Dakota Fanning On Her Clé de Peau Beauté Skincare Secrets
Words by Verity Clark
Dakota Fanning is looking fresh faced, despite a 3am photoshoot. But, according to the actor, the secret to Hollywood skin is actually not as complicated as you think. “I like my skin to look fresh and have a natural flush, I want my make-up to be light and glowy and to enhance my natural features rather than cover them up,” she tells Harrods. For Fanning, good skin isn’t about the latest wizzy facial it’s about “doing the best you can”. Her beauty advice is refreshingly simple, and easy to follow. “Remove your make-up at night, do your skincare routine in the morning and evening and see it as something to look forward to rather than a chore.” It turns out, Dakota Fanning is one of us.
Those enchanting, icy-blue eyes, the cascade of blonde hair and wide, open smile have been a familiar sight to many of us for the best part of the last twenty years. The actor has evolved from Hollywood’s poster child - her turns in ‘Man on Fire’ and ‘Hide and Seek’ gained critical acclaim - to bonafide red carpet superstar - last year saw her delight audiences as the aloof Marge in Netflix’s adaptation of ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ and most recently as the insufferable, but long suffering, Abby in the summer smash hit ‘The Perfect Couple’, but despite her soaring fame Fanning has remained refreshingly down to earth. Fitting then that she is an ambassador for Clé de Peau Beauté, a brand that aligns with her low-key beauty aesthetic.
After an exclusive photo shoot for Harrods, Dakota Fanning sat down with deputy beauty editor Verity Clark to chat about all things beauty; from just how she keeps her skin looking so radiant (even on a 3am photoshoot) and her eye-opening mascara trick to the joy of switching off with reality TV.
On Her Beauty Influences
“My grandmother won’t come out of her bedroom unless she has make-up on, but my mom - her daughter - is very natural and doesn’t wear make-up at all. So I grew up with these two women who had very different approaches to beauty. I have so many memories of being in my grandmother’s bathroom with all of her make-up and me using her lip liners to draw ridiculously overlined lips. I learnt the skincare side of things from my mom, she has an olive complexion but had a very pale daughter - me - so was constantly covering me in SPF. Now, I slather myself in Clé de Peau Beauté SPF50 everyday, no matter where I am - it’s super lightweight so it doesn't feel like a chore to wear it.”
On Having A Routine
“I’m constantly away from home in far away places so I find that having the same routine wherever I go and using the same products is very grounding. The Clé de Peau Beauté Precious Gold Vitality Serum is very helpful to me when I’m living my on-the-go lifestyle, it’s so lightweight and versatile and is a must have for me when I’m travelling and when I’m at home. Another of my skincare go-tos is La Crème, I actually can’t talk about Clé de Peau Beauté without speaking about it! I love the way it looks, I have it sitting out in my bathroom, the feeling of putting La Crème on after a long day is one of the things I look forward to most – I swear by it.”
On Unwinding
“I spend my entire day thinking about what I’m going to eat for dinner, and if I'm out of town working I'll be thinking about what I’m going to order. Unless I’m washing my hair I only take baths, not even long soaks, they can be quick but for me it’s a grounding thing that I do everywhere I go. If i have a bathtub i can get through anything - it doesn’ even need to be a nice bathtub and I don’t need oils, just water and I’m good to go.”
On Her Make-up Staples
“I have a pouch in my bag at all times that has the Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer in it, it’s so good. I don’t travel anywhere, or even leave the house without it, it is always in my bag. I also adore the Lip Glorifier, oh my god it’s good, it brings out your natural colour but it’s hydrating and you just use it like a normal lip balm.”
On Her Wellness Routine
“I’ve always been someone who goes to workout classes and that sort of thing, but then I got burnout with that, so now I have a trainer who I go to because apparently it’s all about strength training these days. I love to get lymphatic massages - they feel so good - and then I have a red light mask at home that I’ll sit in and feel like I've done something special.”
On The Number One Beauty Trick She’s Learnt On Set
“Someone once told me that with mascara just do it on the outer parts not the inner parts, especially on the lower lashes, and it sort of opens them up in a certain way and now I always do that.”
On The Perfect Day Off
“I think it’s really important to know how to rest and know how to not do anything. So, somedays that means that you just don’t leave the couch. I love reality TV, if I have a couple of episodes of Real Housewives banked then that is best, or snuggling with my dog.”
