Not so very long ago, Priyanka Chopra was a brainy seventeen-year-old girl growing up in Newton, Massachusetts, with dreams of becoming an engineer. By the time she turned eighteen, she was Miss World—winning the title representing her native India before going on to become one of the country’s most successful Bollywood actresses. Now, with over 40 films, an album (out this summer), a Guess campaign, and four Vogue India covers under her belt—not to mention 5.9 million Twitter followers, 38.3 million YouTube views of her single, “Exotic,” and an NFL Thursday Night Football theme song—the 31-year-old bombshell has become the very definition of crossover appeal. Chopra is quick to credit luck for her dizzying ascent to stardom, but when it comes to her beauty routine, she knows exactly what she’s doing. Tired eyes? Distract with a smoky lid. Big meeting? Layer on a men’s cologne beneath a delicate floral perfume. Here, the actress sits down with Vogue.com to talk about red-carpet makeup, what it feels like to be the first Indian Guess girl, and the secret to an unforgettable handshake.
Your parents were both doctors and you were studying to be an engineer. How did you make the transition into being a movie star, a singer, and now a Guess girl?
It was actually by accident. I was seventeen, and my mom sent in my pictures to the Miss India contest without telling me. I got selected, I won, and then I went for Miss World. I won that, too, and afterward, movies came my way. I didn’t know anything about acting, so I had to learn everything on the job. Then music came along—Interscope and RedOne—and I had to learn that on the job, too. It’s been a lot of pressure, but the challenge of it has been really fun.
This winter, you starred in the Guess campaign, joining the ranks of Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni, and Kate Upton. How does that feel?
It’s extremely flattering. Being tagged as a Guess girl makes you feel like you’ve arrived—it’s three decades of the most beautiful women in the world! And it’s such an iconic brand. It’s just that no one has ever looked like me as a Guess girl—[I’m not] blonde, blue-eyed. The company took a step toward diversity with taking me on.
You’ve been jet-setting all around the country this week promoting your album. How do you keep your skin looking fresh?
I’ve taken seventeen plane rides in fifteen days. The pressure in the cabin really dehydrates your skin, so hydration is so important. Keep it basic—drink water and use moisturizer on the face and body whenever you can. In New York, I use a lot of Body Shop Body Butter, especially at night—just lay it on thick, wear socks, and go to sleep. Your feet will be baby soft when you wake up. And for my face, I like StriVectin, La Prairie, and Cetaphil. On set, I’ve learned that if you moisturize before makeup, you won’t need so much foundation. Less is better any day.
Is that your philosophy for makeup?
Completely. An eye is great, a lip is great, but when it comes to foundation, less is more. If you take care of your skin, then you just need to worry about concealing the little things. I have a rule: No matter how tired, sleepy, or drunk I am, I have to take my makeup off at night. It’s my routine no matter where I am in the world, no matter how much sleep I do or don’t get. Shiseido has this really great eye makeup remover. I use a foaming face wash from Chanel. [My routine] takes five minutes, but it goes so far.
When you’re on the red carpet, you do a great eye or a bright lip so well. What are your tricks?
Okay, so this is an exposé now. [Laughs] When I’m tired, I do dark eyes and a nude lip. Shhh! [So] you’re never going to be able to catch the dark circles. And when I’m not tired, I do a bright mouth and nude eyes.
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What products do you use to get a smoky eye?
I use kohl when I’m doing black, smoky eyes. Otherwise I like eyeliner that I can smudge with my finger or a brush so it looks more natural. I don’t like eyeliner that looks like eyeliner. If you can see the lines, it’s a mess. The key to flawless makeup is blending. The same goes for lips: I wear lipstick like a stain by blending it with my finger so the edges aren’t sharp.
If we were to look in your makeup bag right now what would we find?
It’s a mess! [Laughs] MAC Studio Fix is my go-to, and when I go out at night, I wear Bobbi Brown foundation. You’d find lip balm, which is very important for me. Right now, I’m using this Eos lip balm that is shaped like an Easter egg. Laura Mercier stains for the lips and the cheeks for just a little color. I also love Drew Barrymore’s Flower lipstick. For mascara, YSL gives your lashes a lot of volume and it’s really black. And then soft, blendable kohl—MAC has really soft pencils, and Benefit has nice thicker ones.
What about fragrance?
Some women cut their hair. I change fragrances. I’ll stick with one for a year or two, and then suddenly something will happen in my life where I’ll be like, “I want to be a different person.” Right now I wear Flora by Gucci, but Dolce & Gabbana The One and Ralph Lauren Romance are my all-time favorites.
So you tend to like feminine floral perfumes?
Actually, this is a good tip: Sometimes when I’m feeling powerful, I wear a men’s fragrance like Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin or Aramis Tuscany mixed with three splashes of a floral perfume. Another thing that I do is mist the scent on my palms, so that whenever I shake hands with someone I leave a lingering fragrance.
You’re from India. What beauty techniques did you learn there?
Bathing with Greek yogurt. It’s really hydrating. Make sure you do it at night, because it leaves a little bit of a scent, and don’t do it if you’re spending the night with someone. [Laughs] If you’re in the shower, just rub it into your body like you would soap, then step out of the shower, let it sit for three minutes and wash it off. [Three times] a week. If you rub it into your scalp, it will even heal dandruff. It’s magic. I believe in natural therapies. I use so much ayurveda in my day-to-day life.
What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever gotten?
It’s the hardest thing to do, but if you feel happy and confident, you will look beautiful. When you walk out the door and feel like you’re the only girl in the world, people will look at you that way. It’s an amazing, miraculous thing that happens.
