When it came to launching her beauty brand, Rose Inc, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley knew exactly where to start: the ingredients. As someone who has struggled with breakouts, the model and soon-to-be mother of two knows firsthand the importance of products that are kind to your skin, which is why her inaugural 10-piece collection is made using the finest plant-based ingredients and non-comedogenic formulations. (Her latest offering, the Tinted Serum, is no different. Containing microencapsulated spheres that burst with luminous pigment as it melts seamlessly into your skin, it provides the perfect amount of coverage without clogging up pores.) Here, the beauty entrepreneur talks to British Vogue about her evolving relationship with beauty, and what motherhood means to her.
Growing up, what did beauty mean to you?
I grew up in the countryside, on a very rustic farm in Devon, in a family where it was important to bring different things to the table; a good sense of humour and a sense of enthusiasm. The idea of beauty just wasn’t synonymous with that kind of lifestyle. I think my earliest beauty memories are of watching my mother get ready in the evenings. To me, she was the most glamorous person I’d ever laid eyes on. She would allow me to come and sit on the edge of her bed and watch her get ready. I think the thing that always struck me was the transformative nature of beauty, seeing her go from looking very rural on the farm to rolling on that lipstick, doing her hair and putting on a lovely outfit and seeing how it changed her demeanour and her confidence. Then I started working as a model at the age of 16, where hair and make-up are at the core of everything you do. That’s when my love began to evolve, again recognising that transformative nature of beauty, whether it was becoming a character in an editorial, or selling a certain sort of image. That was almost 20 years ago.
What about that journey that led you to launch your own beauty brand?
It came from the love of beauty products and the love of applying make-up and having it applied to me, and then an attraction to creating a brand and the storytelling around that brand. There’s nothing more rewarding for me, at the end of the day, than when somebody taps me on the shoulder and says, “Oh my gosh, your products made such a difference in my life.” That’s where I get really fulfilled. And that’s what I love about beauty; it’s very universal.
How would you describe your approach to beauty?
I really believe there are no rules when it comes to beauty. I remember my mum saying to me that make-up should enhance what you have, not hide what you have. At the time, I didn’t really understand, but it has stuck with me. When you apply make-up it’s about celebrating what you have versus worrying about your flaws. For me, I have features that I love to play on. I’ve got this full mouth and I love to have lots of lashes. We all have flaws. I have congested skin half the time and breakouts, other people have different things that they feel insecure about. I love to see women who have quirks and flaws that make them unique.
You mentioned breakouts and congestion, how do you take care of your skin?
My skin shifts every single day and so my quest for good skincare has been a journey. Over the years, I’ve spoken to so many experts and learnt so much. One of the biggest revelations over the last couple of years was switching all my products to being noncomedogenic, which means they’re formulated without potential pore-clogging ingredients. That really got my acne under control. So that’s one thing. I also like to use a lot of exfoliating acids, as they’re going to help resurface the skin. What I’ve learned from acne-prone skin is that it’s often a case of your cells having a sluggish turnover. And so by using your acids or manual exfoliating scrubs, that’s going to really help keep the skin cells turning over and minimise the build up of oil. I also use the Clarifying Toner from the first launch. Selfishly, it’s really wonderful to be able to create products for myself that also resonate with the customer at the same time.
Let’s talk about your latest product, the Tinted Serum. How did that come about?
I wanted to create quite a sheer, lightweight formula that was going to give me some coverage but also this really luminous finish. It works beautifully in combination with my Softlight Luminous Hydrating Concealer, which was from our first launch. It has these microencapsulated spheres which hold the pigment in tiny capsules. When it comes into contact with the skin, the pigments burst and you just get this lovely glow. There are 14 shades in the collection, but they’re really flexible, so I can actually use two or three colours depending on whether I want to feel a little bit more tanned or whether I want to match my skin tone completely. Over the last couple of years, certainly since Covid, but even slightly before that, the idea of heavy foundation every morning just seemed excessive. Especially as a mum, just running into the office or running around town, I’d catch myself in a mirror halfway through the day and go, “Oh my gosh, it’s all sunken in.” So I wanted to create something lighter for my face and then save the heavier foundation for events, or for when the experts are applying it. It’s also a really quick, easy formula to apply; you can’t mess it up. I love the feel of it on my skin, I love the look of it. I never feel like I’m wearing a lot of make-up.
You just touched on motherhood, how would you say becoming a mother has shaped or shifted your approach to beauty?
When you become a parent, you become time-poor. You don’t have that time for yourself, or that ability to just go off and lock yourself in your bathroom in the middle of the day and play around with products. I certainly remember having a lot of that prior to my son being born. Oftentimes, I’ll have to decide: it’s 9am and I can do hair or make-up, which one is it going to be today? Usually it’s make-up because I can just throw my hair up. And then on an emotional level, I think you just start to see the world through your children’s eyes. You start to think about what you want to instil in them. And you think about what their impression of beauty will be, and of me as they get older. I grew up in a household where we weren’t self conscious, we were not aware of the way we looked. I don’t want to place a big importance on beauty and looks. But at the same time, it’s a big part of my work. It’s an interesting one that I think will continue to evolve and will be important to keep check of as I have more children.
So much of beauty is about self-care. Are there any specific self-care practices you engage with?
It’s working out regularly. It’s sleeping well. It’s eating a well-balanced diet, not depriving myself of a plate of chips if that’s what I want, but also keeping a rein on things.
When I’m in a good place with all that, my confidence soars and I feel good within my body. Mental health plays a big part in the success of the relationships you have. When I’m really busy and overwhelmed with work and with running a house and with being a mother – all of those kinds of things – taking time for myself is really important. Taking time for my partner is also really important and so is catching up with girlfriends, which is really rare these days. It’s all about balance.
Ok, last question, when do you feel most beautiful?
I feel most beautiful when I’m feeling fit and healthy and in good shape. But also when I’m around the people that I really love: my partner and my son, especially when my son’s telling me something very sweet and giving me a hug. I also feel great when I’m on a beach and I’ve got salty hair, and I’ve got sand stuck on my legs and a nice tan. But I also feel great when a wonderful make-up artist is applying beautiful make-up on me and I’m about to walk out onto a red carpet. Ultimately, you feel beautiful when you’re happy.
This story was originally published on Vogue.co.uk
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