The Bridgerton actress discusses self-love, signature scents and on-set beauty hazards

Actress and former Harper’s Bazaar UK cover star Nicola Coughlan is no stranger to an on-screen transformation. From the messy braids and school-girl flush of Derry Girls to her highly-anticipated make-up metamorphosis on the latest season of Bridgerton, the 37-year-old Irish actress is nothing short of a chameleon when it comes to big screen beauty.

On the red carpet, Coughlan’s aesthetic attire is equally impressive. From the lightest of blondes to believable copper hues and striking make-up, the actress continues to debut exquisite looks as her career transcends. Off-screen, however, her personal beauty manifesto is far more demure.

We met with the star to discuss skincare rituals, signature scents and the beauty lessons she learned on the set of the series that propelled her to fame.

LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX

On beauty manifestos…

“It’s so important to feel good in yourself. It’s really difficult for anyone, not just someone in the public eye nowadays with social media. Just focus in on what you need and what makes you feel good. If you can do that, that’s the most important thing. Feeling good in yourself deeply is deeply important.”

On her make-up mood board…

“I really adore Taylor Russell. She’s someone that I think always looks so beautiful. I really love when make-up makes people look like themselves. I know that sounds like a very kind of obvious statement, but it’s not. I think there’s space there for all different types of make-up – don’t get me wrong – but I love when it enhances what is naturally there. I think she hits that real sweet spot.”

JAMIE MCCARTHY//GETTY IMAGES

On skincare essentials…

“If you’re an artist, your skin is like your canvas. You have to take care of your canvas. I tend to do a lot of my heavy cleansing at night time. I use the Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil, just to get it nice and fresh. I really love an oil cleanser because I feel like it grabs and takes my make-up off but not in a harsh way. I’ve been really obsessed with the brand’s Dewy Skin Cream. It is just gorgeous under make-up. SPF 50 is a real, real essential for me. I grew up in Ireland, and it was something I was ignorant about into my late 20s. I didn’t know that you needed to wear it every day.”

On occupational beauty hazards…

“On set, you’re never getting enough sleep. You’re literally leaving the hotel at four or five in the morning. So the Tatcha Silk Peony Melting Eye Cream is a really important one for me. I sleep with a lip mask on as well because I get quite a lot of dry skin around my lips. It’s another occupational hazard on set. You never drink enough water because you’re always too far away from the bathroom. I seem to not be able to avoid corsets in whatever jobs that I get – even though I’m playing a fairy, I still have a corset on. So with all of those things, you don’t want to be making many trips to the bathroom, so any hydration I can get in my skin from the outside, that’s what I’m layering on.”

On skincare gadgets…

“I really love anything that can go in the freezer. I often do wake up a little puffy because I’m dehydrated. I wish I could attribute it to partying, but it’s just not enough sleep and water! I have a face roller that’s has two balls on an angle and it feels like it’s just firm everything up in a really lovely way.”

On winding down…

“At the moment when filming, I’m wearing the same outfit every day and just getting in a bath is really important for me. They’re 12-hour days and super exhausting. A nice bath is super important to me. Also, just getting as much sleep as I possibly can. There’s no substitute for that. If I can get my eight hours, I’m a different woman.”

On lessons from Bridgerton…

“Bridgerton taught me that when you see this level of perfection on screen, with hair that’s set perfectly and the thick lashes, you can’t sustain that make-up on a night out or at a dinner. That will fade; you’ll rub your face. It was a lesson to myself, accepting that that is television.”

NEIL MOCKFORD//GETTY IMAGES

On the character she relates to most beauty-wise…

“It’s probably Maggie from Big Mood. I love to be in full glam or nothing, like not very much in between. That probably goes for my wardrobe too.”

On her signature scent…

“I really love Le Labo. I love their bergamot fragrance – that was I had in my trailer all the time when we were filming Bridgerton because it’s not overbearing. I love when someone has a signature fragrance. It’s something you connect to them and it’s a really lovely thing.”

On her most confident moments…

“If I’m going out for dinner with loved ones, I love to sit down and take the time to do my skincare, do my hair, do my make-up. The people that love you thinking you look beautiful is a really gorgeous thing. That’s special because then it doesn’t matter what the outside world thinks; the people that love me think I look lovely.”