Of all the wisdom Mum imparted, the importance of a good eye cream or a tried-and-true technique for applying red lippy without looking like you've been gnawing on cherries probably aren't the most important lessons. They are, however, the ones you no doubt turn to on a daily basis — like when it's 3am and you're tempted to crawl into bed with a face (gasp) still coated in slap. Your mama didn't raise no fool. Get right back in that loo and run the tap, young lady.
Of course, not every mother lives by the same beauty rules. Some are no-frills, happy to get by with a comb and some Vaseline. Others live at the beauty counter, splurging on facials, pots of luxury face cream, and Tom Ford lipsticks. But whatever their M.O., they're certain to have influenced how their daughters approach beauty, both the kind that comes in a fancy metallic tube and the kind that is nurtured from within.
Here, seven London-based women share the beauty advice and self-confidence tips they've received from their own mums. Here's to the ladies who built us up, shut our bad beauty habits down, and taught us the value of a good grooming indulgence — whether that's bathing in Chanel No. 5, or buying Imperial Leather in bulk.
Angela Scanlon, presenter of BBC1's The One Show
What's the best beauty advice your mother has ever given you?
"Less is more. She always tells me off. I'm an absolute skincare junkie. Serums, masks, mists, the works. She is a low-key woman and has amazing skin so I try to give my face a break from product every so often, just to keep her happy!"
How do your beauty habits differ from hers?
"She's only ever been for a facial when we do a spa day with my sisters, so that's a recent thing! Facials are my jam so that whole world is quite new to her, but I love that. It's a real treat to be able to book something special to do together, or to get her an amazing product that she would never buy for herself."
Was your mum strict when you were growing up, in terms of letting you wear makeup and shave your legs, etc?
"I'm one of four girls so I guess my older sister kind of paved the way in terms of makeup. At school we weren't allowed to wear any makeup so I came to it pretty late. We were all quite tomboyish; as teens we went a bit nuts and she tolerated it, although she would always try to pry us away from fake tan and the dreaded tweezers. I haven't plucked my eyebrows for 15 years."
Photo: Courtesy of Angela Scanlon.
Do you ever share products with her?
"All the time. When I visit home I don't bring a thing, she's got all the gear. Then when I'm getting ready she roots through my makeup bag checking out all the new things she's not heard about. I either give it to her on the spot or send her similar stuff. It's actually a lovely thing to share an interest in."
How did your mother teach you self-confidence?
"She is 100% comfortable in her own skin, more than anyone I've ever met. She has always been that way, as long as I can remember, and she taught us to be the same and to embrace what is unique and what is different. She's kind of a boss!"
Has being Irish influenced your approach to beauty?
"I look Irish! Very Irish. Red hair, pale skin, freckles, the works, so there's no avoiding it really. I decided to celebrate it and unleash my milky limbs on the world rather than attempt to transform myself into some other supposed norm."
What's one thing you'd toss out of her makeup bag? And what would she toss out of yours?
"I think I'd chuck any of the berry-coloured lipsticks she owns. I try to subtly tell her to ditch them in favour of softer shades, but I'm not subtle and she's very stubborn! She would probably remove some creams to simplify my routine, but it wouldn't end well."
Photo: Courtesy of Angela Scanlon.
Kenya Hunt, Elle UK fashion features director
What's the best beauty advice your mother has ever given you?
"When I was a teenager, my mum told me to hold off on wearing makeup as long as possible because once you begin wearing it, you mentally become dependent on it. My mum also taught me the value of investing in good skincare (not just spending on makeup, but really investing in the right dermatologist or facialist or cleanser or moisturiser, etc). And so at this point in my life, I spend much more on skincare and the work involved in keeping my skin as smooth and youthful-looking as I possibly can. My mum also is all about hair health and maintenance. She was against perms and chemical straighteners from day one, so she taught me the importance of natural haircare from a very early age."
How do your beauty habits differ from hers?
"They differ quite a bit because my mum very rarely wears makeup of any kind, with the exception of a nude lipstick here and there. Whereas I comparatively wear more and brighter, bolder lip colours. Actually, I think my penchant for a bright red lip probably comes from my aunt. She never leaves the house without it."
Was she strict when you were growing up in terms of letting you wear makeup and shave your legs, etc?
