Beauty Bytes: Anne-Marie On Weird Sandwiches, Her Love For Moisturiser And Sharing The Stage With Ed Sheeran

#girlcrush

In this edition of Beauty Bytes, I sat down with chart topper Anne-Marie. She's the platinum blonde songstress who has some of the catchiest pop tunes I've heard in a really long time. She's partnered up with Vo5 to launch a range of hair styling products just in time for the festival season. We chatted about fame, karate and Philadelphia.

KT: WHAT'S THE WORST BEAUTY TREND YOU’VE EVER TRIED?

AM: I reckon it’s the eyebrows. There was a point when eyebrows were considered cool if they were really thin. I did that and looking back now, it didn’t look so good!

KT: WHAT'S THE BEST BEAUTY ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?

AM: I think mine is probably to take my make-up off every night before going to sleep, because I feel like that’s really helped my skin. Also I just take it off with a warm flannel and water instead of like soap or products.

KT: WHAT'S THE BEST BEAUTY PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION YOU’VE EVER HAD?

AM: I have a moisturising cream called Weleda Skin Food and it’s just the best moisturiser I’ve ever had in my life.

KT: THAT'S REALLY THICK!

AM: It’s really thick and I use it over my body. I think it was my make-up artist; she had it there while she was doing my make-up once and I was like, “what is this?” I started using it and have been telling everyone about it ever since.

Weleda Skin Food, £9.56 Amazon

KT: THE HOUSE IS BURNING AND YOU HAVE TO GRAB THE MOST IMPORTANT PRODUCT YOU HAVE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

AM: Either my Weleda or lip balm, because my lips get so dry!

KT: YOU HAVE TO PICK ONE HAIRSTYLE, ONE MAKE-UP LOOK AND ONE NAIL COLOUR FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHICH DO YOU CHOOSE?

AM: Hairstyle would probably be braids, like French plaits down the side of my head, because they’re really easy and look really pretty. Make-up would probably be the ‘natural look’ where it doesn’t look like you’ve got make-up on but you have. And nail colour probably like a nude colour, like a beige because it goes with everything. I used to love black nail varnish, because I thought that went with everything, but then it just got a bit much so I’ve learnt not to do that so much anymore.

KT: RIGHT, IT'S THE FESTIVAL SEASON: YOU DON’T WANT TO LOOK THE SAME AS EVERY OTHER PERSON THERE, SO WHAT BEAUTY LOOK WOULD YOU GO FOR?

AM: This is so hard because I love glitter so much! I actually think I’d probably do sleek hair with like waves at the bottom. I’ve had it before and I feel like you could make it festival-y if you added some of the Vo5 shimmers to the roots.

Vo5 Style Edit Cosmic Gold Shimmer, £6.99 Superdrug

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KT: WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 BEST BEAUTY BRANDS AND WHY?

AM: I'd say Weleda for the Skin Food, Vo5 for their Tame & Shine spray, it's the best shine hairspray. There are lots of similar ones that I’ve used for TV, but this one actually holds. And my final one would be Starskin, because I've recently discovered their face masks. I use them every day as I’m so tired and I need to look good. I use all of them, but the diamond one is my favourite.

Vo5 Tame & Shine Spray, £2.93 Boots

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KT: HOW DO YOU LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN? CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH YOUR MORNING AND EVENING ROUTINE?

AM: What I do is try not to wear makeup for as long as possible. I wake up, put some moisturising cream on and try to keep it like that all day until I have to put makeup on. As soon as I’m done with what I’m doing in the day, I take my makeup off straight away. I try to keep my skin breathing as much as possible. That’s a big thing, as I never used to leave the house without makeup on, so this is a big thing for me!

KT: AND HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR MAKEUP OFF? YOU SAID THAT YOU USE WARM WATER AND A FLANNEL?

AM: Yep, I just take my makeup off with a wet flannel and just water. I’ve done it my whole life, from a young kid. I do use face wipes sometimes. Everything I use is for sensitive skin.

KT: HOW ABOUT EXERCISE? HOW OFTEN DO YOU WORK OUT AND WHAT DO YOU DO?

AM: I try and work out as much as possible. On tour it’s hard to find the time. When I’m at hotels I just try and use the hotel gym. being on stage is a workout in itself, especially the stages that Ed Sheeran is performing on. (Anne-Marie is currently supporting Ed Sheeran on his world tour.) I’m just running around, keeping everyone entertained. I honestly get tired just being on stage, so it is a workout for me!

