Florence Pugh on Max Mara Eau de Parfum, Her Love of Lip Liner, and the Thigh Suction Cup That Changed Her Life
A woman with taste.
Beauty routines are integral to getting In The Mood—not for any other person, but for you. Here, get a glimpse into the products, habits, and mantras that help powerhouse women slip into the sexiest version of themselves.
In May, I hopped on a plane and flew to Rome for a special interview with East of Eden star Florence Pugh, who, at the time, was the yet-to-be-announced face of the newly launched Max Mara Eau de Parfum. The fragrance is a Pretty Big Deal—it’s the brand’s first big perfume in over 20 years and the first to launch in partnership with Shiseido. “It actually smells like cashmere,” Pugh tells me as she describes the new scent, which is inspired by Max Mara’s iconic cashmere coat. She’s perfect on-the-nose with her description: with notes of vanilla, tuberose, sandalwood, and cedarwood, the fragrance is a deliciously comforting fall scent.
Now, if you know anything about me, asking about Pugh’s fragrance repertoire wasn’t enough. I needed to secure the details to all of her favorite beauty habits, from the concealer she swears by to the nail color that makes her feel the hottest. All of that, and so, so much go into helping Pugh get In the Mood. Shop her favorites ahead.
Don’t look at your phone too much today. Genuinely, that’s it. It’s hard, though. When I open my eyes, I tell myself not to check it and go make a cup of tea instead.
In the spring and summer I’m shower girlie, but in the winter? Give me a bath. I put salts in, and oils, and balms. There are just so many options.
That thigh-sucking cup for lymphatic drainage has changed my life, but my god, it doesn’t look great in the shower. It’s actually really strange. It also changes color. Using it is just so unsexy, and god forbid anyone walks in on you while you’re doing it. But my god, it makes my legs look good.
Max Mara Eau de Parfum, of course. She’s really feminine. I think, very similar to their coats’ shape and styles, there’s also so much structure there. It’s bold and quietly confident, while still feeling like cashmere skin. It’s a mirror of the coat that’s been so famous for years and I love that I get to wear that on my skin.
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I tend to keep it quite fresh and dewy. Ultimately, I always go with the Armani concealer because I really like how makeup sits on my skin. I only touch up my eyebrows ,with a pencil and a brush. I don’t pluck them; I don’t touch them. I just let them be. I use eyelash curlers day and night; I can’t apply mascara without it. They save the day pretty much every day. Then I use a good, old trusty lip pencil, which I can find in any bag I own, and I am a transformed woman. I pretty much keep it quite light.
I love something sparkly. I tried to just a baby pink actually, but I couldn’t quite keep it that simple. That’s ultimately me in a nutshell.
When you’ve have a big day, I actually find taking my makeup off the most important part. I like dedicating time to use my cleansers and balms—getting all of it off and making a big schmush on your face and hot toweling. It’s part of winding down.
The obvious thing is like not giving as much of a shit, but I've been quite good at that in my lifetime. Honestly, I’m really looking forward to having the most fabulous collection of things. I want to have such an epic collection of costume jewelry that there will never be a day where I don’t have something to plug in my ear. I just love when you find something completely random and know that it’s going to be in your life forever. I’m excited about the clothing I’ll collect. Even if it didn’t work on my when I was 27, I hope one day I’ll wear it. Buying things for my future self makes me excited.
You know how Coco Chanel said to always take one thing off before you leave the house? My rule is to put one on. More is more, and it’s fabulous.
Shop Florence's Routine
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Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.