"She was quite strict about the makeup thing. The only exception was when I had dance performances, during which I was allowed to wear a little blusher, mascara, and gloss."
Photo: Courtesy of Kenya Hunt.
Do you ever share products with her?
"My mum so rarely wears makeup that I think, with the exception of a few MAC and Chanel lipsticks and glosses, our products and brands don't really overlap. But I think we are currently using the same hair conditioner, a hair mask by a brand called Cantu."
How did your mother teach you self-confidence?
"This is the quality in my mother that I try to emulate the most now that I am a mum. Throughout my childhood, my mum really instilled in my sister and me this sense that we have all the tools we need to do and be anyone we want to be. Looooong before #blackgirlmagic was a hashtag, it was happening in our house in Virginia. No matter how homogenous things looked on television or in magazines, my mum was right there telling us, 'You are smart. You are capable. You are beautiful. You are important. You are loved. You are valued. Your hair is amazing. Your complexion is perfect.' So when I was growing up in Virginia, where colourism was a thing, I never felt insecure about being dark because, of course, dark is beautiful and the bomb.com! And I never grew up looking for any kind of validation of my intelligence or looks from anyone else, because I got so much of it at home."
As an American expat, are there certain beauty buys you miss?
"ALL OF THEM. Or at least, ALL the products for black hair and skin. What's up, England? I'm still shocked by the lack of choice on makeup counters and in the haircare aisles."
What's one thing you'd toss out of her makeup bag? And what would she toss out of yours?
"Primer! I'm not convinced! Or am I just using the wrong brands? The ones I've used seem to make my oily-prone skin even oilier. Enlighten me, please!"
Photo: Courtesy of Kenya Hunt.
Jasmine Hemsley, cookbook author & ch ef
What's the best beauty advice your mother has ever given you?
"To eat the food rather than put it on my face! This came when she caught me slicing cucumbers for my eyes when I was about 12 after finding a '70s Vogue beauty book. Now I’m more about eating the food and using the end bits as beauty products — for example using the skin of a papaya as a face mask when I’m on holiday. Leftover scrapings from an avocado or the bottom of a honey jar make a great mask, too. I also use the ends of a cucumber for cooling my eyes."
How do your beauty habits differ from hers?
"We both know the value of sleep and eating well. I’d say I’m much more vain than her, so making sure I treat myself to a facial every six months is high on my agenda, whereas I’d have to con her into going to one (but she’d LOVE it once she was there). My skin is naturally drier than hers so I use cold-pressed organic sesame oil as a body oil after a shower and an Ayurvedic oil infused with herbs as a detoxifying treatment once a week."
Was your mum strict when you were growing up in terms of letting you wear makeup and shave your legs, etc?
"She wasn’t strict in as much as she didn’t really do it, so there was nothing to raid — very frustrating when you’ve got summer holidays on your hands and you want to experiment. She didn’t like the idea of me shaving my legs, though (not fair cos hers are naturally hairless!). The first time I dehaired was by using one of those stinky hair removal creams which managed to notify the whole house that I was up to something."
Photo: Courtesy of Jasmine Hemsley.
Do you ever share products with her?
"Mum is definitely behind me and my sister's signature black liner flick — she’s been doing this for as long as I can remember. Mum and I both love face oils and in the last few years she has gotten into pedicures, so that’s something we tend to do together on her birthday or Mother’s Day."
How did your mother teach you self-confidence?
"Mum was very hot on holding your head high and speaking out about things. She didn’t let us fuss about our appearance, although she was particular about not being unkempt when it came to Sunday morning church."
Has your Filipino background influenced your approach to beauty?
"Yes, I think eating well for good skin health — like eating lots of rich, fatty foods like avocado and coconut — is one thing. And Mum always told the story of her great-aunt who had the most beautiful skin and simply used hot water and a flannel to clean it — something which has made a bit of a comeback."
What's one thing you'd toss out of her makeup bag? And what would she toss out of yours?
"Mum’s makeup bag has a lip balm, liquid eyeliner, and a mirror. I would ‘toss in’ some blusher or a 2-in-1 blush and lippy like Tata Harper's lip and cheek tint or RMS Lip2Cheek. Mum, I’m sure, would toss out any loud ‘fashionable’ colours, same as fashion. She always says, 'Just because it’s fashionable doesn’t mean it suits you.'"
