When Hayley met Hailey.

It has been two years since Hailey Bieber (née Baldwin) appeared on the cover of Gritty Pretty Magazine, and if anything, the model has gotten better with age. Her hair, healthy and flowing, her skin, flawless. You could say that six months after her wedding  to Justin Bieber, married life is agreeing with her.

I had the opportunity to interview Hailey when I was recently in Los Angeles at the launch of BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Hydrating Foundation Stick, which landed at Mecca Cosmetica this week. As a BareMinerals Ambassador, Hailey was in LA for a number of press interviews, and also a makeup masterclass with celebrity makeup artist and one of the brand’s global ambassadors Nikki DeRoest.

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We settled into comfortable chairs upstairs at the Hamptons-esque Lombardi House in Hollywood, where Hailey greeted both myself and Gritty Pretty’s creative director Morgan Tait. After throwing around the inevitable questions Australians get asked about jetlag—four days into our trip, the fog was still very much real—we talked makeup, and more specifically, her partnership with BareMinerals. “My mum used BareMinerals when I was a kid, so she’s [basically] used it my whole life,” explains the 22-year-old. “I felt like it was a familiar brand to me, I know they are really clean products—that’s the main thing I look for in the products that I use—so that was what drew me to the partnership in the first place.”

As someone who prefers to use natural beauty products, Bieber is excited about the new Complexion Rescue Stick because unlike the vast majority of foundation sticks—which have the reputation of appearing heavy and often possess a drying texture—the formula harnesses the benefits of hydrating volcanic sea water and red algae and offers a lightweight, buildable finish. “I love that its hydrating, and the [ingredients] are actually really good for your skin in general, so you’re putting it on but you’re not worrying about if it’s going to make you break out,” she says. “I like the fact that if you want to put a little bit on you can, or if you really want to layer it on, you can, but it’s never cakey. You can also just put it under your eyes, or I also use it to a contour on my face.”

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Here’s what she had to say on her beauty essentials…

Gritty Pretty: What does your everyday makeup routine consist of?

Hailey Bieber: “I use the Complexion Rescue Hydrating Foundation Stick because it’s the perfect product for my skin. It’s super hydrating. I use that in the spots that I think I need it. A little bit of powder, eyebrow gel, mascara and a little bit of [colour] on the cheeks, and a little glow. I know it sounds like a lot of steps but I can do my makeup in five minutes.”

GP: What about when it comes to the red carpet—do you have a signature makeup look?

HB: “I definitely do it up more because I like to play when I’m on the red carpet. Depending on the event you might get to wear a cool dress, and you get to wear different looks or match your look to the makeup. It’s really fun for me.”

GP: Do you follow a strict skincare regimen?

HB: “I’m pretty strict with my skincare regimen. I know there are some people who fall asleep with their makeup on and they’ll wash it off in the morning and that’s fine but it’s not for me. I just don’t think that’s healthy—I would never go to bed without washing my face. I always use a good moisturiser because my skin always gets really dry, especially in the winter. When I travel I just find that I have to have something [hydrating] with me on the plane when I’m flying, as an extra barrier.”

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GP: What is the best piece of beauty advice you have been picked up from your makeup artist?

HB: “I’m always asking [makeup artist Nikki DeRoest] about products, what she recommends for hydration and what she loves. She is got me onto the [Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion] actually, because she has great skin. She always looks so glowy, fresh and beautiful, and she’s a little bit older than I am so I like to know what she has been using. I also always pay attention to how makeup artists apply makeup—Nikki uses her fingers and some people probably don’t want people touching their face but I actually don’t mind it because I think it gives a more natural finish. Nikki is great, and she is chock-full of good tips!”

GP: If we were to take a look inside your makeup bag, what would we find?

HB: “Well I’m not going to lie because they aren’t all BareMinerals but the majority of them are! The Complexion Rescue Hydrating Foundation Stick, the BarePRO Glow Highlighter, there’s probably lots of them lying them around! I definitely use the Bare Mineral Veil on a daily basis—if I’m wearing makeup that day, it’s [always] part of my routine! I also love the brand’s lipgloss, they’re great, and I also love a stick highlighter, a good eyebrow gel, a good mascara, and a lip balm—I love Vaseline.”

