Model and singer DJ Amber Le Bon stands tall with a great sense of music and fashion as the daughter of Duran Duran frontman Simon and British supermodel Yasmin. The 26-year-old has an uncanny resemblance to her mother in more ways than one. The mother-daughter duo share a heart-warming nature, trademark smile, and exemplary professionalism that separate them from the rest of the fashion industry.
Amber Le Bon talked all things beauty with HELLO!
Photo: Redken
"She raised me to work hard, be polite and to always be prepared," says Amber. Though she inherited many of her parents' qualities, she has been paving her own, independent path. In recent months she has been signed to haircare brand Redken, has DJed in Milan for Gucci and hosted the British Heart Foundation Tunnel of Love fundraiser. HELLO! beauty editor Nadine Baggott visited Paris to reveal Amber's style, beauty and hair tips.
The model and DJ's parents are Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon and supermodel Yasmin Le Bon
Photo: Getty Images
Amber, what's it like being Redken's latest muse?
"It's very exciting. I've had long hair for a long time so to be recognized for it is amazing."
Who looks after your hair?
"I have it cut by George Northwood in London and my color's done by Tracy Cunningham in LA. It's a 'bronze ombre' – a warm caramel brushed through the ends with the roots kept their natural color. I can't be in the salon getting my roots done every month, so this is very low maintenance. It's the color my hair would go if I lived in the sun for six months. That's the dream."
Which products do you rely on to keep it looking its best?
"Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo and Conditioner, plus Pillow Proof Primer before I dry to protect it from the heat. I also use Pillow Proof Two Day Extender, sprayed in at the roots so I don't have to wash my hair as often – that's so much better for long hair and means my colour lasts longer. What's great is that it is a dry shampoo that doesn't go gray or ashy at the roots, like so many. I even use it on freshly washed hair for that bit of oomph and volume at the roots. I can then put it up in a bun overnight and the next day it holds a wave really well."
Would you ever go short?
"I'm not a short-hair person. The last time I had short hair I was nine and I hated it."
Amber revealed her tricks to keep her hair looking so healthy Photo: Redken
How do you stay in shape?
"I
do barrecore, a ballet-based workout. It is so much fun but it is so
hard. It's fantastic – my bum is on fire afterwards and my thighs are
burning, but it works. And it strengthens my knees and hips as I'm prone
to weakness in them, left over from a hurdling injury at school.
Barrecore strengthens my legs but doesn't bulk them."
Your dad got in shape recently and he looks great too…
"Yes, we are all very proud of him as he has been working really hard at it."
What is the best piece of advice he has ever given you?
"Never
wear too-tight trousers in public. He used to tell us an anecdote when
we were growing up about performing on stage and wearing trousers so
tight they split open."
What is your ultimate beauty treatment?
"Laser hair removal; I have it done professionally and it is fantastic. It makes my getting-ready routine so much faster."
And your secret weapon?
"Cold-pressed
argan oil – it's loaded with antioxidants. Now my skin is super soft
and I find that the oil prevents it from being oily and breaking out.
After cleansing with Eve Lom Cream I massage it onto my face and neck so
that it gets rid of any dry skin. I then blot with a tissue before
applying makeup."
Do you have a signature scent?
"In
summer it's Jo Malone Blue Agava & Cacao; in winter Dior Hombre
Nuit. Once the pepper goes from the top notes it dries down to quite a
vanilla fragrance on me, with a heady, woody scent. I've never been a
floral-smell girl. I think it's my Middle Eastern origins."
The model is the new muse for haircare label Redken Photo: Redken
Who is your beauty icon?
"My mum – she is the most beautiful woman. But she needs to start aging because it's beginning to get really annoying."
What is the best bit of beauty advice she has ever given you?
"She
told me to play with makeup and get to know my face. I mean, she
couldn't exactly stop three daughters from playing with her makeup.
Tallulah, my youngest sister, would be our real life doll – my other
sister Saffron and I would use her as our model, piling red lipstick on
her cheeks. Mum would come in and say, 'No, do it properly. Don't be
afraid to experiment. You're only at home – we can take it all off in
five minutes.'"
You tend to stick to quite subtle shades for your eyes, which are beautiful. What do you use?
"A
taupe-gray eyeshadow from my HD Brows palette to contour just in the
sockets of both eyes, then a black liquid liner from Make Up For Ever. I
then finish with my favorite Max Factor mascara in brown. If I was
going to go full on with eye shadow, then Charlotte Tilbury's Dolce Vita
quad is the best for anyone with green eyes."
What else is in your makeup bag?
"I'm
obsessed with everything Charlotte Tilbury. I love her Retoucher pens
and use them to subtly contour my skin. I apply them on top of my face
oil so the concealer becomes like a sheer base. I then apply the darker
shade from the Tom Ford contour duo as a blusher [blush] because brown
and bronze shades suit my skin."
You have great brows. Do you tweeze, wax or thread?
"I
tweeze my own as I don't trust anyone else. They are so dark and so
thick that any mistake shows up and takes months to grow back in. I've
been doing them since I was 11 because I am of Iranian heritage and so
they needed doing even when I was young. I use the same HD Brows
palette, applying the darkest shade just to define and fill in my
eyebrows."
Scroll below for Amber's list of her favorite products
You Instagrammed a lot of pictures from your winter break in the Maldives. Is that your favorite holiday destination?
"That and Ibiza, where I've been going with my family every summer since I was 11 and so is like a second home. I go to the chill-out, family side of the island, not the party side."
What is coming up for you in 2016?
"I am the Ibiza ambassador for Cîroc Vodka and have done a beautiful shoot with Mario Testino. Then there is the Redken campaign, which we shot in New York. The look was very glamorous – big, bouncy hair; the hair I aspire to every day. It was a very happy shoot and I really enjoyed it."
AMBER'S A-LIST PRODUCTS:
1. Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo, $18.50
2. Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Extender, $20
3. Redken Color Extend Magnetics Conditioner, $19.50
4. Jo Malone Blue Agava & Cacao Cologne 100ml, $125; visit jomalone.com
5. Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate, $80
6. Eve Lom Cleansing Cream 3.3oz, $80
7. Charlotte Tilbury The Retoucher in 3 Medium, $35; visit charlottetilbury.com/us
8. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat lip liner in Iconic Nude, $22
9. HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette in Foxy, $31.80
10. Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Hepburn Honey, $32.00
11. Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara in Brown, $14.65, from Amazon