Emilia Clarke Says This Foundation Completely Changed Her Makeup Routine

"It's skin care in a bottle."

Emilia Clarke Says This Foundation Completely Changed Her Makeup Routine

For years, Emilia Clarke was known as Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, on Game of Thrones, but over the last year in lockdown, Clarke has taken on a new title: Queen of the Kitchen. 

“I was becoming a very brilliant baker—cookies, cakes, tarts, muffins, bread, tea cakes, brownies, blondes, everything,” Clarke tells Glamour via Zoom from London. “But then I had a damp in my kitchen and haven’t been able to do any baking. It's getting fixed, but it’s been killing me. I've become obsessed with cooking." 

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the British-born actor gives 150% to just about everything in life. Whether it's dyeing her hair platinum blonde to make the process of transforming into Targaryen easier or holding her ground on not wanting injectables, Clarke is committed.

She applies that same passion to her role as Clinique brand ambassador. “My mum worked in skin care and makeup, so I was indoctrinated at a very young age,” she says. “She was teaching me to cleanse, tone, and moisturize from the age of 10, so I came into this industry ready and prepared it to take it to the next level. I know what works."

And does she ever. During our Zoom, she pulls out product after product of what must be an off-camera Mary Poppins–like handbag, offering a must-have item for everything. Have super dry skin? No problem, Clarke says. “I'm always looking for the perfect moisturizer, and I found it with the new Moisture Surge 100-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator. It has aloe and hyaluronic acid, so at the end of the day, your skin is just as moisturized as when you put it on. It's incredible.” 

Looking for a new full coverage plus SPF foundation that's not thick or heavy? Clarke has a solution for that as well. "The Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation is my go-to because it's skin care in a bottle and takes care of everything at once. I don’t want to put three things on my face, I just want to put one thing on my face and I'm ready to go. Plus, it comes in so many different shades."

Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrator

Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation

Frankly, if Clarke's kitchen was in working order, I'm sure she would have pulled out a homemade cake, too. But until then, we put her to the test with a round of Glamour's Big Beauty Questions to find out the secret to her gorgeous brows, signature scent, and best beauty advice from her mom. Read on.

What beauty trend are you obsessed with right now?

The brows! Just keep 'em coming! I’m holding my breath for when the pencil brow look comes back in, and then I’m screwed. As long as we got the bushy brows, I’m game. But also I’m enjoying the minimalist makeup look right now. It feels very chic.

What do you use for your brows? 

I don’t do anything. I brush them, that’s it. Sometimes I’ll use the Clinique Brush-on Styling Mousse because I’m lazy and can’t be bothered to do anything more than that, but otherwise they are very well-behaved.

Clinique Just Browsing Brush-On Styling Mousse

What beauty rule do you think is BS?

There’s this old-fashioned thing that you can’t do a lip and an eye. Sure you can! Why not? I think makeup rules are baloney. Whatever you want to do, you do you. Whatever you want to put on your face, put it on. Clash colors, do it all, don’t do anything, it’s all game. 

Since your mom worked in beauty, what's the best advice she gave you growing up?

It's going to sound silly, but when you’re putting on your mascara, think to the end of the lash. I’m obsessed with mascara, and I want my lashes to look like I’m wearing false eyelashes. So when you’re putting it on, put it on slowly, and think all the way to the end. It genuinely makes all the difference. 

My favorite is Clinique's High Impact mascara. I used it even before I was with the brand [as an ambassador]. My mom uses it, my best friends use it. It works every time.

Clinique High Impact Mascara

Fill in the blank: I love my hair when…

It’s long. I'm trying to grow my hair to my butt. That's the plan. I want it as long as Rapunzel—keep it coming! It’s because I dyed my hair peroxide blonde, and it was so damaged I had to cut it all off. So I’m never cutting it again. I like to be able to put it up and play with it and curl it. I hear a lot of “you look chic with it shorter,” and all that, but whatever. I want long hair.

What products are you using to keep your hair healthy as you grow it out?

Shu Uemura Ultimate Reset Extreme Repair Shampoo and Conditioner. It’s so pricey, I use just a tiny amount to make it last longer. But you genuinely don’t need much because it’s really enriching. I’ve been using that since I was trying to make my hair grow again after it had been blonde. And any kind of hair masks as well.

Shu Uemura Ultimate Reset Shampoo

Shu Uemura Ultimate Reset Conditioner

What's your favorite way to take a moment for yourself?

If I have 10 minutes and don’t need to be anywhere or do any work, I have a cup of tea while I read a cookery book. I literally read cookery books like they’re novels. I get engrossed in them, like, “Ooh, that’s what I’ll make for my brother’s birthday.” I get ideas, and I’m obsessed.

Screw, marry, kill: mascara, highlighter, lipstick.

I’m marrying the mascara, I’m screwing the lipstick, and killing the highlighter.

What’s your go-to perfume and why?

Le Labo Santal 33. I’ve been wearing it for a number of years and it is has gotten to the point where people are like, “I keep smelling you, dude. Your perfume is becoming popular.” It’s all the right notes: it’s masculine, it’s feminine, it’s musky, it’s light, it’s absolutely gorgeous. And again you don’t need much. It changes on individual skins. And the bottle looks cool.

Santal 33 Eau de Parfum

If you could change one thing about beauty ideals, what would it be?

Oh my gosh, everything. I can’t handle all the filters—this warped idea that we need to look like a Barbie, because that’s all those filters are doing. They’re trying to make you look like a doll who was made by some dude 40 years ago. Embrace the individual beauty. If you have wrinkles, you have wrinkles. If you have an eye that’s a different shape from the other, or whatever it is, that’s what makes you beautiful. This white-washed idea that essentially everybody needs to look the same makes me really angry.

Who are the women inspiring you the most right now?

From an acting point of view, I’m obsessed with Sarah Paulson. I think her career is magnificent and she is a phenomenal woman. Greta Thunberg all day. Keep doing what you're doing! And Michelle Obama. I need her to write another book.

Jessica Radloff is the Glamour West Coast editor. You can follow her on Instagram at @jessicaradloff14.

This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Jessica Radloff