Have you tried BareMinerals? How important are natural ingredients in your skincare?

Just like all women, Reese Witherspoon is a wearer of many hats.

As a mother, an actress and business woman, Reese Witherspoon has little time to spend on an extensive makeup regimen, she laughs down the phone from Malibu, California, where she’s chatting to Gritty Pretty. “It’s definitely about balance. I try to make the time to take care of myself because I think those little things you do for yourself every day are so important. I have a five-, 10- and 30-minute makeup routine—although I usually only have time for the five-minute routine—which I have down to about seven products. The key being concealer, eyeliner, mascara, blush, as well as a bright lip colour.”

It’s a bright lip that forms part of the reasons why I was fortunate enough to chat with Reese—and let me tell you, I was desperate to tell her just how many times I’ve watched Legally Blonde and Big Little Lies, but don’t worry, I played it (somewhat) cool. As the Storyteller-in-Chief for Elizabeth Arden, Reese is at the forefront of championing initiatives like March On, where throughout the month of March, the brand donated 100% of proceeds of the sale of the Beautiful Color Moisturising Lipstick in Pink Punch globally to UN Women, to advance women’s issues worldwide. Each product has her signature stamped on the bullet, and it’s an initiative she is obviously proud to be a part of. “By creating products that benefit the UN Women’s programs, [Elizabeth Arden] are really telling the world how much they truly care for their customers and women’s rights around the world,” she explains. As we all know, empowerment comes in many forms but when it comes to beauty, there’s nothing like a slick of bright lipstick to give you a confidence boost. “I love powerful colours that bring positivity and spirit, and I have a bright lipstick in my purse all the time,” says Reese. “Pink Punch in particular is just so happy, and there’s something so optimistic about a bold lip that makes you feel ready for the world,” she says.

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Reese first felt a synergy with the brand when she heard the story of how Elizabeth Arden built her beauty empire. “I really saw a kinship between myself and her story, and what a fierce advocate she was for women, so it felt like a natural partnership [for me] to extend the messaging to her customers about what an incredible woman she was.” With her own burgeoning empire, professionally, female empowerment is also at the forefront of each and every project Reese takes on. As an actress but also a producer (she runs her own media company Hello Sunshine) she has made a name for herself creating content and producing television and film written by women, starring women and focusing on women’s narratives. “I think if you cannot see yourself on film, it’s hard to imagine a world that values you. The mission of Hello Sunshine is to put women at the centre of their stories, whether that’s them writing the story, they’re the photographer or director, but also just getting stories that are about women, by women, out into the world,” she says. “I think if we can see a broader range of the female experience, I think we’ll understand each other better as people, because we’re not seeing the same body type represented or the same skin colour represented or the same sexuality represented over and over again. It doesn’t progress society forward.”

With so much on her plate, I ask Reese how she carves out time for herself. And when she does, what does that look like? She answers honestly: “I think if you don’t take care of yourself, you start to forget who you are,” she says. Take something as simple as her skincare regimen, for example. “I wear a lot of makeup at work, so it’s important that I have clean, well-hydrated skin. I take off my makeup every night and use the Retinol Ceramide Capsules—they really help with my skin tone and texture, as well as the Ceramide Night Cream, which smells so good. In the morning I use the Advanced Ceramide Capsules just as a serum after I wash my face, followed by the Prevage City Smart sunscreen, and then I go to work and put makeup on top of that!” Life can get in the way, too. “We’re all so busy with work, friendships and family that we start to lose ourselves a little bit, and I think it’s important to take care of yourself with things that make you feel good and like your best self. Which also means investing your time well—who you spend time with, what books you read, what ideas do you put in your head that make you uniquely you—I think all of those things are really important to maintaining your individuality,” she says.

In a time when there has never been more pressure for women to do—and have it all—Reese says she feels optimistic about the future for her own daughter, Ava, age 19, and her peers. “I think we’re in a period where we’re more conscious of what we consume, we want brands to be more transparent about their ethics and what they really believe in,” she explains. “We want media and film that shows us proper representation of the world we really live in and the way we really look, think and feel, so I think it’s a progressive time. We’re learning a lot and I think there are a lot of great changes that are coming about.”

