Bond girl, stage actress and down-to-earth superstar of many blockbuster films, Gemma Arterton is also the ambassador of Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost range. Susannah Taylor discovers what makes her tick...
Funny, happy, smart, down-to-earth, and extremely likeable, Gemma Arterton, 32, doesn’t appear to be at all affected by the bright lights and the heady glamour of a top actress’s life. Having grown up in Kent with her father, a welder and her mother, a cleaner who divorced when she was young, she received a government grant to study at RADA and has risen through the ranks of stardom ever since.
Her big break came in 2008 when she was cast as a Bond girl in Quantum of Solace alongside Daniel Craig, and also in the BBC’s adaption of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Cast in many well-known films since from St Trinian’s to Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Gemma has however always stated that she feels most comfortable on stage.
Clearly an outstanding actress, it’s her air of normality that endears us to her the most. Having been married and divorced a few years ago she is always keen in interviews to tell people not to ‘Believe the hype’ stating that she doesn’t hang out with celebrity friends and always making it clear that she’s a woman who remains true to her Kent roots.
With her effortless, freckle-faced beauty, it’s no wonder then that a brand such as Neutrogena have come knocking. The new ambassador for their HydroBoost range which is designed to protect skin against city agressors and deeply hydrate the skin, it’s a great fit for her honest and natural approach to appearances and life.
So what does Gemma do before breakfast? What hidden talents does she have? And why does she love Yoga Nidra? She took our quickfire quiz…
IN THREE WORDS I’M…
“Determined, scatty, empathetic”
WHAT I DO BEFORE BREAKFAST…
“I always make the bed as I think that’s a really Zen thing to do then I take a shower as I like to be nice and fresh before I have breakfast because that’s an important moment in my day.
I then do my skincare routine when I’m in the shower - I use the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Cleanser, £7.99 then when I get out, the Hydro Boost City Shield, £12.99 which has an SPF 25 in it and is great if you live in a city like I do. I also use their Eye Awakening Gel-Cream, £12.99 as I get really tired eyes. The range is absolutely perfect for me as it’s really quenching and I have really dry skin. Once I’ve done all that then I can have my breakfast!”
I’M SURPRISINGLY GOOD AT….
“Backbends! (she starts laughing) Backbends in yoga but also I can go into a backbend from standing up really easily as I’ve got a really mobile spine. Also I’m quite good at drawing - well actually I’m not surprisingly good at it, I’m more 'ok' at it! I draw and paint and it’s something I really love doing.”
THE WORKOUT THAT WORKS FOR ME IS…
“I do quite a dynamic form of yoga 3-4 times a week which is quite gymnastic and it’s a really strong form of workout - there are times when I can’t even breathe I’m so exhausted from it. I love it because I have quite high energy levels and feel if I don’t get out there and do something then I can feel a bit weird. The yoga I do is Vinyasa yoga (plus other types of yoga) so it’s very dynamic but also when I was younger I did lots of gymnastics and I love getting into poses and working the body in that way.
I like walking too but I've tried every other form of exercise and I don’t really enjoy it. I know running is the most convenient one but it's definitely not for me. Now I’ve got to a stage with my yoga where I can do it on my own and can do it anywhere in the world.”
THE PRODUCT I TELL EVERYONE ABOUT IS…
“I would definitely rave about the Neutrogena Hydro Boost City Shield, £12.99 just because it’s really good under makeup as it’s not oily so you can use it as a primer and SPF at the same time. I would also rave about the Hydro-Boost Capsule-in-Serum Supercharged Booster, £14.99 because it has lots of Vitamin E in it as well as Hyaluronic acid so it’s really good if you have tired, dehydrated, city skin.”
I SLEEP…
I’m usually a really good sleeper, I sleep solidly and I can sleep for a very long amount of time. However if I'm feeling a bit anxious or I have a big event coming up I may find it hard to drop off.
