Holly Willoughby…is a BEAUTY PIE INSIDER

All-round wonder woman (and big Beauty Pie fan) Holly Willoughby has spent her sparkling TV career putting the very best skincare and makeup through its paces, from (obscenely) early morning skin-revivers to the perfect makeup for looking fresh-faced fast.

Here, she takes the Beauty Pie Insider questionnaire, and reveals her beauty life lessons - from how to ‘make friends’ with your skin, to sharing skincare tips with her daughter - and her go-to skin-reviving mask.

1. Describe your relationship with the world of beauty? Enthusiast? Novice? Fanatic?

I’ve always been interested in beauty, ever since I was a kid. I remember watching my mum do her makeup in the mirror. She was always obsessed with lipstick! She wasn’t a big makeup wearer, she’d always have a bit of mascara on, but she’d always wear a really bright fuchsia bright lip.

Whether she’d be putting it on in her makeup mirror or quickly applying in the car before she got out, I remember there would always be a bit of glamour to her makeup, and obviously I always thought my mum was the most beautiful woman in the world - so whenever I got the opportunity to go through her (albeit quite limited) makeup kit, I would put her lipstick on or practice with mascara. I would do makeovers with friends when they’d come over, and we’d read magazines like Just Seventeen and try and copy what was in there.

As I got older, I definitely didn’t look after my skin as much as I should have done. I think that’s something that comes with youthful skin, that you can get away with just washing your face with whatever cleanser you may have to hand at the time - even if it’s literally your shower wash. As I’ve got older, skincare is an area that I’ve wanted to explore a lot more and one that I’m enjoying a lot more.

It’s becoming much more part of my self-care ritual, to spend that time putting products, creams and lotions on to my skin and really enjoying that process of looking after my skin as it’s getting older.

2. Your biggest beauty ‘lightning bolt’ moment/what has changed your beauty game?

I think it was realising that if you look after the quality of your skin, then the makeup you apply will sit much better. I do wear makeup for TV, much more than I do in real life, and I noticed that my foundation wasn’t sitting as well as it used to. I realised that actually, if I put in time in the morning to treat and moisturise my skin and look after it a bit better, then the makeup would last longer and sit better.

So that was a real game changer for me, visually seeing the difference it was making. And then on days when I wasn’t wearing makeup, my skin would look brighter and more illuminated, and I really liked that.

My daughter Belle is 12 now, and she has suddenly got really into beauty and having a skincare routine. Her routine is really basic at the moment, but it’s interesting watching how she’s actually more knowledgeable than me about the steps and the layering. Even though we’re at totally different ends of the spectrum with our skincare, we’re kind of going through the same process and it’s really nice. She gave me a little facial the other day with her bits that she had, and I loved it. I love that we can have that together.

3. List the steps in your morning skincare routine.

I have some core Beauty Pie favourites that never change, but depending on the time of year, I switch it up. My go-to cleanser is the Super Healthy Skin™ Hot Oil Double Cleansing Balm, but for a quick morning cleanse, I find the Japanfusion™ Pure Transforming Cleanser just leaves my skin perfectly balanced and clean.

Then I load up on moisture for the day and I find the Triple Hyaluronic Acid range super-effective for long-lasting hydration and glow. Then the mask that I often rely on to inject some life (literally oxygen) into my skin is the Oxygen Instant Facial Refueling Mask.

4. Beauty gadgets, yay or nay?

I think one step at a time - I’m working up to those. I do like the crystal rollers that you can get. I keep those in the fridge at work and sometimes, if I feel extra puffy and tired, or I just feel like I need that extra boost and coldness on my skin, I will roller in my serums and I really quite enjoy that! As far as beauty gadgets go, that’s about it...and eyelash curlers of course, which I’m absolutely addicted to.

5. Aging gracefully? Pro or NO?

Oh definitely! Aging is an absolute privilege!

There is so much more science to skincare now that makes looking after your skin very easy. Sometimes it can be confusing - you hear about all these different serums and acids, and some are for morning and some are for evening, but once you’ve broken it down and start to understand it, then it’s actually much simpler than you think.

But really, it’s whatever you want - it’s a really personal journey and for some people, aging gracefully is keeping everything very natural and paring back your makeup and for some people it’s putting it all on and really going for it. ‘Gracefully’ can be defined in many different ways. It’s what’s right for you.

6. Are you married to a particular fragrance?

I always wear my Wylde Moon fragrance, called Borrowed from The Wild. It’s my absolute go-to signature fragrance. It couldn’t be more signature because I created it! It took a really long time to get it absolutely perfect and if I do say so myself, I have totally and utterly nailed it and I get so many comments about it!

I always keep it in my handbag and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve ended up giving it to people who walk past and say ‘what’s that amazing smell?’ and I’m like ‘it’s me!’ and give them the bottle!

7. What beauty items are always ‘on your person’?

I always have a good lip balm, and sun cream - I have a spray sun cream that sits over my makeup so I can just spritz it on whenever I need to. I get pigmentation, so I’m always aware that, even on a not so sunny day, I need to top up my SPF.

I’ve always got a little pot of my cream blush in my bag, because it’s really small. I also find - something else that happens as you get older - your face just seems to eat your blusher!? I find that tiny little pot of blusher so handy to perk you up and I’ll sometimes add to my lips, too.

8. Please share your most helpful makeup tips.

It would have to be to get your foundation right. It’s about really prepping your skin and putting the layers in slowly. I like to put my serums on before I clean my teeth so that it has time to melt into the skin before you put your foundation on (or whatever your next step is) just to give them all time to ‘make friends’ with your skin.

I’ve also learnt to really take my time - I usually want everything done instantly and I rush through things. My makeup artist Patsy, who I have learnt so many things from, taught me to take my time, even with your mascara. Always curl your eyelashes because it really opens up your face, then if you take your time by just placing your mascara on nicely, you actually don't really need that much more, because you can get every individual lash and really frame your eyes.

9. How do you get into the ‘evening out’ beauty zone? Bubble Bath? Killer smoky eye?

For me, you can’t go wrong with an eyeliner flick - and I think that if you have a really good liquid eyeliner, with a felt tip end, then the hard work is done for you. I don’t know why, but I think a flick just always elevates your look.

10. Advice for your 16-year-old self?

Oh my god, enjoy that collagen! Enjoy that plumpness in your skin! It’s really different now because for Belle (my daughter), at age 12, it’s all about moisture moisture moisture and she walks around looking like a glazed donut - loads of shine and plump, beautiful skin.

But I remember when I was at her age, I was constantly patting matte foundation onto my face to try and totally remove any shine at all. But I think the beauty of young skin is that luminescence. I think you just want to celebrate that and show it off.

11. Your beauty icons?

Cate Blanchet has the most amazing face - and I love how she always changes up her look, whether that’s with eyeliner or dewy skin. I really like her face. Also someone like Penelope Cruz always looks amazing.

12. Your ‘go-to’ beauty birthday gift?

Well…I’d have to say my Holly-Day kit! But I actually do think getting someone a little set, that contains colours suited to everyone and a lovely makeup bag to keep it all in would be a really nice birthday gift to give someone. I’d be very pleased to receive it!