Leading by example, it’s clear that Reese has a wealth of advice and wisdom to pass onto her children, especially Ava. “I try to tell her to be positive every day,” says Reese. “People are more attracted to people who are positive and joyful, and to remember to always be additive to every community and in every interaction that you have. My mother taught me that and I think it’s great life advice.” Talk about girl power.

It’s a rarity and a dream when you get to come face–to–face with a legendary makeup artist like Gucci Westman.

She’s one of the originals, a supermodel of the makeup world if you will, and has not only been the artist behind countless runway shows from over the years, but also some of the most admired red carpet beauty moments to date. Counting Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore as clients—and friends—Gucci also did Gwyneth Paltrow’s wedding makeup.

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Equally as important, she was also the creative force behind a number of global beauty brands, holding titles as Global Artistic Director of Revlon and also at Lancôme Paris, where she was responsible for product development and innovation, before branching out to launch her own line, Westman Atelier, globally last month.

It’s 1.30pm, and Gucci is in Sydney for a number of press events for the launch of her much–awaited eponymous collection, Westman Atelier, which is now available at Mecca Cosmetica. It’s her first visit to Australia in a long time—she last made the trip for a press tour for the premiere of Charlie’s Angels. Stepping inside the A1 Canteen in Sydney’s Chippendale to meet team Gritty Pretty for lunch, she is the epitome of understated chic, clad in denim jeans, Gucci loafers, a beautifully cut navy Saint Laurent blazer paired with chunky gold jewellery. She oozes the sort of sophistication that you would expect from someone who has spent the better part of two decades in the beauty and fashion industry.

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When I interview makeup artists who have created their own product range, it’s my first instinct to look at their makeup to see if they are actually wearing their own products—sounds obvious, but trust me, you’d be surprised. I’m pleased to report that Gucci was all about that Westman Atelier glow. After all, she is known for skin, making her a walking, talking advertisement for her brand—her skin was fresh and glowing, with a subtle hint of colour on the cheeks and naturally groomed brows.

We started our conversation around why she launched Westman Atelier—as one of the most revered makeup artists in the world and with unlimited access to every beauty product known to man, she explains that she started the range because she wanted a line that was incredible (of course), efficacious (obviously), but that was also suitable to use for an array of skin concerns. Describing it as both a blessing and a curse that she has tried so many products—it has made her so particular about the ingredients in her own range—as a rosacea sufferer, Gucci wanted to create clean products that would soothe skin, rather than adding anything that could potentially irritate it. Nourishing and protective ingredients like coconut, jojoba and camellia seed oils take centre stage, and the entire range is free of parabens, sulphates, mineral oils and more. The foundation is also free of silicone, because Gucci didn’t want it to feel at all heavy.

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Designed to be a tight edit of products that women would actually use, the formulas—bar the Super Loaded Tinted Highlighter and Beauty Butter Powder Bronzer—are in stick formula because that’s how Gucci was first taught to do makeup. Interestingly, Gucci tells me that women should always have a combination of two to three shades of foundation on rotation; not only because our skin tone can change throughout the seasons, but also because it means that you can use a light shade through the centre of the face and deeper on the contours to bring light, depth and dimension to the skin. True to her word, the texture of Vital Skin Foundation is creamy—it literally melts into your complexion, giving you that second-skin finish that she promised it would. The Baby Cheeks Blush Sticks are equally as divine, and not just because of the pretty flush of colour it brings to your makeup. Each shade is named after people in Gucci’s life that mean something to her—for example Petal, a deep rosy pink and my new go-to, and was named after Gucci’s youngest daughter. And it would be remiss of me to leave out the Lit Up Highlight Stick. With a balm-like texture, it leaves you literally luminous but not in a disco ball way, and is enriched with hyaluronic acid to keep skin hydrated.

This thoughtful curation of products, while incredibly luxurious, are results-driven and create that effortless, envy-inducing glow that we’re all forever aspiring to, proving that clean beauty doesn’t have to mean compromising on high-end quality.

Tell us, have you tried Westman Atelier? Which products are on your shopping list?