When it comes to conquering new horizons, Naomi Scott knows how to rise to the challenge. From her break-through role as Jasmine in the live-action remake of beloved Disney film Aladdin, to starring alongside Kristen Stewart and Ella Balinska as one third of Charlie’s Angels, and lending her voice to immersive dark-comedy drama podcast Soft Voice, few actresses have tackled such coveted roles so early on in their career. And yet, it’s something that Scott does with poise, elegance, and a sprinkle of east London charm.
Her latest endeavour, as the face of Chloé Nomad Eau de Parfum, sees the 28-year-old making her debut in the world of beauty. ELLE UK caught up with the actress to get the low down on her ride-or-die beauty product, her first ever perfume and honing her skill as a bridal make-up artist...
What's your personal beauty philosophy?
'I think there's the philosophical answer, and then there's the practical answer. So, in terms of when you think of self care, I'm definitely a big believer in less is more in terms of what you put onto your body and skin; it's more about what you put inside you. But, in terms of my relationship to beauty and beauty standards, I feel like no human is more beautiful than when they are comfortable in who they are and who they were created to be. When they're living in their purpose, that to me is the most beautiful thing and it's something that radiates from a person as opposed to aesthetics.
Read Next
'For me, that's definitely my mum. She's the most low maintenance person which is why I didn't grow up learning to go and get a manicure or pedicure. My mum always says that your success is about who you are and not what you do, and that's a great ethos to live by. She's beautiful inside and out, she's such a giving person and she's so generous.'
Growing up, what beauty lessons did you learn from the women around you?
'There's no right or wrong to this, but it just happens to be that the women in my life weren’t really into the whole kind of grooming side of things. The one lesson they did teach me was, and I'm sure a lot of other Indian girls will tell you this, my mum saying, "You are not plucking your eyebrows too early," and saving me from that. Back in the day it was cool to have thin eyebrows and the mums were just like, “Don't do it, don’t do it!” So I wasn't allowed to pluck my eyebrows and I only started threading them when I was 16.
'My mum also told me, "Don't shave your legs because it comes back really thick," but when you're a kid and you're Indian and you have really hairy legs, and you're going to P.E in shorts, it's not the one. So I decided to shave them, and then of course it grew back like absolute man hair legs so then I had to start waxing, which was so painful. I feel like we're getting fully into the trauma of my hair waxing here!'
Tell us about an important beauty lesson you've learned throughout your career...
'I think seeing skin is really sexy, in my opinion, on men and women. When I see your skin I think that's a very, very sexy thing. If I can't see your skin at all and I just see a blank canvas it's fine, but there's something really beautiful about seeing skin texture. I would say don't be afraid of your skin texture and don't be afraid of your little imperfections. I get that you might want to hide something when you're like "Oh, I have a massive spot" or whatever, but all in all, skin texture is sexy man.'
How do you think the portrayal of women in film has changed?
'I think it’s less to do with a "strong woman" now and more about a complex woman, just portraying women full stop! Showing an in depth look at the female experience and that being the centre of the narrative. In some of my favourite movies the female characters are ones that are flawed and you see them strong, you see them weak, you see them crying, you see them angry - you see them doing everything because they're a human being.
'I understand where this idea of wanting to see strong women on screen comes from, especially in the context of family friendly entertainment, when you think of your niece or nephew or your daughter or whoever, you want them to have something great to look up to. But, in general, I love seeing female stories on screen in all their complexity and if that includes strength, it probably should also include moments of weakness.'
How do you use beauty to express yourself in everyday life?
'For me, personally, less is more for my own face. Some people love to go 1000% and I love that, I love the art of it and I respect and appreciate it. For me, it's only a couple of things that I use to accentuate my features, and in terms of my routine it's very simple. I wash my face and I actually don't use a moisturiser! I have really specific skin issues so I don't use moisturiser. I'm basically trying to get my body to create its own moisture instead.
'Then I brush out my eyebrows, use a little bit of brow pencil and apply some eyeliner. Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty Eyeliner is like a little paintbrush and it's so smooth, I just do a tiny little edge, not like a cat-eye but just like a little cool graphic on each side. Then I use a little bit of lip liner with some lip balm and I'm good to go. That's me done and that's me like dressed up or dressed down, it doesn't change.'
How experimental are you with make-up?
'I actually prefer to do other people's make-up! Because I have to wear make-up for work I like to give myself a rest. I'm always like, "Oh my gosh I can't be bothered to put make-up on and take it off", but I really enjoy doing it for other people. I actually did my sister-in-law's make-up for her wedding, and on the wedding day I panicked and thought, "S**t I have to do her make-up, this is such a big deal! What if I mess it up? What am I going to do?"
'Luckily she liked it and she was happy. She likes less is more and we didn't overdo it, it was some classic contouring, not the kind of contouring as we know it now, a little bit of highlight and then a few individual lashes. I can say I'm definitely not a wizard with them so don’t come to me for the fake lashes!'
Which element of make-up are you best at?
'I actually think I'm really good at just eyeshadow and blending. I say that, but then I'll go on YouTube and there are people that are just so insane with their precision. Think of me as more of an old school make-up artist where it’s a light touch and you just press a little bit on and you're done. That’s my vibe.'
What role has perfume has played in your life?
'I have really sensitive skin so being the face of Chloé Nomade is so great because its'a perfume that I can actually wear. It's formulated with 100% natural origin ingredients, and it's organic and vegan, so there's nothing my skin is going to get upset about, which I think is really important. My relationship with perfume thus far has actually been more like candles and aromatherapy in my home, rather than actual perfume but I genuinely love Chloé Nomade - it smells beautiful.'
Naomi Scott's Beauty Essentials
How has perfume helped you feel empowered?
'There was a time when I was going through some health issues and I wasn't sleeping and during a very difficult moment on a shoot my husband brought me the diffuser that we have at home and it made such a difference. We always use a specific scent, Aesop Beatrice, it's a calming scent that feels really comforting so having it on set meant I felt more at home and it got me through quite a tough period. It’s funny how smells are so attached to our emotions.'
Do you remember the first perfume you ever bought?
'I actually don't think it was perfume, I think it was probably Impulse body spray, but the worst thing is I definitely thought that was perfume! I was like, "Oh my gosh this is like the scent." In terms of real perfume I remember being given this green box by my auntie, it was a hand-me-down, and it was Dior Poison. The scent is so strong, to the point where it gives me a headache, and it was just way too much but I remember thinking this is really special. Although I don't know if I ever wore it! I definitely remember I had DKNY's Be Delicious perfume at one point and Marc Jacobs Daisy too.'
