Louise Roe
On her morning routine:
“I use Arcona face wash, it’s very gentle and one of the best I’ve found. Then Kate Somerville serum. I like to hydrate my skin as much as possible, so a serum underneath a moisturiser is important. I now wear SPF every day, so the next layer is Caudelie moisturiser with sun protection in it. I like this product because it’s thin and doesn’t clog my pores, like some other SPF’s.”
On her product obsessions:
“NARS lip pencil in Buenos Aires – it’s the best nude I’ve found, nice and warm, and moisturising.”
On her dirty little beauty secrets:
“Ha! Vaseline on the eyelids for the shiny look works well. And I’m obsessed with cuticle oil. Feet and hands just look so much better with it on. I will literally put it on during a plane ride. Oh and SK-II face masks – you look like a Halloween character but they’re amazing.”
On her signature scents:
“Right now I love Jo Malone’s Peony and Blush Suede, it’s fresh but distinct. I also wear L’eau de Chloe a lot too – I like switching up my scent according to my mood, the season, etc.”
On her beauty treatment schedule:
“I do get facials after a long flight. Lena at Carasoin Spa is incredible. I also love Kelly at Kate Somerville. And massages are my biggest treat. I use the app PRIV and have them at home, before crawling into bed for the best night’s sleep ever.”
On her daily essentials:
“Lucas Paw Paw ointment, SK-II Mid-Day Essence, which I keep in the car and spritz a few times a day – it helps your skin with anti-aging. Glossier rosewater spray when I wake up, and Caudelie Face Lifting Moisturiser, which I wear every day.”
“For makeup, I keep things fairly natural. I like dewy skin, never matte, and nothing too bright: nude lips, bronzed cheeks and brown or gold on the eye. I mix up Glossier primer with a MAC’s NC30 foundation (the primer holds everything in place all day), and then conceal my under eye circles with Benefit’s Erase Paste. I bronze with MAC’s Mineralize in Cheeky Bronze. Sometimes I also use this around and under my eye, for a smoky bronzed look. Then I put a little mascara on (waterproof underneath the eye so it doesn’t run) and then finish off with NARS lip pencil in Buenos Aires.”
“Glossier Soothing Face Mist is something I’ll spritz on to wake me up if I feel particularly tired, it sinks in quickly and makeup goes on easily over the top.”
On who she entrusts with her hair:
“Lorri Goddard colors it, and Adam Campbell cuts it. They are absolutely the best ever, and lovely people too.”
On her hair routine:
“I use a hair mask once a week and leave it in at least 10 minutes. When I’m on vacation or have a couple of days off, I’ll massage coconut oil into the roots and leave it for 24 hours. That really helps a dry scalp.”
Louise wears Halston cream shirt dress (shop similar here).
On what she can’t leave the house without using:
“An eyebrow pencil. I feel naked if I haven’t filled in my brows!”
On her favourite multi-taking product:
“Lucas Paw Paw ointment is my staple, it comes with me everywhere and I stock up like crazy when I visit Australia!”
Louise’s debut book ‘Front Roe‘ is a guide dedicated to finding your own personal style, and confidence along the way. Our favourite chapter? “How to be kind to yourself”. Amen Louise Roe, Amen.
On her diet:
“I try to drink lots of water, coconut water and juices. Although I don’t overdo the juices as they’re much more sugary than you think. I also eat an avocado a day, which I believe really helps hydrate and plump up the skin.”
Louise wears dress by Mason (shop similar here) and bra by Gooseberry Intimates.
On how to achieve a look in 3 minutes or less:
“If my hair’s a mess, I create a straight centre part and comb it neatly to each side, and put it in a low pony. Then a red lip and just mascara – is the fastest way to look pulled together in a flash.”
On her earliest beauty memory:
“My Mum drying my hair at her dressing table and then putting ‘roses’ on my cheeks as a special treat. That was her word for blusher, as she disapproved of me wearing makeup too young!”
On her exercise routine:
“Well, when I’m traveling, I’m proud of myself if I manage 15 minutes sit ups in my room! But when I’m back in LA, I mix it up. I go to Soul Cycle, reformer pilates, and a circuit training place run by Aussies, called Training Mate.”
On beauty as part of her style:
“Absolutely. Having good skin makes me feel so much better in whatever outfit I’m wearing. And when I report from the red carpet, I plan out my dress, hair and makeup so it all works together. It’s quite precise!”
On her words to live by:
“Never expect anything. My grandpa said that, and it rings true, especially in a city like LA where people often expect a lot more than they should. It’s nice to keep an almost child-like excitement about all the good things that happen, if possible, and not become jaded.”
On her favourite designers:
“Actually, all my favorite designers are Aussie! I love Senso shoes, Manning Cartell dresses, Bec & Bridge swimwear, and Dion Lee for the red carpet.”
Pictured: Jacket by ThePerfext.
Bag by Meli Melo (shop similar here).
On her career advice to budding writers:
“Never give up, smile when you get given the boring jobs to do, and be realistic: everyone has to climb the ladder, there are no short-cuts. But it’s worth it!”
On her hungover face savers:
“SK-II face masks, a big spritz of Glossier rosewater, and lots of serum around the eyes.”
On her ideal Sunday morning:
“I live near a farmer’s market, so we wander around that picking up coffee, veggies, and always something naughty to eat. I might take a pilates class and go to the cinema later. Sundays are as lazy as possible.”
Who knows how we end up doing what we do for a living? Sometimes it’s a conscious choice we make and actively urge it into being. Sometimes fate intervenes and leads you to a career you didn’t necessarily anticipate. Sometimes, as in the case of Louise Roe, it’s a matter of taking a step out of your comfort zone and just finding a whole new zone that you’re perfect for.
It might be hard to pinpoint from exactly where it is you recognise Louise Roe – and that’s more than likely because she’s worked so much that her presence in style and beauty is prolific.
She’s not only the kind of always-gorgeous woman you see looking drop dead Pinterest-worthy on red carpets and at events (which she is) but she’s made a hugely successful career working in front of the camera as the host of TV series like MTV’s Plain Jane (a compulsively watchable makeover show), a guest stint on Chelsea Handler’s joyously biting brainchild Chelsea Lately, and more recently covering the crème de la crème of red carpet events as a host for Access Hollywood.
Think: Jolie-Pitt level affairs like The Emmys, Oscars and the rest.
Louise, who is now based in Los Angeles for obvious occupational requirements, is British born. But the LA aesthetic seems to suit her well. “I like mixing tailored pieces with casual ones – and I love soft, neutral colours. That kind of high-low dressing seems to suit living in LA well!”
With literary fashion aspirations after completing an English Literature with First Class Honours, she kicked off her foray into writing at Vogue in London, followed by work for ELLE UK, In Style and more. It wasn’t until much later she ended up on TV.
“I was writing for a magazine in London, and one day I got asked to go on BBC news for a live segment. I was so nervous I was shaking. But I enjoyed it, and that lead to more shows, and suddenly I had the opportunity to move to LA. So I gave it a go!”
Fittingly, Louise told us her words to live by are: “Never expect anything. My grandpa said that, and it rings true, especially in a city like LA where people often expect a lot more than they should.”
“It’s nice to keep an almost child-like excitement about all the good things that happen, if possible, and not become jaded.”
The vibe of her punnily titled style and beauty website Front Roe reflects that accessible lack of jadedness. And, for a woman with her profile and experience, it’s incredibly refreshing.
Words by Suz Tucker.
Photography by Adam Amengual.
