Statuesque, beautiful and with a great ear for music, singer DJ and model Amber Le Bon has inherited the best of both her famous parents – Duran Duran frontman Simon and British supermodel Yasmin. But that is not all they've passed on. As well as looks and talent, she also shares the heart-warming nature, winning smile, impeccable manners and total professionalism that make her mother such a rarity in the fashion industry.
"She raised me to work hard, be polite and to always be prepared," says Amber. She is, however, very much her own person and is forging a career that reflects that. In recent months Amber, 26, has been signed to haircare brand Redken, has DJed in Milan for Gucci and hosted the British Heart Foundation Tunnel of Love fundraiser. HELLO! beauty editor Nadine Baggott took a flying visit to Paris to discover her style, beauty and hair tips.
Amber Le Bon talks all things beauty with HELLO!
Amber, what's it like being Redken's latest muse?
"It's very exciting. I've had long hair for a long time so to be recognised for it is amazing."
Who looks after your hair?
"I have it cut by George Northwood in London and my colour's done by Tracy Cunningham in LA. It's a 'bronze ombre' – a warm caramel brushed through the ends with the roots kept their natural colour. I can't be in the salon getting my roots done every month, so this is very low maintenance. It's the colour my hair would go if I lived in the sun for six months. That's the dream."
Which products do you rely on to keep it looking its best?
"Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo and Conditioner, plus Pillow Proof Primer before I dry to protect it from the heat. I also use Pillow Proof Two Day Extender, sprayed in at the roots so I don't have to wash my hair as often – that's so much better for long hair and means my colour lasts longer. What's great is that it is a dry shampoo that doesn't go grey or ashy at the roots, like so many. I even use it on freshly washed hair for that bit of oomph and volume at the roots. I can then put it up in a bun overnight and the next day it holds a wave really well."
Your mum's current buzz undercut looks great. Would you ever go short?
"Oh, she has had everything – from short to long hair to bleached eyebrows. But I'm not a short-hair person. The last time I had short hair I was nine and I hated it."
Amber revealed her tricks to keep her hair looking so healthy
Who is your beauty icon?
"My mum – she is the most beautiful woman. But she needs to start ageing because it's beginning to get really annoying."
What is the best bit of beauty advice she has ever given you?
"She told me to play with make-up and get to know my face. I mean, she couldn't exactly stop three daughters from playing with her make-up. Tallulah, my youngest sister, would be our real-life doll – my other sister Saffron and I would use her as our model, piling red lipstick on her cheeks. Mum would come in and say, 'No, do it properly. Don't be afraid to experiment. You're only at home – we can take it all off in five minutes.'"
You tend to stick to quite subtle shades for your eyes, which are beautiful. What do you use?
"A taupe-grey eyeshadow from my HD Brows palette to contour just in the sockets of both eyes, then a black liquid liner from Make Up For Ever. I then finish with my favourite Max Factor mascara in brown. If I was going to go full-on with eye shadow, then Charlotte Tilbury's Dolce Vita quad is the best for anyone with green eyes."
What else is in your make-up bag?
"I'm obsessed with everything Charlotte Tilbury. I love her Retoucher pens and use them to subtly contour my skin. I apply them on top of my face oil so the concealer becomes like a sheer base. I then apply the darker shade from the Tom Ford contour duo as a blusher because brown and bronze shades suit my skin."
You have great brows. Do you tweeze, wax or thread?
"I tweeze my own as I don't trust anyone else. They are so dark and so thick that any mistake shows up and takes months to grow back in. I've been doing them since I was 11 because I am of Iranian heritage and so they needed doing even when I was young. I use the same HD Brows palette, applying the darkest shade just to define and fill in my eyebrows."
The model is the new muse for haircare label Redken
What is your ultimate beauty treatment?
"Laser hair removal; I have it done professionally and it is fantastic. It makes my getting-ready routine so much faster."
And your secret weapon?
"Cold-pressed argan oil – it's loaded with antioxidants. Now my skin is super soft and I find that the oil prevents it from being oily and breaking out. After cleansing with Eve Lom Cream I massage it onto my face and neck so that it gets rid of any dry skin. I then blot with a tissue before applying make-up."
Do you have a signature scent?
"In summer it's Jo Malone Blue Agava & Cacao; in winter Dior Hombre Nuit. Once the pepper goes from the top notes it dries down to quite a vanilla fragrance on me, with a heady, woody scent. I've never been a floral-smell girl. I think it's my dark, Middle Eastern origins."
How do you stay in shape?
"I do barrecore, a ballet-based workout. It is so much fun but it is so hard. It's fantastic – my bum is on fire afterwards and my thighs are burning, but it works. And it strengthens my knees and hips as I'm prone to weakness in them, left over from a hurdling injury at school. Barrecore strengthens my legs but doesn't bulk them."
Your dad's got in shape recently and he looks great too…
"Yes, we are all very proud of him as he has been working really hard at it."
Scroll below for Amber's list of her favourite products
What is the best bit of advice he has ever given you?
"Never wear too-tight trousers in public. He used to tell us an anecdote when we were growing up about performing on stage and wearing trousers so tight they split open."
You Instagrammed a lot of pictures from your winter break in the Maldives. Is that your favourite holiday destination?
"That and Ibiza, where I've been going with my family every summer since I was 11 and so is like a second home. I go to the chill-out, family side of the island, not the party side."
What is coming up for you in 2016?
"I am the Ibiza ambassador for Cîroc Vodka and have done a beautiful shoot with Mario Testino. Then there is the Redken campaign, which we shot in New York. The look was very glamorous – big, bouncy hair; the hair I aspire to every day. It was a very happy shoot and I really enjoyed it."
Do you have any dreams you would still like to fulfil?
"I'd really love to try designing jewellery. I've always loved it and recently went to [US jeweller and body piercing expert] Maria Tash when she did a pop-up at Josh Wood's Atelier. I went with Mum and was jealous that she got another ear piercing, so I had to get one too. I now have four in one ear and three in the other and I'm inspired to try to create my own designs. But can I just say that my 51-year-old mum got the piercing before me."
Amber's A-list
1. Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo, £13.652. Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Extender, £16.303. Redken Color Extend Magnetics Conditioner, £14.904. Jo Malone Blue Agava & Cacao Cologne 100ml, £85; visit jomalone.co.uk5. Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate, £56, from Selfridges6. Eve Lom Cleansing Cream, £167. Charlotte Tilbury The Retoucher in 3 Medium, £25; visit charlottetilbury.com8. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat lip liner in Iconic Nude, £169. HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette in Foxy, £25; visit hdbrows.com10. Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Hepburn Honey, £2311. Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara in Brown, £9.99, from Boots