If that’s the case then I do Yoga Nidra (see www.yoganidranetwork.org ). They use the workings of your own mind to send you to sleep - it's like a sleep meditation. You can download them online and they literally send you right off. I truly think they are amazing and everybody should do them.
I also learnt about blue light recently from digital screens and how it’s really bad for you before bed so I try not to be on the phone or watch the I-pad. At night I put my phone on 'airplane mode' as that stops the signal going around the room that can interrupt sleep. I know I should probably do that thing of leaving the phone outside the bedroom but I’m just so scatty that if I used an old fashioned alarm clock I would probably get the wake up time wrong. I really want to get one of those alarm clocks that wakes you up gradually though with light.
Also I do that thing of no coffee after 2pm. If I have one at say 4pm then I won’t get to sleep easily.”
MY SECRET TO STAYING SANE IS…
“If I am really busy then I don’t have time to go to yoga but I think the best thing to do in that situation is to go for a walk and get some fresh air and some light which makes all the difference.
Also I think if you’re going through a really busy patch then allowing yourself to veg out if you need to is really important. I love working hard and being busy but I think you need to allow yourself not to be busy too. I need to just stop and watch some Netflix sometimes."
I GOT MY BIG BREAK BY…
“There were two things I was in that came out at the same time in 2008 - there was a Bond film and a TV series on BBC called Tess of the D’Ubervilles and I think that was it. For me though it was more gradual and seemed to take place over a year.”
MY BEST BUDGET BEAUTY BUY IS…
“The Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, £3.99 , is always in my car, and my dad who is a welder always uses it because he has cracked hands as that’s the only thing that works.”
MY BIGGEST HEALTH AND BEAUTY SPEND IS…
“I’m super lucky to have an amazing hairdresser called Andreas Wild who I love (based at John Frieda in London ) but I get it cut for free. I’m a bit funny about my facials and one person I go to is Nichola Joss . I’ll go every few months unless I have an event and then I’ll go about three days before that.
I also love going on a yoga retreat once a year if I can which is really more of a holiday. The best one I’ve been on so far was with my friend Nahid de Belgeonne who is an amazing yoga teacher and runs Good Vibes Yoga in London . I went on the one in Greece and it had amazing food and you could drink wine but it wasn’t super strict. You then did about four hours of yoga a day - it was amazing.”
THE TOUGHEST THING I’VE EVER HAD TO COPE WITH IS…
“I’m really lucky that I haven’t had anything major like illnesses or death happen in my life so far – touch wood. However, it's probably my personal experience but when you are in the public eye suddenly your life changes and you have to deal with everything changing too. It’s not a sudden thing it’s happened over about ten years, but it’s about managing that.”
THE NEW FIND I’M EXCITED ABOUT IS…
“Well actually I like to spend a bit of money on my clothes and there’s a brand I think is great for every day called Me+Em . I just love their stuff - they are exactly the way I dress.”
IF I COULD BE ANYWHERE ON EARTH RIGHT NOW…
“I’d like to be under the sea, scuba diving on the coral reef in warm water and seeing lots of beautiful fish.”
IF YOU CAME BY FOR LUNCH I’D MAKE…
“I’m quite good at pastry so I might make you a vegetarian tart or a risotto.”
I ALWAYS SAY NO TO…
“Meat – I’m a vegetarian.”
THE THING I VALUE MOST IN LIFE IS…
“My family.”
THE HARDEST PART ABOUT BEING AN ACTRESS IS…
“The media (she says laughing a lot) we are a bit nervous of them! Although beauty journalists are lovely!”
THE BIGGEST LIFE LESSON I WOULD LIKE TO PASS ON TO OTHER YOUNG WOMEN IS…
“To try not to be online too much. I know that’s not very philosophical but I think it saves your sanity. I think it’s so important to put your phone down, get off-line and remember it doesn’t matter. It’s not real and it causes a lot of anxiety.”
Gemma Arterton is beauty ambassador for Neutrogena Hydro Boost. For more information, visit www.neutrogena.co.uk or @Neutrogenauk. Products are available at Tesco and Amazon.co.uk.
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