Emily Ratajkowski On Her Everchanging Relationship With Beauty

From adorning runways and earning a supermodel title, to starring in critically acclaimed films and becoming a New York Times best-selling author, Emily Ratajkowski's work ethic is impossible to fault. Beyond the screens and pages, the fashion founder, podcast host and vocal women’s rights activist boasts an unwavering confidence that has outshone any of her critics and accolades. In her own words: 'I just don't give a sh*t'.

Transcending the fashion realm, the 32-year-old also holds a recurring space on modern make-up moodboards. The My Body author is nothing short of a beauty acrobat, flitting between contemporary flapper bobs at Fashion Week and cutting her own hair in viral TikTok clips. Her signature style? A sultry palette of tonal 90s nudes and a effortlessly undone hair.

ELLE UK caught up with Ratajkowski following her annual Kérastase Power Talks panel appearance, an event which aims to bridge the confidence gap between men and women. Here, the model and author discusses her ever-changing relationship with beauty, navigating make-up as a feminist and the unexpected names on her personal style moodboard.

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On her changing relationship with beauty...

'When I was younger, I was definitely interested in beauty but that doesn't mean I was good at it. I played with make-up, over-tweezed my eyebrows, put sparkles in places that they didn't belong on my face...

It's a really amazing thing to work in an industry where you get to work with creative people who care so much about beauty and have found ways to express themselves through it. I think growing older, I've been able to find the things that I like and take things from those amazing people. Knowing what works for me is very inspiring and it makes me feel really confident. That's my signature.'

On her beauty moodboard...

'Salma Hayek is on my beauty mood board, young and current. I think she looks incredible. She is ageing so gracefully, which is just nice because that doesn't happen that often.'

On French beauty...

'My favourite thing about French beauty is the f*cked up hair. I love that sort of thing, when you look a little bit undone. I think it's cool.'

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On navigating beauty as a feminist...

'I don't care anymore. I used to really try to play a part based on the space that I was entering. If I was trying to be sexually attractive, I would wear a lot of make-up. If I was wanting to be taken seriously by an academic crowd, I would wear less and that applied also for how I dressed. I think now, I just don't give a sh*t. I just don't care so much about the perception that people have of me. This is who I am and they'll figure it out and if they don't, that's on them.'

On experimenting with her beauty routine...

'I change things up when there's a shift in how I'm feeling about myself. And then when I come back to myself I'm over that experience, I like to feel like myself again.

I love a wig. I'm never shy with wigs. Marc Jacobs [show] was such a funny moment because everyone thought I cut my hair but I absolutely hadn't. But let me tell you how to a time that night, I went out and I was a completely different person. I think that's what can be so fun about beauty, trying on different hats. Literally. Sometimes it's a wig.'

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On everyday haircare...

'My haircare routine is quite simple. I use the Extentioniste line from Kerastase, then I do the Elixir Ultime L'Original oil mid-lengths on on and then I just got the the Conair Cool Air Styler. I'm still figuring it out but I do like it.'

On at-home haircuts...

'I do like to experiment with beauty myself. The scissors thing has been a lifelong issue for me, I have cut my different pieces of my hair since I was like nine years old, sometimes to more success than others. I actually cut my bangs this morning with my hairstylist so clearly it's not over. I love it.'

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On her best make-up trick...

'You really have to learn your face and anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong. I really think that figuring out what works for you and not paying attention to trends. For example, the placement of your blush. Or what is the shape of your eye? How do you shade around your eye in a way that works for you and what makes you feel the best? Being able to get those things down, first of all, it saves you so much time and you just always feel like yourself which is so important.'

On her must-have beauty products...

'I have always travelled with a carry on. I never really ever check a bag. But I have my whole beauty routine with me. This time I brought my Dr Dennis Gross Peel Pads; I brought my retinol for night, I brought my vitamin C serum, I brought a moisturiser.'

'Then I have my go-to make-up situation. I like the Kosas Concealer, I use that as my base. I have a brown pencil that I use, sometimes for my eyes, but always for freckles and for my eyebrows. I have a liquid liner, which is very important to me. I have a cat eye. And then I'm really into a lip liner and I have the Rhode Peptide Lip Tint in Espresso which I have on right now.'

On self-care rituals...

'Skincare has become a really good self care thing for me. In the last six months, I decided to really care about my skin and take care of it in a different way than I have in the past. Also, doing make-up for me in the morning is a form of meditation. I don't look at my phone. I'm so zoned out. And it's just so relaxing, it's the same feeling you get when you're watching make-up tutorials. And it's just my time for myself.'

On feeling her most beautiful...

'I feel the most beautiful when I'm coming off of a really good vacation. I'm tanned and I’m happy.'

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On the future of beauty...

'I like the direction that beauty is moving in. I think that it should just be about personal expression and that looks different for everyone. I feel like Gen Z really gets that in a way that's very refreshing. And while there are make-up trends, it just feels like everyone's doing what works for them and figuring that out. And I think that's so wonderful.'