It's only January, but 2018 is gearing up to be a major year for actress Felicity Jones. Her buzzed-about portrayal of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the film On The Basis of Sex drops later this year. But first, she's just been announced as the new face of Clé de Peau Beauté. We sat down with Jones in Los Angeles, where she debuted the brand's new campaign A Radiant Day, to pick her brain about all things fitness, beauty, and bangs.
What is your earliest beauty memory?
FJ: 'My earliest beauty memory would be my grandma putting on lipstick at her dressing table. I was really tiny and looking up, and I remember the smell of the lipsticks so vividly. I think it was some old, '50s brand or something. That was my first encounter with beauty and make-up.'
Did it smell powdery or lavender-y?
FJ: 'Yes, yes. That very sort of old-fashioned smell. Seeing her, and looking up to her, and seeing the process as it happened before she would go down to dinner or something.'
What was the first Clé de Peau Beauté product you were introduced to?'
FJ: 'The concealer. From working with all different make-up artists that is one item that is in every single make-up artist's bag. It is absolutely brilliant and so effective. I remember using it really early on, like ten years ago.'
What is your favourite product from the line?
FJ: 'My favourite Clé de Peau Beauté would be probably the serum for the skincare. And then the concealer for the make-up. I use the serum at night, and also if I'm doing long-haul flights. I put it on because it gives you a little bit more moisture than just a normal moisturiser.'
What is a beauty skill that you're really good at doing yourself, and one that you always need a pro to help you with?
FJ: 'It's very hard to make your eyes look very big. That's what I find the hardest thing—getting that breadth with make-up. I always feel like I need someone professional to get that really strong impact. I like putting on make-up but making it look very natural. So people wouldn't necessarily know that you have anything on.'
What is your favourite red carpet beauty look, and what is one trend you'd never try again?
FJ: 'Beauty looks on the red carpet—I am quite consistent in terms of the look that I like. Much more on the eyes, focusing on the eyes, bringing the eyes out. Even adding single lashes, you can do it quite easily on your own. Just on the very ends, the last few, it makes such a difference. I was really into orange lipstick for a while—there was a moment when it was quite fashionable. I don't know if I'd do it again.'
What are your cardinal rules for bangs?
FJ: 'Make sure the length here is longer [points to temples], so it frames your face. I have had disastrous bangs before, where they've just been cut straight into the length of your hair without being feathered. That little bit of feathering—if you look at Brigitte Bardot, that's what they did 'round here. Then it feathers into the rest of the hair.'
Do you trim them yourself?
FJ: 'I have often trimmed my own hair. I wrap it around and take off the end if I need to. But it tends to be a little more effective if I get some professional to do it.'
There has been a lot of talk in the beauty community about ending the word anti-aging. What are your thoughts on aging naturally or unnaturally?
FJ: 'I think that's great. It does seem unnecessary to say anti-aging as though it's this terrible evil that will befall upon us, when it's this natural process that everyone has to go through. I always think, let people do what they want to do. The freedom—it's your face, and you decide how you want it to look. And for that not to be dictated by anyone else.'
Have any women given you great advice around aging?
FJ: 'Always from my family, from the women in my family. Look after yourself. It's quite British really: lots of fresh air, and swimming in cold water, seems to be the main beauty advice.'
You're going back in time to play Ruth Bader Ginsburg for your next film. Have you met her in real life?
FJ: 'I have. She was very involved in the film. You feel like bowing when you meet her. She's been extraordinary in her work and what she's achieved in changing gender politics in the US. You're very shy when you meet her—she's a very cool lady.'
It's quite a unique experience on a film to have access to someone like that.
FJ: 'You sort of become a bit of a detective, studying how they walk, and try to do it yourself. All her mannerisms— it was a real privilege.'
Was there anything you loved about the fashion or beauty of that era?
FJ: 'It's extraordinary. Ruth herself said, 'It's fantastic when we got to the '70s because I didn't need to use hair curlers anymore. It saved me half an hour every morning.' You really felt, wearing these '50s costumes, and the makeup, it was quite uniform for everyone. Throughout the film we do sort of this strong, red lip and that was a real kind of look—a '50s female look. The corsets were so uncomfortable! Wearing these girdles and things. We're so lucky now we can walk around in sweatpants and not bother.'
Is there a workout you love to do?
FJ: 'I am bit of a magpie with fitness. I do bits of yoga, pilates, ballet, swimming, and then I like to go running outside rather than go to the gym. I have noticed when I go to the gym I tend to build-up bulk and I don't really want to do that unless I am playing a character like that. It's all about feeling strong but not bulky.'
How does your approach to fitness change as your acting roles change?
FJ: 'It's completely different. I completely change the routine depending on what the part is. Rogue One was lots of boxing and this thing called Wushu, which is a form of martial arts, sort of lots of long strokes. I even had a little bit of Thai boxing, and that was all about her looking very strong. I didn't want her to look like you could knock her over with a stick. She had to look quite firm. There was one with the really heavy rope—it's so hard. I was doing that everyday. After that, it was kind of keeping the strength and fitness but de-bulk. I change my diet depending on the role as well. I like to approach it very physically.'
Give us an example of changing your diet for a role.
FJ: 'For Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she lost a lot of weight in her 30s and 40s when I am playing her. So I was doing a much more vegetarian diet. When I was playing Jyn Erso, I was eating lots of meat, red meat. Little differences like that.'
