Hailey Bieber: "I was going through a lot of heartbreak privately"

Hailey Bieber on dealing with heartbreak in the public eye, married life with Justin and why she believes in giving everyone the benefit of the doubt...

As one of the world's biggest models, a member of the famous Baldwin dynasty (daughter of Stephen FYI) and other half of the most famous pop star on the planet (she's married to Justin Bieber in case you haven't used the internet in a few years) you'd be forgiven for thinking Hailey Bieber's beauty routine would be outrageously high maintenance. It turns out that couldn't be further from the truth (she hates contour, relies on just a few 'barely-there' products and walking the red carpet makes her incredibly anxious). Here, bareMinerals' Clean Beauty Ambassador talks us through the products that make her happy, married life with Justin Bieber and why she lives each day with no regrets.

We're dying to know your cult beauty products. What can't you leave the house without?

I go everywhere with a good lip product and I also love the [bareMinerals] Skinlongevity Serum [Skinlongevity Long Life Herb Serum £50], I couldn’t live without it. The brow gel [Strength & Length Serum-Infused Brow Gel, £18] because I wear brow gel every single day. The Strength & Length Serum-Infused Mascara [£23] too since the only thing you see outside of a mask is your brows and your eyelashes. And the Complexion Rescue Hydrating Foundation Stick [£29] is my absolute favourite.

What are your non-negotiables in terms of feeling good?

I love to work out as much as I can. Over the last couple of days I haven’t been able to because I’ve been working a bit and I’ve also been a bit sick. It’s not Covid, I just have a bad cold and haven’t been feeling super good. But I always think it helps my drive and my mental health when I’m on a schedule, meaning every single day I’m up at a certain time. I wasn’t always really good at that and I’ve gone through phases where I’ve lagged, especially when work used to be a lot busier before Covid and it was harder to maintain a workout schedule. But the one bright side of quarantine and lockdown has been I've got on a better fitness schedule and I think it’s been a lot better for my mind.

Are you somebody who works out as soon as you wake up?

I try and stick to a certain time, most of the time I think past a certain time of the day it’s harder for my body to feel motivated to work out. Another thing I really like to do if I’ve had a really long day or if I’ve been working, is I love to take a good bath at the end of the day. I know that sounds like something so simple, but I think baths are everything.

I do too. They seem to be going out of fashion though - everyone’s installing huge walk-in showers...

Honestly, we just moved and we have the most insane steam shower in our new house that I have to say is a game-changer.

Showers in the morning, baths at night?

Yes! Agreed. I took a nice long bath last night and this morning. I did a double dip. It’s everything, with a little eucalyptus in there. Lifesaver.

Your makeup and style has always been on point, but have you ever had any disasters?

OK, one thing that comes immediately to mind is a couple of years ago. I don’t really know what happened here but there was a makeup look that was this insanely dark eye and this weird long braid, and there was a long-sleeved white gown. It was all wrong, all bad and it didn’t make any sense together. I literally looked like Elsa from Frozen but a weird, dark confused version. It was before I had the proper glam team and that’s why they’ve completely saved me. I know lots of people in the industry have been there - we’ve all worn things and had makeup looks where we’re like ‘I don’t understand what was going through my brain’. So that was one I don’t like to think back on personally…

Do you think it takes a while before you find your confidence and know what suits you?

Yeah and I think I’ve learned my face more. I’ve learned that on me personally, less is more. I don’t enjoy a tonne of face makeup or a lot of contour. Going on a red carpet regardless is uncomfortable, so I’ve found I’m more comfortable when I feel like my glam is really natural.

What makes the red carpet experience so uncomfortable?

I just think it’s really awkward. Having a bunch of cameras on you and in your face. And it’s everybody from every angle! If anybody can tell me they go on the red carpet and are able to just take a deep breath and be comfortable, I would love to know how that works because it’s very anxiety-inducing in my opinion. I don’t think I’ve ever breathed on a red carpet actually - I feel like my breath goes away and I can’t breathe, it’s very weird. I deal with it how I can.

If you could give any advice to your 18-year-old self what would it be?