KT: IF YOU WEREN’T ON TOUR AND IF YOU HAD ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD, ARE THERE ANY CLASSES YOU WOULD PARTICULARLY WANT TO DO OR WOULD YOU JUST HEAD TO THE GYM?

AM: I would go to karate as that is a whole body workout. (Anne-Marie is a triple world karate champion.) Other than that though, I do love going to lessons because I do tend to push myself harder when someone is watching, when I’m on my own I’m just like meh. Anything that involves music, doing it to a beat, that’s best for me.

KT: IF YOU’RE SHORT ON TIME, WHAT ARE THREE BEAUTY THINGS YOU’LL DO BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE?

AM: Definitely moisturise my face. I just love moisturising cream! I’ll probably get lip balm on, as my lips just get so dry – I’m not sure why, I probably need to drink more water. And then finally brush my hair. When I sleep, I move around a lot as I wake up and my hair is crazy.

KT: HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE BEAUTY?

AM: I think I would have to say having confidence. Confidence is beautiful and you can feel it and see it. You don’t have to be wearing particular clothes to look good, you can just see it. It’s a natural thing, it comes from within. Maybe some people see beautiful as an outside thing, but for me beauty is someone being kind and generous. It’s definitely something you can feel.

KT: WHAT IS A BEAUTY SECRET THAT YOU CAN REVEAL TO OUR READERS?

AM: Take your makeup off everyday before you sleep. So many people don’t do it! I used to sleep in makeup as a teenager, but I see it like this: when you're wearing make-up, your skin has essentially got a coat on. You wouldn't sleep in a coat would you?

KT: DO YOU HAVE A SIGNATURE FRAGRANCE? IF NOT, WHAT ARE YOUR GO TO’S?

AM: I love La Vie Est Belle by Lancôme. That’s what I buy all the time. I also really love boys’ smells and men's fragrances.

Lancome La Vie Est Belle, from £41.60 Fabled

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KT: WHEN YOU’RE ON HOLIDAY, DOES YOUR BEAUTY REGIME CHANGE?

AM: Yeah. I feel better with a tan. I try not to wear any make-up, but always an SPF to keep my skin healthy. I whack that on. In the evening, I’ll put a little bit of mascara, bit of a brow, and a little bit of a lip. Nothing on my skin though, I’ll try and keep that clear.

KT: THREE MOST USED EMOJIS?

AM: Most recent is the love heart. The next is the face with the heart eyes and the tooth bearing face. It’s weird, because I use that when I’m really excited or happy about something!

KT: I USE THAT EMOJI WHEN I’M WORRIED ABOUT SOMETHING!

AM: I use that emoji to my manager. She used to think I was worried when I used that! Everything I’ve been excited about, she thinks I’m worried.

KT: WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?

AM: I love a book called Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow. I love reading about the brain; why we do things and why we think the way we think.

KT: WHAT’S YOUR CHEAT MEAL?

AM: Probably chocolate. I could eat it for three meals.

KT: WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE CHOCOLATE BAR?

AM: A classic bar of Diary Milk. Can’t go wrong with that! Used to be a Double Decker, but it got a bit much. I also love bread! I eat so much bread. I’m trying not to eat so much of it. But if it’s a really good loaf, then I’ll eat it. A sandwich is probably my cheat meal!

KT: WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE AS THE FILLING?

AM: Philadelphia. With crisps. Any crisps.

KT: FAVOURITE TV SHOW TO BINGE WATCH?

AM: Say Yes to The Dress. I watch it back-to-back for hours on end. When I get home, instead of sleeping I'll watch Say Yes to The Dress.

KT: THE UK OR AMERICAN VERSION?

AM: Whichever one is on! I'm not fussy.

KT: WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT TO STALK?

AM: I’ve been going on to look at Balenciaga quite a lot, I’ve been looking at their pictures online. There is also an account called London Grills and she does gold teeth for people, I’ve been looking at that quite a lot!

KT: WHEN DID YOU REALISE YOU WERE A CELEBRITY?

AM: That’s hard. I try not to see myself like that!

KT: OK, HOW ABOUT WHEN YOU REALISED YOU WERE IN THE PUBLIC EYE?

AM: I guess probably after my single Rockabye. That’s when people started to recognise me. You start to gain fans after that and then more people start to follow you. I think it’s through social media. When you put shows on, and people come to see them, it’s a moment when you realise that these people are coming to see you and want to spend an evening with you, that’s a pretty big deal.