Kate Moss' Beauty Routine Includes a $5 Lipstick

The inimitable Kate Moss. Photo: Dave Benett/Getty Images.

Maybe it’s because she’s famously quiet, but when Kate Moss talks about beauty, the world listens. In a new interview with Grazia, the 40-year-old supermodel shares how she gets dolled up for the holidays—and the routine is more low-key than you might expect.

"I wear more metallic and always a little bit more shimmer around Christmas," she tells Grazia. “Sometimes I’ll add a metallic eye and I use the St.Tropez Self Tan Luxe Dry Oil to give my skin a hint of color and subtle shimmer, which is perfect for parties.” She adds that tanned skin lets her get away with late-night parties: “It covers up a multitude of sins and it also makes you look more defined.” Fair enough.             

"A red lip and glistening skin is my failsafe beauty look," she continues. For eyes, Moss relies on pencil eyeliners for a sultry, smudged look. As for her signature red lip, it’s YSL Volupté Sheer Candy, a slightly shimmery crimson. “Just pat it onto your lips and cheeks to give long-lasting lip color that stays all night,” she advises. (Moss’s budget-friendly pick: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 001, a shade designed just for her.) Those well-defined cheeks come courtesy of Moss’s makeup-artist pal Charlotte Tilbury; the model uses Tilbury’s Filmstar Killer Cheekbones to lightly contour and add a bronzed glow.

As for the morning after, Moss favors a high-low mix. On skin, she uses the luxurious Crème de la Mer (“to put the moisture back into my skin”) and Aussie drugstore staple Lucas Papaw Ointment to prevent chapped lips. Oddly enough, Moss’s de-puffing routine involves submerging her face into a sink filled with ice and cucumber. “It instantly tightens everything, making you feel and look instantly awake. I saw Joan Crawford do it in Mommie Dearest.”

Okay, so maybe the face-dunking is a little out-there, but you have to admit: If any woman knows how to hit up the best parties in the world and still look as though she’s had a full night of sleep, it’s Kate Moss. We’ll be adding cucumbers to our shopping list, stat.