Whenever someone asks if I always knew I wanted to act, there are two answers that come to mind: the polished one, and the honest one. The polished answer would be that acting never felt like a possibility for me. But the truth? I absolutely believed it would happen—not in an arrogant way, but in a kind of joyful delusion. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need, a little imaginative courage to leap over the barriers that seem too high.
That mindset carried me straight into projects like The Life of Chuck, which I just finished filming. It was a reunion with Mike Flanagan, who first brought me to America for Oculus. Beyond the personal nostalgia, though, the story itself is extraordinary. It asks the simplest but most profound of questions: if everything ended tomorrow, how would you spend your last day? Who would you want beside you? The film nudges you toward an existential crisis—but one wrapped in a hopeful bow. You walk away rethinking your priorities, not in despair, but in gratitude.
Shifts in Beauty: Before and After Motherhood
When it comes to beauty, I divide my life into two chapters: pre-pregnancy me and post-pregnancy me. Before, I reveled in multi-step skincare routines. I loved the ritual, the layering of serums and creams, the feeling of “doing something.” Then pregnancy came, and with it a new awareness of every ingredient I put on my skin. I started gravitating toward more natural products, though I’ll admit there are some things I refuse to let go of.
For everyday moisture, coconut oil from Trader Joe’s does the trick, though it doesn’t sit well under makeup. That’s where Crème de la Mer steps in. Yes, it’s outrageously expensive, but it feels like silk—and at this stage in my life, moisturizer is more of a luxury than a staple. And then there are the baby products that crossed over into my routine: Sudocrem, technically a diaper cream from the UK, works miracles on small breakouts, and Coterie’s water-based baby wipes double as gentle makeup removers when paired with Sulwhasoo cleansing foam. That foam feels so nice on my skin that I even use it on my hands, which—let’s be honest—deserve as much pampering as our faces.
Learning From the Pros
I’m fortunate to have incredible makeup artists on set who’ve guided me through the shifts in my skin. During the Jumanji reboot, my artist essentially gave me mini facials every morning. It meant earlier call times, but as I lay there under her hands, I thought: this is worth it. It also reminded me that I really need to get better about facial massage—and sunscreen.
That last one is my Achilles’ heel. As a pale Scot, I should be bathing in SPF, but I struggle with the heavy feel of most formulas. Hats help, but they’re not always enough. On a trip to Ecuador, I skipped sunscreen and paid the price with a sunburn so bad I spent weeks slathered in aloe. Lesson learned—or at least, lesson acknowledged.
Makeup: A Love Affair
Makeup has always been my favorite part of getting ready, even though I don’t wear it daily. For events, I rely on MAC’s Studio Fix in NC10, the palest shade I could find after what felt like a scavenger hunt through Nordstrom. I also have a long-standing loyalty to Benefit—since my teenage years in Boots, testing their blushes and mascaras. The Dandelion blush is still in my rotation; it’s soft, fresh, and just right for my skin tone.
I’ve also been a fan of Covergirl’s Perfect Point eyeliner for years. I love how a subtle flick can elongate my eyes, though I do dabble in liquid liner for that vintage, dramatic edge. Paired with Chanel’s Ombre Première shadow in Talpa and the shimmer of their Les Beiges palette, it’s an instant mood lift.
My friend once introduced me to Heimish’s Smudge Stop mascara, and I’ve never looked back. It lengthens lashes like nothing else, and the best part? It slides off with water, no raccoon eyes involved. For lips, Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk is a classic, though lately I’ve been leaning into brown-toned liners, softened with MAC’s clear Lipglass—the only thing that keeps my lips from cracking.
Hair: Minimal Effort, Maximum Color
Hair maintenance is not my strong suit. I wash it every few days with whatever shampoo I’ve got on hand—right now, Paul Mitchell’s Shampoo One—and haircuts happen when someone else insists it’s time. Coloring, though, is the one step I keep up with. My natural red has dulled since my Scottish childhood, so I refresh it regularly. Kenny Reed at Striiike recently revived it, and I walked out feeling so much more like myself.
Still, I can’t imagine keeping up with salon visits every few weeks. That level of maintenance feels overwhelming. My style, if it can be called that, is more about practicality: enough care to feel confident, but never so much that it becomes another job.
A Life Reframed
Between acting, motherhood, and evolving beauty rituals, I’ve learned that self-care isn’t about perfection—it’s about adaptation. What worked in one season of life might fall away in the next, and that’s not failure, it’s growth. Whether it’s embracing coconut oil, rethinking sunscreen, or leaning into the playful delusion that acting could be my future, each choice reflects a balance between who I was, who I am, and who I’m becoming.
And maybe that’s the real takeaway: we don’t need certainty to move forward. A little belief, a little play, and the willingness to change along the way—that’s where the beauty lies.
