BEAUTY BYTES: Ayda Williams on cupping, magnified mirrors and the awful chat up line Robbie used to pull her

She's got the X-Factor

Welcome to Beauty Bytes: a place where I chat to celebrities about all things beauty - from their favourite products, to their biggest beauty disasters. Plus I grill them on their social media habits and their favourite cheat meal. You know, all the important and essentials things that we need to know about.

In light of the X-Factor final tomorrow, I went to Ayda and Robbie Williams' house and sat down with Ayda to chat about her favourite subject - beauty.

KT: WHAT IS THE WORST BEAUTY TREND YOU'VE EVER ATTEMPTED?

Ayda Williams: Okay, well there have been many but I definitely think that I went through a stage of over self-tanning. There were definitely times, you know, where the fake tan would go patchy and it looked like a skin disease and I thought the best way to handle that would be to just add another layer of it. I just kind of pushed it too far and at the end of it I looked like the cross between an Oompa Loompa and a turd.

KT: SO WOULD YOU DO IT YOURSELF RATHER THAN GOING FOR A SPRAY TAN?

Ayda Williams: I would do both, I would top myself up when I felt like it was fading. I looked like a member of Geordie Shore, but I really thought that orange-brown was the best colour on me so I just kept with it even if people told me I was too tanned. I was like, 'they’re wrong, they’re definitely wrong.'

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

Ayda Williams: Hydrate. Although I really struggle to actually do it, but it's really good advice, because my skin thrives when I drink water and when I don’t, I see the results. Oh and take your make-up off every night. Even if I’m exhausted I cleanse, tone, moisturise.

KT: WHAT'S THE BEST BEAUTY PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED? LIKE A PRODUCT THAT SOMEBODY GAVE TO YOU AND IT CHANGED YOUR LIFE.

Ayda Williams: I love my Omoroviza Thermal Cleansing Balm, I always go back to this. Some people like a very soapy cleanser, but I find them quite abrasive and drying and they make my skin feel really tight. I’m more of a lubed up-oily kind of girl; it's a cleansing balm all the way for me.

Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, £52 Space NK

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Bioderma Micellar Water is also another live and die by product. It's super simple and my go-to for everything - it takes make-up off, cleans and freshens and you can do it after a work out. Oh my goodness and the travel size, the little cute one, which just for cuteness is worth taking away with you.

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Make-Up Removing Solution Sensitive Skin, £5.20 Look Fantastic

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KT: WHAT'S YOUR THE HOUSE IS BURNING, I'VE GOT TO GRAB THE MOST IMPORTANT BEAUTY PRODUCT?

Ayda Williams: That would be my perfume. I’m almost afraid to tell people because I don't want anyone else to wear it. I just don’t want a bunch of people smelling like me. It’s called B683 by Marc-Antoine Barrois. I love this scent.

KT: I'VE LITERALLY NEVER HEARD OF IT.

Ayda Williams: I remember when I first smelled it and I wasn't too sure, but then I put it on my skin and I literally couldn’t stop smelling myself. All day long. I’ve never felt that way about a fragrance, I mean I’ve gone through different fragrances in my life, but I feel like this one could be a life-partner because it's so good.

KT: WHERE DO YOU GET IT FROM?

Ayda Williams: I get it from Harrods. It is literally my happy smell. You’ve got to let it sit for a bit.

*At this point, the nanny brings in Coco, Ayda's youngest daughter and quite possibly the cutest baby in the world, and Ayda continues the interview whilst feeding Coco her dinner*

Ayda Williams: Isn’t she the cutest. She’s a future beauty lover. Her skin is great, lots of hydration, plenty of sleep.

KT: SHE IS SO CUTE. AND SHE LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE ROBBIE. OK, WHAT'S YOUR BEAUTY SECRET?

Ayda Williams: I’m trying to think, I really do like to take supplements, but that's kind of boring. Oh! Greatest beauty secret is don’t get a magnifying mirror. Don’t ever get a magnifying mirror. I’ve learned that the hard way. No one needs to see themselves at 10x. Practise some self-love and never get a magnifying mirror, that’s my beauty secret.

KT: I'VE ACTUALLY GOT ONE. AND I GET OBSESSED WITH MY PORES.

Ayda Williams: Me too, that's why I had to thrown mine out! KT: WHAT'S ARE YOUR THREE GO-TO BEAUTY BRANDS? THE ONES YOU ALWAYS GO BACK TO.

Ayda Williams: Omorovicza, REN and Alumier for skincare. Aesop, Lola's Apothcary and Bamford for body.

KT: WHAT'S IN YOUR MAKE-UP BAG RIGHT NOW?

