Beauty

Rooney Mara on Her Postpartum Wellness Routine and Beauty Must-Haves

The actress adds that her vegan lifestyle “has impacted my skin for the better.”

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Published on August 12, 2021 @ 10:48AM

Award-winning actress Rooney Mara likes to keep things simple off-screen. "I would describe my overall approach to beauty as lazy," she tells InStyle. "A euphemism would be 'effortless.'"

"I take care of myself so that I need as little as possible to feel and look good," she continues. But just because she prefers to keep her makeup to a minimum, her vanity isn't completely empty. She leans into her go-to products and treatments as a form of self-care, she says, especially after welcoming her first child last fall.

There is one thing that Mara will always reach for, however, and that is a good fragrance. In her eyes, scent can be nostalgic. She can recall specific notes as far back as the smell of her grandparents' home and even her first boyfriend's cologne. As of late, Mara has been spritzing Givenchy's latest, L'Interdit Rouge eau de parfum. "It's both floral and spicy; intense but also understated," she says in InStyle's September issue. "To me, it's just as perfect for a romantic night out as it is for a day walking around shopping or going to a museum."

Ahead, she shares her journey navigating a postpartum wellness routine, the badass women that inspire her, and the role that changed her real-life attitude.

Simply Put

As I've gotten older, I have learned that beauty is holistic. Not only is it your health and wellness, but it's also your spiritual and emotional well-being. I feel more beautiful when I am content with life, grounded, grateful, and accepting of myself.

Barely There

I always feel the best with very little on my skin, a strong brow, and a lip. Olio E Osso makes the best lip tints for every day. I try to use clean products as much as I can. I am 100 percent certain my vegan lifestyle has impacted my skin for the better. The products I cannot live without are the LVLC Serum by Chance (which I use morning and night), RŌZ Hair Oil, Carasoin cold cream, and the Poppy and Someday Rose Quartz Face Mask.

Scent(imental)

Fragrance is one of the most powerful memory holders for me. There are many [scents] that bring me back to the smell of mothballs in my grandparents' home, the smell an old house gets in the dead heat of summer, or the smell of first love. When I was 15, I used to keep a small bottle of my first boyfriend's cologne and breathe it in. I love the duality the new Givenchy L'Interdit Rouge carries. It's both floral and spicy; intense but also understated. To me, it's just as perfect for a romantic night out as it is for a day walking around shopping or going to a museum.

Motherhood

My wellness routine looks very different now that I have a baby. I'm still trying to find my footing and be easy on myself since I haven't been able to exercise like I used to. Currently my self-care is a shower [laughs] and sitting down to drink some tea for 10 minutes. The one indulgent thing I do for my skin is the Le Visage Lift Contour Treatment with Chance [Amina Jaschke] at Bien Etre Beaute.

Rooney Mara

I feel more beautiful when I am content with life, grounded, grateful, and accepting of myself.

— Rooney Mara

Pretty Notable

Some women I admire are Michelle Cho because she is the most badass woman I know and has dedicated her life to animals, [environmental activist] Jane Goodall for everything, and [singer] Sinéad O'Connor for her authenticity and bravery. [Also] my sister, my mom, the Phoenix sisters [fiancé Joaquin's siblings], and [his mother] Heart Phoenix because they are all incredible mothers. It's the hardest job on the planet and arguably the most important.

Self-Assured

What makes me feel the most confident is being able to remain open, vulnerable, and soft even in circumstances that require me to be strong. Especially in a world that tells women they need to act a certain way or match a man's strength, or other male qualities, in order to be badass.

Turning Point

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was such a seminal experience. It was so liberating to be what many would consider unattractive and to not care what other people thought. It gave me permission to keep some of that "I don't give a f–" attitude in my own life.