Rooney Mara: 'I Am 100% Certain My Vegan Lifestyle Has Impacted My Skin For The Better'
Her indelible performances, which have seen Rooney Mara morph from debut screen roles in the slasher film Urban Legends: Bloody Mary to leading lady status in Tanner Hall and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, have cemented the 39-year-old actor as one of the most recognised faces the world over.
Off screen, the two-time Oscar nominee's downtime looks a little different. The philanthropist is a self-proclaimed introvert; she only uses vegan skincare, a lifestyle choice which extends to her diet; she focuses on whole foods and makes no secret of the power of kickboxing for her mental wellbeing. When she translates the true meaning of beauty, in her own words, it's about 'being self-possessed and compassionate.'
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Now the new face of Givenchy's L'Interdit Absolu - the original perfume of which was thought to have been blended for Audrey Hepburn - ELLE UK sat down with Mara to discuss her daily beauty rituals, favourite films and vegan lifestyle, as well as the often elusive, and ever personal meaning of perfume.
On her daily beauty rituals...
I don’t have much of a beauty ritual. But I always wear sunscreen. And I use mostly natural products and oils, and I only use vegan products – I am 100% certain my vegan lifestyle has impacted my skin for the better. But I try to be a really healthy eater too and eat whole foods as much as I can. You can be a vegan and still eat junk food! The beauty products I cannot live without are By Chance LVLC serum, which I use morning and night; Roz Santa Lucia's styling hair oil; the Carasoin Sunscreen and Cold Fusion Intense Moisture; an Olio E Osso Tinted Balm; Nucifera The Balm; and the Alpha Paradise Cleansing Dew by 001 Skincare London.
On choosing film roles and her favourites to date...
'I can't say how I choose roles; it's just a feeling or instinct about certain things. I am sure a lot of it is my subconscious – choosing things you want to explore or get out of your system. I don’t play favourites when it comes to films, but Ghost Story was the most enjoyable to watch. Probably because I am not in a lot of it – and because it was so meditative and strange and beautiful. '
On starring in Givenchy's new Absolu L'Interdit campaign...
'Shooting the new commercial with Joe Wright and the Givenchy team earlier this year was really special. I enjoyed shooting this campaign which was truly designed as a short movie and shot in the style of a film noir. And it was funny to run around Paris in a beautiful Haute Couture dress. Definitely something I will always remember!
'Working with Joe was great. We worked together almost 10 years ago now, I hadn't seen him for so long. He likes to do a lot of takes, which I forgot – that was fun with all the stairs I had to climb in Montmartre!'
On perfume memories and the power of scent...
'I think scent has great power. Certain fragrances can evoke all sorts of memories and feelings. I wear fragrance on special occasions or when I'm working if I want the character I am playing to have a certain smell.
'My strongest perfume memory is the smell from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. For the screen test the clothes had a special scent to them - the woman who made them had put the smell into the pieces of clothing. I remember it so clearly. And then when we made the movie the scent continued. I still have the scent and any time I smell it, I am brought back to that time and that character.'
On Givenchy's new Absolu L’Interdit perfume...
'For me, the fragrance feels quite rooted in something storied – an age-old desire to be bold and to push forward – but it is also quite modern. Everything about the Givenchy brand has always felt like that to me. It evokes the past because it's rooted in the brand’s history and the scent is solid and classic. But also the future. How far we've come. How much farther we need to push boundaries and break taboos and step into the new.'
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