My beauty rules: Adriana Lima shares her insider hacks

The Victoria’s Secret model talks Tough Mudder ambitions and why sleeping in your mascara is her secret beauty trick

Red lips go with everything, says Adriana Lima - even a bikini on the beach. ‘I’ll opt for a popping red, such as Maybelline’s Color Sensational Vivid Hot Lacquer in Classic. Then, if I want to make my lips look bigger, I’ll use a liner, too. My mum is obsessed with lipsticks and loves strong colours, like brown or burgundy, so I always associate lipstick with her.’

And boxing keeps Adriana Lima in great shape. ‘If I’m stressed, I go boxing. I’ve been doing it for over ten years – it’s my favourite way to work out and such a good energy release. I don’t like running but, if I’m travelling, I’ll do it. I recently completed an obstacle course in Miami where you had to crawl through mud and scramble over walls. Since then I’ve been thinking about doing a Tough Mudder, too.’

Fragrance of choice? ‘I always keep a small bottle of Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence in my purse. The gardenia in the fragrance reminds me of being in my mum’s garden, which is why I love it. If I go away with work, I spritz a piece of clothing with perfume, so my daughters can sleep with it to remind them of me. Fragrance is so powerful like that.’

Before a Victoria’s Secret show, Adriana Lima does some serious body prep. ‘I’ll slather moisturiser everywhere. Mario Badescu’s Rose Hips Nourishing Oil is really lightweight, so it sinks in immediately and makes your skin feel incredible. I don’t usually need to use fake tan, because I have naturally olive skin – and I live in Miami! I’m religious about applying SPF, though, so the first thing I do every morning is cover myself in Sun Bum.’

The best make-up trick I’ve learned is to mix a dollop of highlighter into my BB cream or moisturiser. Together it creates a lovely, warm all-over glow. Another thing I do is keep my mascara on for a few days at a time. I’ll sleep in it, then layer more on top each morning to create a slightly smoky look that also gives the illusion of eyeliner, even though you’re not wearing any.

After a long day or if I’m travelling a lot, I can’t wait to use Omorovicza’s Deep Cleansing Mask. It’s like a dessert for your face. It feels so rich and luxurious to put on and leaves your skin really glowy. The eye cream is great if you’re tired, too.

I’m lucky enough to live by the beach, so if I need to chill out I can just go and sit there for a while or take a walk. I don’t get much downtime – usually only in the mornings with my children before they go to school. If I want to really relax, I’ll have a deep-tissue massage and burn aromatherapy candles or incense. My favourite is a floral one, like Diptyque’s Gardenia candle.

My go-to skin guru is Herve Herau. He’s a Paris-based facialist whose products are organic and he creates a totally customised regime for you. When I see him, I stock up on literally everything.

Interview by Charlotte Clark