From rising star to leading lady, Keira Knightley continues to inspire us both on-screen and off, whether playing strong female protagonists, speaking out about the unfair demands of motherhood, or inadvertently giving masterclasses in elegance while walking some (very select) red carpets.
As she approaches her 38th birthday this month, Knightley discusses her interest in the way women are perceived as they grow older via her recent Harper’s Bazaar cover interview. With the widespread judgement surrounding famous women who age naturally – and those who seemingly don’t, she questions: “How are we, culturally, meant to age?”. In our exclusive video with Knightley, in which she reveals the contents of her beauty bag, the actress reflects upon her relationship with anti-ageing tools, how she adopted her signature make-up style, and what she hopes her daughters (Edie, seven and Delilah, four), grow-up to interpret the notion of ‘beauty’ to be.
Firstly, she showcases her "favourite thing ever": the Hershesons Almost Everything Cream, which is a multi-use hair product designed by stylist Luke Hersheson, whom Knightley often collaborates with. "I’m not very good at my own hair. I can’t style it," she admits. But this "zhuzhes" without effort or skill. "That’s my only tip for hair!" she says frankly.
Another "magic" product the actress loves is the MZ Skin Tone and Lift Germanium Contouring Facial Roller. “I need some toning and some lifting,” she unapologetically claims, while demonstrating how to use the manual facial roller. When it comes to skincare, she also raves about the "face cream of dreams", Sisley Paris' Restorative Facial Cream and her "treasured possession", The Lip Balm by La Mer ("the best lip balm I've ever tried").
Hershesons Almost Everything Cream
MZ Skin Tone & Lift Germanium Contouring Facial Roller
Sisley Paris Restorative Facial Cream
La Mer The Lip Balm
When it comes to make-up, she swears by the "less is more" adage, revealing that she wears a lot less make-up now than she used to. Her must-haves include the Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint and Lisa Eldridge's Elevated Glow Highlighter in 'Crystal Nebula' (both for a dewy look), plus the Kryolan Dermacolor Camouflage Crème Mini Palette – which she reveals "every single screen actress has" – to mask "any blemish".
When it comes to enhancing her eyes and lips, Knightley says she sticks to her fail-safe formula of "a dark smoky eye and a natural mouth – it just suits my face and I'm happy with it". When achieving this look herself she likes the quick sketch-and-smudge Absolution Le Smoky Eyeshadow Crayon in ‘Charbon’ and the Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2.0 in ‘Glowing Jen’, a rosy nude. "I'm not a red girl – it goes all over my teeth, I can never remember to reapply, so I always go for kind of natural shades."
Chanel Les Beiges Eau De Teint Water-Fresh Tint
Lisa Eldridge Elevated Glow Highlighter in 'Crystal Nebula'
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer Triangular Brow Pencil
Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2.0 in ‘Glowing Jen’
But what Knightley says she's most drawn to in the beauty world now are the things that facilitate self-care; a lovely bath while wearing a face mask and surrounded by scented candles makes for “a real moment of relaxation and calm,” she says. Even hearing her say so is soothing.
Enjoy more of Knightley's beauty philosophy, and see her most-used cosmetics, in the video above.
