In The File: Jean Campbell

There is an age-old adage, one that holds an immense amount of weight: there’s more than meets the eye, and it’s a phrase that can often be quite overlooked in life. Our sight informs our perception, yet at the same time, sells us short in so many ways.

And in a world that can often feel like a curated and outdated museum of unattainable and contrived beauty standards, British Model Jean Campbell stands apart by being the walking embodiment of a form of beauty that moves far beyond what we see.

“If I really think about what beauty is to me, I think it’s got to be presence,” Campbell reflects thoughtfully. “Having had acute and chronic pain since I was 12, now 27, it’s really this journey with my body and mental state—the ups and downs, that tumultuous relationship with my physicality—that has given me an appreciation I may not have otherwise had.”

When we meet Jean, it is an overcast day in Hampstead, North London, and when she speaks she does so with a quiet confidence. Her words are thoughtful and precise, and you get the feeling that every word is designed to impart something more. There is an elegance to the way she expresses – it’s not for the sake of inconsequential conversation. This is a woman who has endured a level of chronic pain most would not experience in a lifetime, yet it is that very pain that has allowed her to discover the world in a much more meaningful way.

At just 12 years old, a skiing accident would alter the trajectory of Jean’s life as she knew it. Tearing her shoulder ligaments and enduring injuries that would be the start of an ongoing battle with chronic pain. Diagnosed at 15 with hip dysplasia, she could no longer walk without excruciating pain, which lead to multiple gruelling surgeries to re-align her pelvis. By age 20 she was faced with a decision – continue down the unrelenting path of surgical interventions, or transform how she viewed herself and her relationship with pain. The latter won out, and what transpired was a lifelong commitment to healing, defined by an unwavering commitment to presence, reflection, and truly supporting herself from the inside, out.

And by facing her pain head on, Jean has uncovered a new form of beauty—one that is grounded in honesty and a deeper connection to her body. Through her own lived experience, she teaches us that there is far more to beauty than meets the eye – it is in our ability to stand, in absolute strength, with the courage to meet life head on, no matter what it presents. And perhaps, in the end, that is the most real form of beauty there is.

If I really think about what beauty means to me, I think it’s got to be presence, and that’s in the way that I experienced other people. Having had acute and chronic pain since I was 12, now 27, it’s really that journey with my body and my mental state and the ups and downs and tumultuous relationship with my physicality, which has given me an appreciation that I may not have otherwise had.

Self-worth or value in my heart has come from not having it and pain, pain physically, initially for me and therefore mentally led me to a place that was very difficult. But then pain actually became the beginning of discovering the world in a different way. And sometimes you’re going to be celebrated for how you look and other times you won’t be. And knowing that you are still great how you are, irrespective of the way you look, is important.

Really for me, I think wanting to live in a healthy way, but in moderation. Obviously no one is perfect and it’s not about perfectionism, but it’s just about doing what makes you feel best. For me, it’s about wanting to feel and look well, and sometimes you don’t actually feel good and you have to show up and I don’t know, maybe you have to be visible or you feel like you have to look a certain way, and in those moments it’s just important for me to pay attention. Maybe I’m super tired or maybe I’m a little bit stressed or something’s going on in my life, the way that I will look at myself in the mirror will be determined by whatever’s going on in my life.

My me time that I spend first thing in the morning in the bathroom is really important because it is actually getting ready for the day. Often I can ignore my body and I actually think looking after it, your body is just as important as your face, even though we obsess about our faces.

If anyone’s going to give me a compliment, telling me that I smell nice is one of the best, and I wouldn’t feel like my morning routine was complete if I hadn’t done some kind of smell thing. I like a peppermint, lavender and lemon oil, which is a bit more zingy to wake me up.

I think everyone’s skin is almost the most important feature, and sometimes if you’re not careful, you can steal the skin’s thunder with makeup. I like this bronzer from Sisley, which helps me with my wintry complexion.

I also love this Westman Atelier contour stick, just to highlight any bone structure. I remember when I started modelling, I was 16 actually, so I had a really round face, and I was young and I really wanted cheekbones.

I like to wear Lash Clash by YSL, it’s a brown mascara, and I love it because it makes my eyelashes look really long and I’m a little bit on the androgynous side in the way that I dress in my day-to-day life, so it’s quite nice to sometimes put on mascara.

Concealer is a major part of my routine, I get bad bags, so I put concealer under my eyes. I used to think I had to cover everything up, but now I just feel like it’s a good tool. I use a Sisley concealer called Stylo Lumière.

I often find that I can zoom in on all the different things. I am happy that my eyes can see, or that my mouth has its role and my ears have their role rather than looking at everything as a whole and just hating yourself. It’s a nice way of being kind to yourself, I guess.