My Beauty Back Catalogue: Ruth Crilly
The Early Memories
I have no idea how I became so obsessed with magazines, models and all the beautiful brands in the department stores. My mum was always beautiful, but she wasn’t the sort of woman who faffed with her appearance – she certainly never made me or my siblings feel as though beauty was the be all and end all.
As a child, I vividly remember loving beauty packaging. When I was nine, I went up and down the street asking all the women for the products they no longer wanted. Terribly, I think I said it was for charity, but really I just wanted to look at them and poke my fingers in it all! I don’t think any charity would have wanted lipstick stubs, so I’m fairly sure the neighbours knew what I was up to. From then on, I was very into beauty products. Not even to put on my face – I didn’t start following a basic skincare routine until slightly later – but just to look at. I also loved going around The Body Shop and sniffing all the shower gel samples.
The Experimentation Era
When I was 14, my walls were papered with torn-out luxury adverts from magazines. I would trim the edges using my mum’s guillotine to make sure they were neat and straight. My favourite ad was for Polo Sport featuring Bridget Hall – the one where she was wearing a white swimsuit and looked so all-American and sexy. I think I always had these adverts in mind when I bought clothes and make-up, but I didn’t ever have the skills to execute the looks. I mainly wore what everyone else did: low-rise baggy jeans or cargo pants heavily inspired by All Saints and little cropped vests. I also remember loving Meg Ryan’s blonde, choppy hair. I had my long, honey-blonde hair cut off and absolutely massacred at the local hairdresser. I still love that sort of hairstyle. Once I actually dyed my hair orange because of Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element. It was terrible, but what can I say? I was very easily influenced.
Looking back now, I think that whole era was one big make-up mistake! This was the mid-90s, so we were wearing pearlised, frosty pink lipstick and that concealer stick by Rimmel that came in exactly two shades (the one we all used was ‘Ivory’, regardless of anyone’s actual individual skin tone) and maybe some badly applied mascara. It really wasn't a great time for make-up. When I look at what teens have now – the access to tutorials, information and so many products – it’s actually laughable to think of what we did back then. Although we were probably less concerned with looks – I don’t remember anyone discussing make-up at school, ever.
The Modelling Days
When I started modelling, I threw my own perception of beauty out the window. Each time I went to work I was a blank canvas. It made me feel more flexible towards my appearance and I think helped me be at peace with how my face looks when it’s completely make-up free. Modelling also gave me a huge appreciation for the power of expert make-up skills. There’s so much accessible content on social media, but if you watch a true professional at work – someone who makes up different faces every week, faces that will be closely scrutinised on camera or in the press – you realise just how in tune they are with each person’s individual features.
The high fashion industry has always valued the extraordinary, the individual, and that has made me not want to have the same face as everyone else. This modern trend of getting lots of work done and then everyone ultimately looking the same just doesn’t do it for me – it actually seems quite bizarre, having been in an industry that craves novelty and uniqueness. My favourite beauty look that I ever wore was from a test shoot I did with the photographer Louise Samuelsen. Zoë Taylor did the make-up and it was superb – so sultry and exactly how I always wanted to look.
The Insider-Approved Products
On shoots we used skincare that didn’t become available in the UK for years. Products like Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré and Bioderma Micellar Water could only be procured from a French pharmacy, so they almost felt like an industry secret. Another kit staple was Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream. The make-up artists used it for just about everything: making glossy eyeshadow, slicking eyebrows into place, highlighting cheekbones… The scent of that product will never leave me.
The Need-To-Know Tips
One thing I learnt from being on set is that eyeliner done badly is instantly and dramatically ageing – and it’s so easy to get wrong. Another tip is that individual clumps of lashes, just a few placed at each outer corner, can completely change the way your eyes look. It creates lift and adds drama without the overtly false look of some strip lashes. Also, very few make-up artists will apply foundation to the entire face. They usually build up layers of glow and coverage with a few different products. I can rarely be arsed to do this, but the final effect is always amazing – traceless make-up, but skin that looks completely perfect.
The Moments Of Reflection
When I was writing How Not To Be A Supermodel, I was always bare faced. I’d just cleanse, moisturise and then I was straight to my desk. The problem with me and make-up is that I can’t just apply it and move on. I get distracted and want to write notes about products for future reviews, or I want to photograph the effects in different lighting. I had to be strict about getting to my desk on time – I didn’t even take my phone into the room with me.
I had been writing notes for my memoir for a long time, which is probably why many of the stories in it feel immediate and box-fresh – often I was working from diary entries and notes I’d written throughout my modelling career. But writing the book in my 40s meant I had some degree of detachment. It allowed me to treat my younger self as a character rather than having to mine my feelings and emotions, and that’s why I was able to write my story with so much humour. Some of the events in the book could have had a decidedly grim lean, but writing with hindsight meant I could laugh these things off and keep the tone light.
The Current Outlook
The one beauty rule I ignore is that I don’t cleanse twice a day. I don’t like the feeling of water on my face in the morning, so I do a deep cleanse with a balm in the evening – a non-negotiable – but in the morning it’s a cursory wipe with a damp flannel. When I want to unwind, I’ll use a face mask in the bath. I sometimes think they’re a bit redundant because serums are so potent and effective at treating specific skin concerns these days, but there’s something timeless and decadent about a good mask.
My approach towards make-up is simple, I don’t like to look made-up. If I ever do a full face, I find myself removing something at the end. My go-to is fresh, natural-looking skin, so I’m always on a quest for the best bases. Bronzer and blush I’d never skip, but on my eyes I’m quite minimalist. I’ll do a swipe of cream shadow then a coat of mascara before finishing my brows with a tinted gel. I rarely wear lipstick, but I like to enhance my lips with a liner in the same shade as my natural lips. I’ll finish with either a tinted or clear balm, and that’s it.
The Ever-Useful Advice
When it comes to my kids, I try to not put too much emphasis on appearance, which is hard considering my job. One thing I have learnt is that you can waste so much money buying things you want rather than what your skin actually needs. If you can work out your skin type, pinpoint your concerns and then only buy the stuff that suits your face, you’ll save an absolute fortune. Don’t be seduced just because it looks pretty.
Follow @RUTHCRILLY & read her memoir How Not To Be A Supermodel
SHOP RUTH'S FAVOURITES
DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at info@sheerluxe.com.