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Watching Taylor Hill – with her feather-strewn frock, lithe limbs and sky-high heels – bring New York’s Meatpacking District to a standstill, it’s clear to Grazia that the 20-year-old is a knockout, natural beauty who would have rivalled even the likes of Cindy or Linda back in the day. It’s little wonder, then, that beauty behemoth Lancôme has tapped her as its youngest-ever ambassadress and newest face, all in the name of the launch of its new liquid lipstick, the Matte Shaker.
As you would imagine, it’s matte, and you shake it before every application, awakening the intense pigment. The packaging is even shaped like a drinks shaker. Seven dynamic colours, immaculate staying power, and an ambassador that looks like that, and we have every faith that these little shots of colour will fly off the shelves before we can say mocktail hour.
We’re even tempted to try the contrast colour-block lip Taylor’s rocking in the campaign. Teaming up with the brand last year, she joins the hallowed ranks of the Lancôme family, including Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, Kate Winslet and Julia Roberts. “The whole thing is a bit surreal,” she tells Grazia. “I’ve been watching these powerhouse women in movies since I was 12. Their confidence and the way they represent themselves is so inspiring. So to join this family of impressive women is incredible because we all – in a way – bring something different to the table.”
She’s right, of course. One of the best, most-admired things about Lancôme is that it represents, speaks to, and offers something, to so many different types of women. Describing the difference between the other faces of the brand and herself, Taylor says, “They’re actresses who touch people through their movies and the amazing things they do. I can influence a younger generation by being a role model and sharing my lifestyle and the things I love.” It’s a sweet yet savvy sentiment. She clearly knows her audience, and the draw she represents for a whole new fanbase for the brand. One that’s a bit more casual, fun-loving and Lancôme Matte Shaker in Pink Power, Energy Peach, Red’y in 5, Beige Vintage, Magic Orange and Yummy Pink,
It’s something Taylor mirrors in her off-duty style, preferring a simple layer of tinted moisturiser and a coat of black mascara, in line with what she calls a “less is more” aesthetic. She tells us this is something she picked up in her high school art class. “I remember my [art] teacher always telling me, ‘When you finish, finish! Don’t try to perfect things.’
The things that are wrong are what make it art. That stuck with me, and I think it also applies to beauty. Less is more. When we obsess and try too hard to mask our insecurities, we should stop, be confident, and step away,” she stresses.
Not always the confident role model she is today, Taylor was bullied in high school because of her height; ironically, something that launched the start of her modelling career at just 14, after she was scouted by a photographer on a ranch in Colorado.
Now lucky enough to have a voice in the world of fashion, she explains, “Having this voice now, I would tell young girls not to worry about pettiness with classmates. You’ll all be friends in 10 years.”
It’s a refreshingly down-to-earth piece of advice from one of the most sought-after models of the moment. Counting becoming a Victoria’s Secret Angel and landing her own Lancôme contract as the two most memorable moments of her career so far, Taylor has also walked the runway for numerous high-end designers including Alexander Wang, Chanel and Versace. She also recently made her big-screen debut in psychological horror flick The Neon Demon. So what’s next for the American beauty? “[I’d love to work with] J.J. Abrams, who wrote and directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I love sci-fi films, and it would be my dream to play an alien!” she laughs. “And I’ve never worked with Steven Meisel. That would be amazing. He’s a legend.”
The way she’s going, we’d say it was only a matter of time…
This article first appeared in GRAZIA UAE.