Photo: Courtesy of Jasmine Hemsley.
Rachel Boston, jewellery designer & co-owner of Oh Boston boutique
What's the best beauty advice your mother has ever given you?
"My mother’s main piece of advice is ‘Never go to bed with your makeup on’. Ever since I was a teenager she has been drilling me to cleanse my face properly every night before bed and not leave a speck of makeup on when I go to sleep. She has a very strict nightly routine of cleansing, toning, and moisturising the face and neck. She also always advised me to wash my pillowcase every few days to make sure bacteria isn’t building up and giving you acne. People always think she’s about 15 years younger than she is so I’m very keen to follow in her footsteps."
How do your beauty habits differ from hers?
"I had fairly good skin growing up so I was quite lazy at taking care of it. Now I’m glad she was so persistent in trying to teach me because my skin is much more difficult to manage these days and being thorough with my cleansing routine at night is the only way to keep it looking clear. She generally uses much richer moisturisers than my sensitive skin can handle; I use much more basic, gentler products like Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser and Clearly Corrective Toner."
Was your mum strict when you were growing up in terms of letting you wear makeup and shave your legs, etc?
"My mum was actually a beautician when she was younger, so she was the one who waxed my legs for the first time in our kitchen at home and taught me how to pluck my eyebrows. Even now I can still see her squinting at my forehead when it’s time for me to sort out my brows."
Do you ever share the same products?
"She bought me the Eve Lom Cleanser for Christmas which I’ve started using every night. You massage it in and then steam your face with a warm muslin cloth and and your skin feels so incredibly clean after. I love it. She uses Crème de la Mer eye serum and often puts a scoopful in little pots for me to take away and use as my own little samples. We also both use Laura Mercier eyebrow pencils, which I’ve found to be really good for a naturally thicker brow."
Photo: Courtesy of Rachel Boston.
How did your mother teach you self-confidence?
"She’s a really strong, confident, and spirited woman and I think watching her as I grew up naturally inspired in me a certain level of confidence from watching how people would react to her. When I was a teenager and severely lacking in confidence she would encourage me to feel like I was taking control of my insecurities by caring for my appearance, so I’d at least appear more confident even if I didn’t feel it inside yet. More importantly, she was very good at pushing me out of my comfort zone with my studies, interacting with new people, and saying yes to every opportunity even if I was scared."
Has being half-Venezuelan influenced your approach to beauty?
"I have really thick and often very frizzy hair thanks to my Venezuelan roots! I love having such thick hair but I really don’t enjoy having to spend so much time trying to tame it so I started doing the Brazilian Blow Dry Keratin treatment with Thomas Rees about two years ago and it has completely changed my world. My hair is so much easier to control and I can even let it dry naturally and it feels much healthier, too. Otherwise, to beat my Latin frizz I’ll either use OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk shampoo from Boots or (if I’m looking to splurge) I’ll buy Living Proof No Frizz Shampoo and Conditioner and use Leonor Greyl Masque Fleurs de Jasmin once a week. I don’t often wear perfume but if I do I wear Rosas Secas from Mexican perfumery Coqui Coqui. Their perfumes are beautifully subtle."
What's one thing you'd toss out of her makeup bag? And what would she toss out of yours?
"I wouldn’t dare toss anything out of her bag because I’m always waiting for her to give me her leftovers! I know she would have a field day tossing out all my brushes and sponges because they wouldn’t pass her strict standards. She always talks about the importance of a good brush and I tend to use whatever is available."
Photo: Courtesy of Rachel Boston.
Dolly Alderton, writer, The Sunday Times dating columnist & podcaster
What's the best beauty advice your mother has ever given you?
"No matter how late you finish work, no matter how much you've drunk, no matter how much you yearn for bed, always always always wash your makeup off."
How do your beauty habits differ from hers?
"I used to do a bit of a drag queen version of my mum's beauty habits and now I've pared it back so we basically do exactly the same thing. Lashings of mascara, brown/taupey eyeshadow, smudgey white pencil in the corner of our eyes to open them up, peachy blush, sweep of bronzer, and peachy nude lip. And a shit ton of Elnett."
Was your mum strict when you were growing up in terms of letting you wear makeup and shave your legs, etc?
