Simone Ashley Reveals an Unexpected Use for Body Lotion—And Other Things She’s Learned on the “Dark Side”

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Between starring in Bridgerton and F1, and producing her rom-com Picture This, Simone Ashley doesn’t have much spare time. And for the record, what little downtime she has will not be spent dealing with pilled makeup.

While revealing her Beauty Secrets to Vogue, the Surrey, England, native picks up a bottle of La Roche-Posay body lotion post-cleansing and exfoliation. “I use body lotion on my face before I put my makeup on, just because it doesn’t roll,” Ashley says. “You know when you use certain moisturizers and they react to your makeup and then it starts rolling? I usually do my makeup when I’m in a rush, so I haven’t got time for that.”

Ashley’s unexpected use of the French product marks an evolution in her skin-care regimen. “When I was a kid, I used to use hand lotion [on my face],” she says. “Now I’ve upgraded to slightly fancier body lotion.” That’s not the only way the 29-year-old has upgraded her habits over the years.

“I had my first facial back in 2021,” she reveals. “Then I was transitioned to the dark side, and I realized how great it is to take care of your skin.” With that epiphany came a commitment to sunscreen, which the multihyphenate didn’t always dab on daily. “I was very naive, and I thought because I have dark skin, I didn’t need to use sunscreen,” she confesses. Since then, she’s come to realize that “dark skin needs sun protection just as much as any other skin.” On that note, it’s only after she’s applied Supergoop! SPF that Ashley starts in on the simple makeup look she’ll wear to sip espresso martinis the moment her Vogue shoot wraps.

Shop Simone Ashley’s routine, below.

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The Energizing Gel Cleanser

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Goldfaden MD

Doctor s Scrub Exfoliator

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La Roche-Posay

Lipikar Lotion Daily Repair Moisturizing Lotion

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Supergoop!

Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

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L Oréal

Plump Ambition Hyaluronic Lip Oil

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Armani Beauty

Lip Power Long-Lasting Lipstick

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L Oréal

Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner

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Anastasia Beverly Hills

Brow Wiz

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Urban Decay

Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator

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NARS

Radiant Creamy Concealer

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Rare Beauty

Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick

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L Oréal

Paradise Big Deal Mascara

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Charlotte Tilbury

Lip Cheat Lip Liner

Director: Gabrielle Reich
DP: Josh Herzog
Editor: Michael Suyeda

Associate Producer: Lea Donenberg
Line Producer: Natasha Soto-Albors
Production Manager: David Alvarez Paz
Production Coordinator: Ava Kashar
Associate Talent Manager: Phoebe Dishner

Postproduction Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Postproduction Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Erica DeLeo
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
Associate Director, Postproduction: Nicholas Ascanio
Filmed at: Mandarin Oriental, New York