Interview: CoverGirl’s Australian Ambassador Ricki-Lee Coulter Spills Her Beauty Secrets

Tue, 10 July 2012 3:51PM

As you might remember, former Australian Idol starlet Ricki-Lee Coulter has been named the Australian ambassador for CoverGirl. We can’t say we’re surprised – considering her bubbly personality, natural beauty, and array of glamorous hair and makeup looks. We caught up with the songstress to talk all things beauty and her latest starring role …

PRIMPED: How would you describe your signature makeup style?
Ricki-Lee Coulter: Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, CoverGirl.” Haha! My favourite look is definitely a smoky eye. I’ve got big, cartoon-like eyes so a smoky eye looks really striking on me. I like playing around with different shades depending on the occasion and my mood. I typically wear a bronze/brown smoky eye, but for a bit more intensity I use a darker shade.

P: What tips did you pick up on the CoverGirl shoot?
RLC: Less is more! So many women cake on makeup and in the past I’ve certainly been a victim of that – I’ve got light freckles on my face and I’ve always covered them up! But on set of the CoverGirl shoot we used a beautiful sheer TruBlend Liquid Makeup, $19.95, that covered my blemishes and gave me a beautiful glow, but you could still see my freckles. It’s part of who I am, and rather than cover it up, now I’m all about the freckles! That’s what CoverGirl is all about, helping women enhance their natural beauty.

Ricki-Lee Coulter’s CoverGirl campaign

P: Any other top makeup tips you can share?
RLC: The best advice I was ever given is to only highlight one feature. So if you are doing a smoky eye, work a nude lip with it. And vice versa, if you are doing a bold lip, pull back on the eye makeup. Another nice little tip I love to share is to use a slightly shimmery highlight down the centre of your nose and also sweep across the top of your cheek bones. The light will catch it and give you a beautiful glow. But remember less is more. Don’t go OTT.

P: What are your favourite CoverGirl products?
RLC: The Smoky ShadowBlast Eyeshadow in Bronze Fire, $17.95, is my every day go-to eyeshadow! It’s a gorgeous colour and with a sweep of LashBlast Fusion Mascara, $18.95, and Line Exact Liquid Liner, $13.95 make my eyes really pop. For when I’m feeling a bit more daring and really want to turn heads, the Lip Perfection Lipstick in Hot Passion, $14.95, my favourite bright red shade, is a real showstopper!

P: What beauty tools do you rely on?
RLC: A good eyelash curler is like magic. And I couldn’t live without my teasing comb.

P: What makeup trends are you trying this winter?
RLC: I’ve never been one to embrace a bold lip, because I’ve always loved a smoky eye, but lately I’ve really been obsessed with wearing bright red. The CoverGirl Lip Perfection lipstick in Hot Passion will brighten up every woman’s cold and gloomy winter day. It just lifts your mood and makes you feel so glamorous.

P: What looks do you want to try next?
RLC: I haven’t yet ventured into the really deep dark lip shades. I think they will be fun to play with this winter.

P: Who are your beauty icons?
RLC: I love how Jennifer Lopez is such a chameleon. She can pull off so many looks and she never looks like she is trying. She can do sexy, smoky, sultry, rock chick one day, then polished 1950s Hollywood screen siren to perfection, bronzed glowing beach goddess or pretty pink feminine flirty the next. She has fun with fashion and I really identify with her look and the way she plays up all the different facets of her personality with her hair and makeup and style.

P: What are your top skincare tips?
RLC: Taking care of your skin should be the most important part of any woman’s beauty regime! Never sleep with your makeup on, cleanse and moisturise morning and night, and drink at least two litres of water a day.

P: What are your top hair and haircare tips?
RLC: Drinking water and eating a protein-rich diet has made a huge difference in the way my hair feels, but also having a regular blow-dry and protein treatment.

P: What beauty treatments do you swear by?
RLC: Other than my daily ritual of cleansing and moisturising, I have regular facials and I also use a vitamin A cream every night before bed. Each day I am wearing makeup for photo shoots, video shoots, red carpets, appearances and performing on stage, so it’s important to rejuvenate my skin with nutrients vitamins, moisture and antioxidants to keep it looking fresh and supple. I also have weekly massages.

P: What are your favourite beauty destinations?
RLC: The Chi Spa at the Shangri-La in Sydney is so beautiful and their treatments are out of this world. I recommend the Hot Stone Massage if you really need to relax and de-stress. Pañpuri Organic Spa in Pyrmont is my other go-to and I have regular deep-tissue massages that make me feel brand new.

P: How do you stay in shape?
RLC: As a performer, my fitness and stamina is so important so I make exercise a part of my day just like having a shower and brushing my teeth. My live shows involve a lot of choreography and running around a stage in heels singing and dancing, so when I’m preparing for a tour, a video clip or a big live show, I have four hour dance rehearsals five days a week in heels. That definitely keeps me in shape! On a daily basis I wake up and go running for an hour around Sydney Harbour. It’s the perfect way to start my day. I also go to the gym a few nights a week.

P: What do you do to unwind?
RLC: My life is so chaotic and busy and I am constantly travelling, so when I have time off or a moment to unwind, I sleep. Sleep is such a luxury when you are a busy working woman and sometimes we push ourselves to the limit and don’t sleep enough. When I’m stressed I go for a run. I also love having massages and I love to cook. When I cook, I can’t think about anything to do with work, I just focus on what I’m cooking so it’s a really nice escape.

P: What are your favourite ….
Skincare buys?
RLC: I switch up my daily routine with a La Mer Cleansing Fluid, $170, from department stores, and Crème de la Mer, from $250, in the mornings. And a Cosmedix Purity Clean Exfoliating Cleanser, $49.50, 1800 648 851, Refine, $83.60, a vitamin-A based cream and the Rescue Balm and Mask, $57.20, every night.

Hair buys?
RLC: I use Wella System Professional Colour Save Shampoo, $32, & Colour Save Mask, $34, 1300 885 002. And to keep my hair fresh and clean between washes I use Batiste Dry Shampoo, $9.95, from Priceline.

Body buys?
RLC: I love Crème de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Body Polish, $38, and the Crème De Corps, from $15, from Kiehl’s.

Fragrances?
It depends on my mood but my favourites are, Bottega Veneta EDP, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Extreme and Tom Ford Neroli Portofino.

P: Finally, what’s your favourite …
Flower? Peony Roses
Cocktail? Peach Bellini
Label? CoverGirl!
Song to sing in the shower? Man In The Mirror by Michael Jackson
Holiday destination? Paris

Posted by: PRIMPED

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Tags: celebrity makeup, covergirl, featured, interview, la mer, makeup, ricki-lee coulter, wella