“My beauty routine could be called the lazy girl’s guide to looking good,” Sienna Miller tells me over Zoom. And for her, it works — brilliantly. That effortlessly cool, boho-chic aesthetic that made her a style reference point? “In all honesty, I think that’s just part of my personality,” she says. “I’m quite lazy. It all came from minimum effort — like don’t brush your hair — and it just worked.”
It’s exactly that no-fuss vibe that makes the actor the perfect match for Charlotte Tilbury. Miller, 44, is fronting the British makeup artist’s Pillow Talk campaign for the new Pillow Talk Blush Balm Lip Tint, a three-in-one product she can’t get enough of. “I love this because you can put it on your lips, cheeks, and eyelids,” she says. “You can build it up, but it’s also got a freshness and a dewiness to it that I love.”
Of course, being a mom — who’s expecting her third child in the next few weeks — also influences her routine. “I have less time to think about beauty,” she says. “I’ve never been someone who takes a long time doing anything. I like minimum effort, maximum results, hence this product being very conducive to my approach.”
Here, Miller reflects on the ’90s, playing “dowdy” characters, and the hairstyle she still wants to try.
You’ve been a style icon for so long.
Centuries.
Centuries. How has your look evolved over the years?
I don’t know that it’s particularly evolved other than I just don’t have as much time to be as experimental as I was. My life used to be pottering around the market, and now I’ve got kids and I’m 800 years old and pregnant again. I feel like I’m going to have an Iris Apfel-kind of 80s where I can just revisit whatever aesthetic I have lurking inside.
How would you describe your everyday beauty look?
I want to look like I have really great skin and I’m not wearing makeup, but I am wearing makeup. I want to look dewy and fresh. Because I have to wear makeup for work, I like looking natural in everyday life.
Which makeup product makes you panic when you run out of it?
The [Charlotte Tilbury] Lip Cheat lip liner in the Pillow Talk Medium shade. It’s slightly darker [than the original]. If I have nothing else on, it makes me feel like I’ve got something on. And the Lip Tint, of course.
Are you a big skin care person?
I’ve become one as my skin started to shrivel up with age. In my 20s, if I washed my face at night, it was a miracle. Now, I’m much better at taking care of my skin and I have more of an intuition about what it needs.
What is the most Sienna Miller beauty habit you’ve never let go of, regardless of how trends have changed?
I have naturally messy, wavy hair and I’ve never tried to change that.
Your hair is so good.
Well, three years ago, we were living in New York, where some of the moms had a blowout every day. My 13-year-old was like, “You’re too scruffy.” Now she’s come round — she’s like, “Your hair’s great.” But there was a moment there where I was embarrassing, because my hair is slightly scarecrow-y in moments. The less I do, the better it is — if I don’t brush it, it’s better.
Did you brush it today?
Someone did today, because I turned up and it was wet. But when my boyfriend stroked it the other day, he very sweetly said, “Oh, it’s so cute. It’s like horse hair” — which is the flip side to having really thick, wavy hair. It’s quite horsey in texture, which no one needs to wake up next to, but there we go.
You’re a reference point on so many people’s Pinterest boards. Who was your style icon when you were younger?
The ’90s were such an inspirational time. It was really reckless and fun and undone, and I grew up thinking that I was going to emulate that. I thought Winona Ryder and Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss were so elegant and cool. The fashion and film and the music, Nirvana — it was such an exciting time to be witnessing. I was just desperate to be a part of it, but I was too young then.
Then there are the perennial people like Jane Birkin, and people from the ’20s — any eras of rebellion are such interesting moments in culture that I’m drawn to.
So you’re a rebel at heart.
I think I’m drawn to recalcitrant-type people, yes. I’m not out there graffitiing the wall but I probably would say I had a rebellious spirit.
Is there something about aging that has surprised you in a good way?
It’s so great getting older. My mom is of a generation where she was like, “It’s horrible. It’s awful. You wait.” I feel especially lucky to be getting older in a time where you’re not obsolete once you turn 40 — where Maggie Smith is in the Loewe campaign, Charlotte Rampling is looking stunning. There’s so much to look up to, and you’re not insignificant and hidden away any longer at this age. There are great roles for women.
The confidence that comes, the lack of caring that kicks in, is also such a relief. I think it gets better and better. Men can slightly start to wither, whereas the women that I know in their 50s, 60s, and 70s are so full of life and devouring of culture. It’s a great time to get older as a woman.
Thank God for that. I’m curious, which role made you feel the most glam, and which made you feel the most stripped back?
Alfie was pretty glamorous. Factory Girl, in moments, was glamorous. I think I was then so playing against any sort of fashion label that I was like, “Bring on the dowdy.” I just did a movie that David O. Russell directed, and [my character is] very glamorous.
And the most pared down, I played Roger Ailes’ wife, Beth, in The Loudest Voice. I had lots of prosthetics, and that was really fun.
What is your go-to beauty or self-care ritual that you turn to when you have downtime?
When I’m not pregnant, I did something called Tixel laser, which was amazing. I also thought Morpheus was great. Other than that, [I’ll add] Tan Luxe drops in my serum just to give myself a bit of a glow.
Is there a hairstyle or a hair color you still want to try that you haven’t yet?
I would like to try really dark hair. I would also love the feeling of shaving my head. I could just find a role that I have to do it for and then I’m doing it for work. I always screen-grab photos of people with short, curly hair — I quite like that.
“I feel especially lucky to be getting older in a time where you’re not obsolete once you turn 40.”
What are you listening to when you’re getting ready?
Well, my 13-year-old is really dominating the playlists in the car, and she’s actually a really good DJ, so she’s teaching me quite a lot about her music. Spotify said my listening age was like 79. I like Cameron Winter. Do you know Goose? I’m looking at my phone to tell you what’s on it. The Velvet Underground, The Marlowes, Harry Nilsson — we’re big Nilsson guys in the morning. Sam Kirk. Top 50 Nursery Rhymes. Some audiobooks, like The Tiger Who Came To Tea. Hall & Oates. It’s that kind of vibe.
What’s something that makes you feel instantly more confident?
Wine. Or a cocktail. Alcohol. It’s a really irresponsible answer but it’s the truth, I’m sorry. I just at the moment obviously can’t drink.
But also sleep. I realize as I’ve gotten older, if I’m having the worst day of my life, it’s like, “You’re probably tired, honey. Get a good night’s sleep,” and I wake up the next day and I feel great. I’m trying to teach my eldest daughter that that is the key.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
