For Tess Daly, it’s all about the simple – and Simple – things in life. As well as being announced as Simple Skincare’s new UK Advocate, the TV presenter tells us that she’s dialled back her beauty look, and has never felt more confident.
“I definitely wear less makeup, even on screen, than I did 20 years ago,” says Tess, who’s about to celebrate that milestone with the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing, which started back in 2004. “For me, too much makeup, too-thick foundation and too much powder sits in the creases and highlights the lines a lot more. As I’ve got older, I’ve found less is more.”
Now aged 55 (and, GH can confirm, looking as gorgeous as ever in the flesh), Tess tells us she’s revelling in midlife. “I’m really enjoying the stage of life that I'm at now. I feel so comfortable in my own skin. I wouldn't revisit those years of teenage angst now for anything. And thank god I left behind the blue eyeshadow and pink shimmer lipstick.”
How would she say her beauty style has evolved, since she first burst onto our Saturday night living rooms? “Gosh, I don't know, I can't remember myself 20 years ago!” she laughs. “They were showing us some old clips from the first [Strictly] show and I'm sure I was wearing a fascinator in my hair. I couldn't believe that. I mean fascinators are fine at Ascot but not good on primetime TV, clashing with my dress. I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, look at what I'm wearing and look at my hair’. It was just a bit limp. Eek.”
These days, Tess is one of the most polished women in showbiz, but she bats away our compliments, putting it down to her makeup artist, Aimee Adams. “She’s very clever. She has great tricks that hide the shadows under my eyes and the bags. Well, help to hide! I'm like, ‘Can I have a really dark smokey eyeshadow please to hide the creases?’ She's a magician.”
Skincare is a bigger part of Tess’s beauty toolkit than ever, she adds. “I'm usually sleep deprived, so I look for products that cheat sleep and make my skin look a little bit more dewy and radiant than it actually is. I’m obsessed with Simple’s Booster Serum with vitamin C, E and F because I’m always seeking the glow. I use it under moisturiser as an extra plumping and hydrating layer.”
Like most midlifers, Tess has noted the needs of her skin changing over time. “I've got really dry skin,” she explains. “My number one hero product in the Simple range is the Repairing Rich Cream moisturiser because my skin just drinks it. It’s gorgeous. It really helps with the dryness, it makes my skin feel so supple and soft. For me, skin looks best when it’s moisturised.”
Although she’s now the official face of the brand, Tess tells us she’s used Simple for years and is delighted to see her teenage daughters loving it too. “I was shopping with my 15 year old [Amber] yesterday she was like, ‘Mummy, please can I get a Simple cleanser?’ And she asked me out of the blue, not knowing that I was a Simple Skincare advocate. I thought, ‘This is such a 360 because this is me at her age.’ It’s so sweet.”
Alongside a dedicated regime of cleansing, moisturising and sun protection (“my mum taught me you’ve got to wear SPF”), Tess has added in a few punchier treatments to preserve her model looks. “I’ve tried Ultherapy, which I love, and I had Morpheus8 about four or five months ago. It's great because it's not invasive. It’s just about preserving and rejuvenating your own collagen from within. I liked the idea that it's helping your body help itself to renew. A friend of mine had it and looked great, so I thought I'd give it a go.”
She describes the wince factor is “one of those things you live with”, noting: “Yes, it’s quite hot, but I've given birth. So let's put it into perspective. Morpheus8 is a walk in the park!”
It’s “too soon to tell” how effective it’s been, but Tess would happily take subtle results over a more OTT makeover any day. More invasive procedures are not on her current to-do list. “When you're in my position, you pop up in people's living rooms on a regular basis, and you don't want to pop up looking like a different version of yourself. Never say never, but I don't know. Come back and ask me in a couple of years…”
Inside Tess’s beauty bag
The flattering faves she loves
"I love it because it's really light on the skin, and it stays there all day long. You can blend it really easily, and it looks really natural and really glowy but it hides what you want to hide without looking like lots of makeup on your skin."
"I like a lipstick that really stains your lips. I use a lip brush to put it all around, and it stays on all day, almost like a tattoo. I'm totally into that because I can't be bothered constantly touching up my makeup. This just stays in place and I forget about it."
"It’s the best for dark, thick lashes, I use it all the time. It’s always sold out, I just got my last one from Amazon last week."
"This is the best face tan I've found, and I've tried everything. I use it two or three times a week and I just mix it with my face cream for a glow."
"I always go back to this because it has this gorgeous, plumping quality that just makes your skin look so fresh. When my skin is really dry and tired, I use it overnight like a moisturising mask."
"I'm religious about cleansing, I never sleep in my makeup and I cleanse first thing too. I really like this exfoliating cleanser for taking off all the old dead skin and the fake tan so I can layer it up again!"
Tess Daly is Simple Skincare UK Advocate
