I just spent half an hour with Hailey Bieber—this is how she maintains *that* bob (and her glowing skin)

As a beauty editor, there are few people whose beauty routine I am as infatuated with as I am with Hailey Bieber's. And I don't think I'm alone in this. For the past few years, whatever Hailey Bieber does with her beauty look, the world seems to follow. Whether she's stepping out sporting a new nail trend (hello, glazed doughnut nails), sharing her latest make-up tips on TikTok or chopping her hair off into a chic blunt bob—we're listening.

And, as somewhat of a Bieber beauty superfan, I have spent many hours attempting to decode the secret to her enviable look. I have spent days scrolling through her TikTok, scribbling down notes on every product she uses, dedicated hours to reading every beauty-related interview she's ever given and, hell, I've even grilled her make-up artist on the sorts of tricks she uses on her client—remember that contour hack that went viral?! I have learned that while genetics, of course, have a huge part to play in any beauty look, Hailey takes an approach to beauty which is particularly unique.

A key component to her glow is, without doubt, the daily use of her own skincare line, Rhode. You only have to take one look at her social media to see she really does believe in what she's created. But, up until today, Rhode hasn't been available in the UK. Now, Rhode products are finally available to buy this side of the pond.

Turns out, when Rhode comes to town, so too does Hailey. And that, my beauty-loving friends, is how I found myself sat next to Hailey Bieber on a sofa in a plush hotel suite yesterday afternoon, grilling her on her beauty routine.

Now, I've interviewed my fair share of celebrities in my time, including countless celebrities who have started beauty brands—but nothing quite compares to this moment. When team Marie Claire UK found out an interview with Hailey was on the cards, I received countless questions from them. My fellow editors (many of whom would be the first to admit they're not particularly interested in beauty trends) wanted to know everything Hailey knows about beauty, from what make-up she uses to how she deals with bob upkeep. And when the Rhode products landed on my desk last week? I've never seen so much fuss in the office.

So, this one's for you team Marie Claire UK—here's everything Hailey Bieber taught me about beauty in the 30 minutes I got to spend with her.

Hydration is everything

"My everyday skincare routine is fairly simple. In the evening I double cleanse because you’ve got to get off all that sunscreen and make-up off. I like things that are really gentle, that don’t make my skin feel sensitised or stripped. Then, I apply Peptide Glazing Fluid, Barrier Restore Cream, Peptide Lip Treatment, and then the only thing I ever really add or subtract is tretinoin at night. If I want to give my skin a bit of extra love I might layer everything with a rich cream, just to seal it in. And in the morning, I use an SPF for sure.

"Flying for me is the thing that disrupts my skin the most—my skin gets so dry. That's what helped me decide what products to launch. I asked myself: what are the products I really need? And that's a hybrid product, a great moisturiser and a great lip product. I just wanted to create great formulas that do what they say they're doing to do. I didn't want to overwhelm people. It's about curated, edited essentials—it's the same way I approach my wardrobe. It's capsule skincare, and that's always been my philosophy."

Tretinoin is worth looking into

"This year is the year I got serious about trying to incorporate tretinoin.  I'm now over 25—which I know is still very, very young—but that's a good age to start. You know skin cycling? It became popular on TikTok via Whitney Bowe, the dermatologist. That's my approach to [using Tretinoin]. I use a super-gentle, baby percentage of it, but I really do want to be able to use it forever and work my way up to that. It keeps the texture of my skin looking even—it's good for glow, too. But the key is spacing out the application and layering it with calming things.

"The best skin tip I ever learned was from Charlotte Palermino—and that's the concept of skin sandwiching. It's the only way I approach tretinoin. You put a layer of hydrating skincare on, then the retinol or tretinoin, and then another layer of hydration. It prevents the tretinoin uglies!"

A facial should be a top-up

"I really don't get facials that often. The last time I got one I had been travelling and I'd been in Palm Springs where it's just very, very dusty so my skin needed a deep clean. But it's not very often I do that, only once every few months. I tried microneedling this year and that was nice, but I never want to overdo it because I do think there is a thing as doing too much. If your skin is feeling good and looking healthy, doing too many treatments can disturb that. But for a little extra kick or maintenance, a treatment can help. I'm very, very committed to my routine—that's the thing that really carries the skin."

Skincare and make-up go together

"As a teenager, I would always mix moisturiser with foundation. I think that’s a great trick—thinning foundation out with skincare. I like that the Rhode Peptide Glazing Fluid feels like it can be more than one thing. You can mix it with your blush to give more of a flushed look too, or use it as a highlight. I also use the Peptide Lip Treatment over lipstick and even as an eye gloss."

Brow gel, blush and lip liner are all that matters in make-up

"If I only have five minutes to do my make-up in the morning, I'm using brow gel, a rosy cream blush on my cheeks and then a little bit of lip liner (I love the Tower28 ones and Make Up Forever in Anywhere Caffeine is my perfect shade) before Peptide Lip Treatment. That's my daily thing. I think you can have nothing else on the skin but a dewy blush and look great—you can tap it on the lips too.

"I'm not the biggest mascara girl. I'd rather curl my lashes and wear no mascara. It started because I'd forget to apply mascara and then I just sort of got used to it. I don't wear mascara in the daytime."

Faux your glow

"I try to be really careful in the sun—SPF every day and I try to keep my face out of the sun, so a really nice creamy bronzer is so necessary. I love the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream—I love so much of the Chanel make-up.

"You can also find great tanning drops to mix in with your skincare and make-up to give you that glow. I use this Tan-Luxe water spray which is really nice and you think it's going to be splotchy but it's not. I mist it and then I let it sit and just leave it."

Bob upkeep isn't easy—but it might just be worth it

"Maintaining this short hair cut has been my Mount Everest. Okay, I'm being dramatic but it's my hair Everest. I chopped my hair and it only maintains the perfect length for literally one week. I know that means my hair is healthy but to maintain the length I like I need to get it cut every two weeks. 

"I keep getting so sick of it. I'm like 'I'm just going to let it grow out'—but then I go back and get it cut and it just looks so cute. Seriously, the maintenance is getting it trimmed constantly. I mean, I do hair masks too, of course, but chopping my hair has also made it so much healthier."

For the slicked bun, you need a hair stick

"You need to use a wax stick. The Tigi Bed Head one is great, and that's what I use. But the only thing I'll say about wax sticks is that you need to use a clarifying shampoo to get them out. But for slicking down flyaways and baby hairs, they're the best."

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