"Generally she was very relaxed about it. She always said she understood that it was important for me to express who I was with my aesthetic and she encouraged me to play with that — even when that aesthetic was very much rooted in blue hair mascara and a wardrobe bought exclusively from Punky Fish in Camden Market."
Photo: Courtesy of Dolly Alderton.
Do you ever share products with her?
"For 10 years we always used the same face wash (Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser) before I moved onto an oil. We both love L'Oréal Lash Architect mascara, Chanel eyeshadow palettes, and Origins ginger shower gel."
How did your mother teach you self-confidence?
"She always taught me that it's totally fine to spend time and care on the way I looked, but that ultimately it is a very transient commodity and if it goes ('It can go like THAT', she'd say, snapping her fingers) and I don't like my insides, then I'd be totally screwed. So makeup and clothes and hair were always a fun part of expressing who I was growing up, but I was told that how I thought and things I said and how I treated other people (and animals — she's a hippie) was always a much more solid indicator of real beauty."
What's one thing you'd toss out of her makeup bag? And what would she toss out of yours?
"Nothing, she's got her makeup down to a fine art. I think she probably would've tossed out my thick black kohl pencil sooner than I did."
Photo: Courtesy of Dolly Alderton.
Eva K. Salvi, fashion & portrait photographer
What's the best beauty advice your mother has ever given you?
"To drink loads of water and remove my makeup every evening and moisturise, no matter how late I get home! The most obvious and simple tips are also the most effective."
How do your beauty habits differ from hers?
"I have recently realised my beauty habits are actually very similar to my mother's. We both like keeping our makeup quite simple. I only really wear a bit of foundation, blush, and black eyeliner or some kind of crayon, and my mum is the same."
Was she strict when you were growing up in terms of letting you wear makeup and shave your legs, etc?
"My mother wasn't that strict. She also works in fashion so I think she enjoyed shopping with me, choosing clothes and makeup. She made it clear that as long as we were open with each other and and she felt like she could trust me, she would let me experiment with my look, dye my hair, and wear a bit of makeup and nail varnish... within reason, of course. A pretty alright deal if you ask me!"
Photo: Courtesy of Eva K. Salvi
Do you ever share products with her?
"I do a lot. Working in the fashion industry, I get gifted a lot of products. If there's a product I love, I usually gift it to my mum for her to try as well!"
How did your mother teach you self-confidence?
"My mother is a very strong and opinionated woman. I think I was always quite impressed by her. She taught me to stand by my opinions and not give in to peer pressure. I could always confide in her and she would always give me honest advice, but also never tried to influence me. She let me think for myself and make my own choices (and my own mistakes!)."
What's one thing you'd toss out of her makeup bag? And what would she toss out of yours?
"My mum and I actually have a lot of similar products in our makeup bags so probably not. I'd be more likely to steal a couple!"
Photo: Courtesy of Zoe Lower.
Anouska Beckwith, fine art photographer & artist
What's the best beauty advice your mother has ever given you?
"To always take off my makeup before going to bed and to drink two litres of water every day to rehydrate the body, as it keeps the skin glowing."
How do your beauty habits differ from hers?
"My mother likes to wear makeup in the day. It's very subtle but she loves a little cat eye with some mascara, whereas I never really wear makeup in the day unless it's for a work meeting. I love wearing makeup in the evening with a red lip, as it make me feel confident and you can wear it with a white T-shirt or with a beautiful dress."
Was your mum strict when you were growing up in terms of letting you wear makeup and shave your legs, etc?
"As my mother was young when she had me, she was never super-strict with makeup, etc. I think as a teenager one naturally wants to look older so I went through a stage where I was putting lots of black eyeliner on and thankfully there are not many photos from this period."
Photo: Courtesy of Anouska Beckwith.
Do you ever share products with her?
"When I go to visit my mother in London I love going into her bathroom as she always has new products and they are always amazing... so I share her products."
How did your mother teach you self-confidence?
"In our family we were not blessed with getting big boobs and my mother always made me feel like this was a huge benefit, as it makes you develop different parts of your personality, like humour and intelligence. She never taught me that being sexy was a good thing. She encouraged me to always love my body and to accept that in life you can't have everything and you need to embrace your flaws."
What's one thing you'd toss out of her makeup bag? And what would she toss out of yours?
"Nothing, really. Both of us are quite natural with our makeup so there isn't anything too drastic to change."
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