Ayda Williams: Iconic Illuminator, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation and anything Tom Ford on my body is great. Face, neck, body, toes; all of it likes Tom Ford, especially the Brow Sculptor.

KT: IT'S AMAZING.

Ayda Williams: Isn't it?! It's slanted and creates a nice soft fuzz almost like your natural hair. And I love Charlotte Tilbury for the highlighters and eye shadows, Fenty Beauty lipsticks and Burberry contour stick.

KT: HOW OFTEN DO YOU WORK OUT AND WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE WAY TO EXERCISE?

Ayda Williams: In my dream scenario, I work out five days a week. My minimum is three days a week. And if I’m really super determined, I do six. But I would say four times is the average, I like to do something every day if I can.

KT: WELL I DON'T DO ANYTHING, SO YOU ARE MY HERO.

Ayda Williams: Well we’ve got to get you on it! I think it’s because there’s so much chaos around me. It’s really my one-hour or 45 minutes to be cut off from all of the things and all of the chatter. I don’t have my phone on, I don’t have a million demands; its like just me time. It's like my therapy, I really enjoy it. I do it in the morning, if I don’t get it done in the morning, it doesn’t happen. I really enjoy classes and being with other people. I like pilates, yoga, then I like more aggressive things like boot camp and HIT workouts.

KT: AND IT'S GREAT FOR THE SKIN...

Ayda Williams: Exactly. It flushes your whole body out, gets rid of toxins, ups your serotonin levels and you feel better. I find I’ve got more energy when I work out in comparison to when I don’t. And look, if you ever want to work out, I'll take you!

KT: I JUST DON'T THINK YOU'LL EVER GET ME, I'M SO LAZY.

Ayda Williams: I would! I get everybody doing it.

KT: LET'S TALK ABOUT TREATMENTS...

Ayda Williams: Yes, I get everything! So I love facial massage, mesotherapy, vampire facials, light therapy and I quite like a deep massage or a sports massage. If someone’s just kind of like doing a namby-pamby soft massage, it actually drives me crazy. Like I want someone to go in and hard and if I’m not in pain, I don’t enjoy it. And I also really like reflexology and cupping. Do you do cupping?

KT: NO, I'VE NEVER DONE CUPPING.

Ayda Williams: Cupping’s great. I love cupping combined with a bit of acupuncture. Have you done rolfing?

KT: WHAT? NO, WHAT'S ROFLING?

Ayda Williams: It’s like body alignment work, it’s quite intense.

KT: YOU'RE LIKE MISS BEAUTY. I'M LOVING THIS. YOU MENTIONED YOU TAKE SUPPLEMENTS...

Ayda Williams: I take all the supplements. I used to think it was all a bunch of BS, but I am vitamin D deficient and I had diabetes with both my pregnancies because of it. And I know that when I took Vitamin D supplements around the time of the second pregnancy, I actually got the diabetes much later on. And since it runs in my family, even though I was going to get it no matter what because of the hormones of the pregnancy, I was able to stave it off. Maybe it’s superficial and it doesn’t mean anything, but I’m willing to swallow gazillion pills if it means that I can have better quality of life or feel better inside.

KT: OK, WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK?

Ayda Williams: Gosh, it’s a tough call between tequila and champagne. If I could put champagne in tequila and it would taste good, I would probably combine them. But I would say if I’m going out for the evening tequila. I really love red wine, but it makes me go to sleep and it’s more when I'm having a bath or watching TV.

KT: WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE TV SHOW TO BINGE WATCH?

Ayda Williams: OK so my quality, highbrow shows are Game of Thrones, Narcos and Handmaid's Tale. But my lowbrow, reality binge watches are First Dates, Big Brother and Made in Chelsea. We literally binge-watched the whole of Game of Thrones in like no time at all. We watched eight seasons in less than a month! And we have kids. There were times when I would say to Rob: ‘quick, tuck ‘em in, let’s got watch it.’

KT: WHAT'S THE WEIRDEST PICKUP LINE YOU'VE EVER HEARD?

Ayda Williams: ‘Hi, my name’s Robbie Williams and I performed at Knebworth.’ How about that as a pickup line, that’s the worst.

KT: WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT?

Ayda Williams: I love @oldbitchesofInstagram, it's hilarious. And @robbiewilliams, because I like to keep up with where he is in the world.

KT: AND FINALLY, WHO WERE YOU STAR STUCK MEETING?

Ayda Williams: You know what, I was really star struck when I met Paul McCartney and Bono. They both kissed my pregnant belly and I just thought, this child has no idea how cool what is happening on the outside. Oh and also at the Royal Wedding earlier this year singing God Save The Queen in front of the Queen was really neat. Not that I knew all of the words!