Lila Moss on Marc Jacobs’ New Fragrance and Kate Moss' Beauty Tips

published 4 September 2020

Welcome to Beauty Bytes, a place where I chat to celebrities about all things beauty, from their favourite products to the best advice they’ve ever been given. Read on for the beauty low-down from Lila Moss…

At just 17 years old, Lila Moss undoubtedly has supermodel in her DNA. Luckily she had a few mentors ready with advice, one of them being her mum, 90s fashion icon, Kate Moss.

Her first modelling gig two years ago was none other than as the face of Marc Jacobs Beauty. Now she is adding Perfect, the brand’s biggest fragrance launch of 2020, to her resume.

Marc Jacobs Perfect Eau de Parfum For Her, £69 for 50 ml, The Perfume Shop

The scent of Perfect — a burst of bright rhubarb and daffodil, which gives way to the powdery creaminess of almond milk and cedar—is close to Marc Jacobs' heart.

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Marc Jacobs Casts Lila Moss As A Face For The Fragrance

The fashion designer, who has a tattoo of the word 'perfect' on his inner wrist, explains: 'It's a reminder that I am a perfect being in a perfect world where everything that happens benefits me completely. Meaning that things go they way they go and I can choose to learn from them. That's the attitude I try to have, that I am perfect as I am.'

To make the point that the fragrance has nothing to do with perfection but rather acceptance, it premieres with a diverse cast of 43. At its centre: Lila Moss, all cheekbones and youthful optimism.

Over Zoom, she tells me, why it’s important to always be your authentic self…

FIONA: According to Marc Jacobs, the idea behind the fragrance Perfect is ‘I'm perfect as I am.’ What does beauty mean to you?

LILA: I think beauty is all around and in everything. Being yourself is beautiful. It’s one reason I like to show real skin and my natural freckles on shoots.

FIONA: What about the idea of perfection - does it exist even?

LILA: I think the idea of perfection is also the idea that nothing can ever be perfect. It’s the differences in everyone that make them perfect.

FIONA: How do you make sure you stay true to yourself? I can imagine that’s hard to do in the world of celebrity...

LILA: You promote brands you genuinely support and keep in mind that, at the end of the day, you’re just like everyone else. I feel like reading my horoscope gives me a better understanding of who I am, too. You always try to relate it back to yourself, so it actually makes you reflect on who you are.

FIONA: Describe in three words how the smell of Perfect makes you feel...

LILA: Lively, energetic, happy!

FIONA: What’s your typical skincare routine?

LILA: I wash my face with Mario Badescu's Enzyme Cleansing Gel, then use the Foreo Luna Cleansing brush to work it over my skin. My favourite moisturiser is Marc Jacobs Youthquake and finally I spritz on Caudalie's Beauty Elixir to give my skin a dewy glow.

Lila Moss: Best Cleanser

Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel, £14, Liberty London

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Lila Moss: Best Gadget

Foreo Luna 3 Facial Cleansing Brush, £169, Lookfantastic

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FIONA: What beauty tips did you pick up from the Marc Jacobs team on set?

LILA: Diane [Kendal] sticks to using her fingers when she applies foundation and concealer. I find that really interesting because it creates a completely different texture. Beauty blenders and brushes can sometimes make the finish heavy. By warming the products on her fingertips they blend better.

FIONA: And what are the make-up products you love using?

LILA: I like to keep my everyday make-up simple. So I just wear light coverage concealer and the coconuty Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronzer. And I always curl my eyelashes.

Lila Moss: Favourite Bronzer

Marc Jacobs O!Mega Perfect Tan Bronzer, £38, Harvey Nichols

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FIONA: What are the best beauty tips your mum has taught you?

LILA: The best advice my mum has given me when it comes to make-up is ‘less is more’. Keep it natural and clean and always use an eyelash curler - she got me into curling my lashes!

FIONA: What's her secret?

LILA: Start at the bottom rather than in the middle so that the whole lash gets curled.

FIONA: Has your mum given you any modelling tips?

LILA: She asked me once if I ever pretend to be someone else in front of the camera? I tried stepping into a character and found that it really works. Being a model is a bit like being an actress.

FIONA: How do you look after your hair?

LILA: I recently found this shampoo called Function of Beauty. It's really cool as you take a quiz online about your hair type and needs and get prescribed haircare. I think I've gone through two sets now. After washing my hair I spray Aveda's Thickening Hair Tonic and I'll use Liz Earle Hair Shine Oil to protect it from heat if I’m blow drying.

Lila Moss: Favourite Hair Oil

Liz Earle Botanical Hair Shine Oil, £19.50, Feelunique

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FIONA: Where do you get your beauty inspiration?

LILA: I feel like I get inspiration from a lot of places - from people on Instagram, Youtubers like Summer McKeen, magazines and movies if there’s a character I really like. I’ve followed Nikkie Tutorials for a long time, too.

FIONA: If you had to choose a last meal, what would it be and why?

LILA: [laughing] Everyone who knows me can guess! Definitely sushi - especially avocado rolls.

FIONA: What’s your favourite book and why?

LILA: I feel like I have favourite books from different parts of my life. My first favourite book was Wonder by RJ Palacio. It's now a movie starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson. It’s about Auggie, a boy who has a terrible birth defect. After being home-schooled his whole life he's sent to a real school and he's scared of being accepted. It's such a touching book and it has stuck with me all this time.

FIONA: Which fits in nicely with the messaging behind Perfect...

LILA: The idea that everyone is equal is such an important message to put out there right now. There’s a lot of pressure on Instagram to look a certain way. So first doing a casting on social media and then putting the message out there that 'I'm perfect the way I am' is really powerful.

Scroll down for more beauty products to get Lila Moss' look...

Chanel Le Recourbe Cils Eyelash Curler, £28, John Lewis

It hugs the eyelid perfectly while the protective silicone pad prevents pinching.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir, £12, Lookfantastic

A facial mist packed with essential oils and plant extracts, including grape water. Think of this as a toner, make-up setting spray and hydrator in one cool refreshing spritz.

Aveda Hair Thickening Tonic, £21, Lookfantastic

Botanical ingredients, including certified organic Amla fruit, gives fine flyaway hair extra volume and grit.

Marc Jacobs Youthquake Hydra-Full Rexturizing Gel Creme, £59, Net-A-Porter

A favourite for prepping the models' skin backstage at Marc Jacobs shows, this gel-cream hybrid is infused with pineapple enzymes that nibble away at dead skin cells. Antioxidant-rich starfruit and dragonfruit extracts add to the glow by re-plumping dehydrated skin.

Fiona Embleton has been a beauty editor for over 10 years, writing and editing beauty copy and testing over 10,000 products. She has previously worked for magazines like Marie Claire, Stylist, Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health. Beauty journalism allowed her to marry up her first class degree in English Literature and Language (she’s a stickler for grammar and a self-confessed ingredients geek) with a passion for make-up and skincare, photography and catwalk trends.