it helps me feel more awake if I’m tired and widens the eyes, so it’s a go-to for me. I don’t really wear much makeup, but I will conceal spots or dark areas under my eyes. If I’m going to throw on a lip, I always carry a chapstick, like Burt’s Bees, as well as a lipstick to add a little color if I want it. The Lancôme Absolu Rouge lipsticks are amazing–I prefer a matte finish and I love number 300, which is called Self Revealing… feels very appropriate for a Pisces! It’s a nude, blush tone that’s neither here nor there, but looks like you’ve done something.
On how she relaxes after a busy day
Bingeing a TV show with Charlie. We go from The Crown to Real Housewives, Love is Blind to Vikings. Reacher! We are all over the place, but it helps me switch off which is so important. I have a hot tea–British need the tea–and that helps too. It’s the best way to end every day when I’m working–my mind works so quickly all day, so to be able to come back and mindlessly watch something entertaining and laugh, it’s always the goal.
On her secret to a life well lived
Not being afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. I’m trying to get back to little Lily who was never afraid of saying yes, and trying to adventure more. In the last five years, I have done that, but I want to further it and become a collector of memories. I want to be that person who can tell my grandkids about all the adventures I had and memories I made. When you look back at those memories, the best part of them is usually the people that you’re with. It’s a combination of the two.