If I could tell myself anything at 18 it would be to literally take a deep breath and relax. Everything is going to work out the way it’s supposed to. Honestly, I would never look back and think there was anything I’d really change. Because I think every decision I made - the good, the bad, the immature and the silly - it’s all part of life. And it’s what brought me to where I am now.

That's a smart way of looking at it.

But I think I would have probably saved myself a lot of anxiety. I was always a very 'future' thinker - I still kind of am. I was always thinking 'If I do this, what’s gonna happen then' and 'What if in a year from now, I do this?'. And I always thought about what was coming next. If I could go back, I’d tell myself to just relax and live in the moment. When I look back at 17 to 21, I got to do a lot of things I really enjoyed with people I really loved. I travelled the world with people I adored and got to see amazing places. So I don’t think I’d ever change anything.

I love that, no regrets.

No regrets.

What have you learned about the world from being married to Justin?

I feel like I’ve learned so much from him and we’ve learned a lot from each other in the ways we need it, in the places we need it. He’s definitely lived a much bigger, more extreme life in front of a lot more eyes than I have. And for a much longer time. I think specifically when it’s come to public eye stuff, he’s been able to help me navigate it better than anybody could because he’s been in it for so long. So he’s definitely helped me figure out that part of my life with him, and us being together.

In what way?

I think when you’re in a relationship like this which is very public and you have a lot of eyes on you, the best thing to do is to remember the most important thing is each other. And the moments you experience just the two of you at home, the private moments. We do what we can to keep things as private as possible and choose what we share. He’s definitely a lot more comfortable sharing things than I am. I’m more reserved when it comes to sharing on social media. I’m not the most emotionally articulate person, I like to keep it simple. But he’s this incredible communicator and artist. And he’s able to express emotions more comfortably than I am because he’s always wearing his heart on his sleeve. That’s where we differ a bit, but we’ve been able to help each other where we need it.

You guys sounds like the perfect combination.

I think so!

Do you think there are any misconceptions about you?

Well, I have seen many a thing where people are like ‘Oh my god she looks like such a bitch’. I saw this one girl say ‘I saw her in person and she gave me a dirty look’ which is so funny to me. Because unless you’ve had a conversation with somebody I don’t think you know what they’re going through! Especially at public events, I tend to be really awkward and get a little bit closed off because there’s so much going on. It’s a bit of public awkwardness. I always think it’s really funny when people are like ‘Oh my god, she seems like such a bitch’ or ‘She’s got such a bitchy face’ because I think if you started talking to me, I’m very social. I love to hang and chat with people.

We should all be allowed to have a bad day though, right?

Yeah and I will say this - I did go through a period of time when I was younger, like 19, 20. I was going through a lot of heartbreak very privately, not a lot of people knew what was going on. It was a very hard time and was easy to pour out into people. I think sometimes when we’re going through a really tough spot, we just don’t have it in us. And I definitely went through that for probably a year. I was sad, confused and going through a lot of things. I don’t think it’s a reflection of who I’ve grown into and who I am now. But I can look back on that time when I was maybe closed off and reserved and not as outgoing as I normally was, because I was really going through it.

Living through painful experiences in the public eye must be incredibly challenging...

I just didn’t have it in me. I don’t think anything is ever an excuse to be rude or go out of your way to be mean, which is never something I did anyway. But I think a lot of the time people don’t take a step back and think that someone who's really mean, harsh or snapping at somebody? It’s usually because they’re going through something damaging or harmful in their life.

That's very true.

We have to give people the benefit of the doubt. Even if they are being rude, harsh or hurtful because you never know what that person is going through at home, in a relationship or when they’re alone with themselves. I went through a situation where somebody publicly expressed they didn’t have a good experience with me. I was quick to apologise because I never want that to be someone’s experience of me. But I don’t ever hold onto guilt for those kind of situations. I know my intention wasn’t ever to be outwardly purposefully mean. And I know what I was going through personally and it was a really hard time. So I can always take ownership of that stuff and say that I’m in a different place now. Everyone’s welcome, come one, come all, come hang!

Hailey Bieber is bareMinerals' new Clean Beauty Ambassador. The Strength & Length Serum-Infused Mascara is out now and the Strength & Length Serum-Infused Brow Gel launches 10th November. All products are available here.