Rachel Hunter's Beauty Regime

Rachel Hunter will be on our screens soon with her new show Rachel Hunter's Tour of Beauty, looking at different approaches to beauty around the globe. She spoke to beauty editor Janetta Mackay about her own beauty routine - read the full interview in Wednesday's issue of Viva.

Are you good at your own makeup?
Terrible, terrible, terrible. My own hair and makeup ... no.

You must have picked up some tricks over the years though?
Wouldn't you think ... you've seen, well maybe seen, the paparazzi. Oh God no. Not good.

What's the most you've spent on a beauty product?
It's the creams, you know, that you get, and that's when I was much younger, I'd spend money on creams.

If I opened your bathroom cupboard what would I find for your face now?
More oils, rose oils, pawpaw, good creamy kind of oily stuff, because my skin's quite dry. I use something to wash my face and that's all about moisturiser. I take my own makeup off with moisturiser or oil rather than any makeup remover. I don't use toners or anything like that.

What's your must-have product?
Mascara.

What's your best pep up for an instant lift before you face the world?
I'd have to go work out before.

In the gym?
I take yoga classes.

What's your "look" now, compared with your younger self?
At 17 you kind of go along with how you are. I wasn't really obsessed over anything. That would have changed with knowing what I want, with my hair colour and how I want my eyebrows done, you know, those kind of things. Products and stuff, I've always been all over the place. I use a really good moisturiser, I always use mascara, eyeliner if I go out at night, but I keep it pretty simple.

What did you learn from your mother and what did you pass on to your daughter, Renee?
Just to be completely happy with how you want to feel and look. My kids eat really good, simple. I've never been obsessed with you have to have this cream or have that, or you have to do that kind of stuff, so it's very simple.
My mum used lanolin cream on her face.

Having just filmed your global beauty show Rachel's Tour of Beauty, how does the New Zealand approach to beauty fit in?
I think New Zealanders are really natural and have a great outlook. What we have in New Zealand even for beauty is natural, whether it's manuka honey or bee venom or any of those things. We're extremely lucky, with not a lot of pollution. I would put us under pretty natural. I'm into pretty natural.

What new beauty tricks did you pick up from the show?
When we were in Morocco we went to a hamman [bath house] and it really made me realise that we have these incredible bodies and to take care of them beauty-wise is really important. I exfoliate [my face] and all that, but I think your body needs nourishing, too. Through eating right, exfoliating, moisturising, all those things, I have understood more about taking extra good care all over.