Priyanka Chopra Jonas: ‘I Figured Out Who I Was In My Thirties’

When Priyanka Chopra Jonas dials into our call from her home in Montecito and asks me how I am, I explain I’m wearing three jumpers and hugging my heater in the depths of a London winter. She laughs and apologetically explains that it’s ‘sweater weather’ in LA, quite pleasant. We’re here to talk about beauty, for the second time, actually, since the actor and new mother (Priyanka welcomed her daughter Malti Marie last year with husband Nick Jonas) was announced as the face of make-up mega brand Max Factor in 2020. ‘It’s a brand with a legacy,’ she says, ‘I’m so proud of working with them – they’re inclusive, they’re ever-evolving, and people are loyal to them.’

Priyanka has gone so far as to develop her own colour collection with the make-up giant. ‘My favourite is this one lipstick, the Colour Elixir Lipstick in Golden Dust, £8.99, it took me a really long time to perfect,’ she explains, ‘It’s almost pumpkin-like. As someone of Indian descent with a medium skin tone I could never find a shade like this that didn’t wash me out.’

‘The entire collection has been made to suit all skin tones,’ Priyanka continues, ‘I love the Max Factor Priyanka Palette, £14.99, especially, you can have so much fun with it. If I want a bolder look I wet the applicator.’ And it’s not just the new collection that had Priyanka at hello. ‘I’ve been using the Max Factor 2000 Calorie Volume Mascara, £9.99, for years,’ she says, ‘and I find most make-up artists have it in their kit too.’ It delivers the soft, fluttery lashes we often see Priyanka flaunt at press appearances and on the red carpet. ‘My signature make-up style is natural, a little flushed and glowy,’ she says, ‘I like a little bit of a stain on my mouth too and if I’m feeling bold I play with eyeshadows and graphic eyeliner.’

Priyanka’s earliest memories of beauty predate her love of make-up though. ‘My mom has always been a big fan of natural beauty, she would make all these lotions and potions with real ingredients.’ Priyanka remembers, ‘in fact, just last week she told me, “sit down, your skin looks like it needs some help”,’ Priyanka laughs, ‘she mixed together oils with tomatoes and a few other ingredients and gave me this amazing facial. And I’m not going to lie, my skin ended up being squeaky clean and looking super glowy!’

‘Mom would always make these Ayurvedic homemade beauty recipes,’ says Priyanka, ‘I still use one today on my body, it’s like an exfoliator but it’s also hydrating. You take flour, turmeric, a little lemon juice, a few drops of rose water and yoghurt. You make it into a paste, smooth it over your body, let it dry and scrub it off.’ ‘You have to be careful though,’ she warns, ‘the turmeric stains so don’t add too much! You could end up looking like a Simpson.’ Turmeric is considered a healing ingredient. ‘I put it in everything,’ says Priyanka, ‘I drink it in milk, put it in skincare recipes, it was always a big part of my mom’s rituals.’

Loyal to her 2000 Calorie Mascara and mother’s rituals she may be, but Priyanka’s overall take on beauty has evolved a lot in the last few years. ‘I give it more time,’ she says, ‘I always used to think that I was invincible, that my skin was invincible and my hair, and that I didn’t really need to take care of anything,’ she says. ‘In my thirties though, I found my balance. I figured out who I was in my thirties and started taking more time for myself. That’s when my beauty routine evolved.’ Priyanka’s life may be busy, but she reclaims her calm with her evening skincare routine. ‘I have to do a five-minute lotions and potions session,’ she says, ‘I apply my serums, my oils and give myself a face massage. If it’s hair wash day the next day I make sure to oil my hair and put it in a plait too. Altogether I can be there for five or ten minutes, it’s my chance to rest my heart rate and get myself into a relaxed state before going to bed.’ And her skincare favourites? ‘111Skin is one of my favourite skincare brands, I’ve been using those products for an eternity, and Dr. Barbara Sturm’s range too.’ And there are a couple of high street buys that Priyanka’s loyal to too, ‘I love a good old jar of Egyptian Magic, £20, and Bio Oil, £11.36’.

When it comes to perfume Priyanka is equally particular. ‘My everyday perfume is Forbidden Games by Kilian Eau de Parfum, £185,’ she says, ‘but I use a different perfume for every character I play too,’ she says. ‘My character Nadia in Citadel, which is coming out somewhere towards the beginning or middle of this year,’ she says, ‘she’s quite badass, she’s a spy and I wear Bvlgari’s Allegra Baciami Eau de Parfum, £200, to play her.’ It’s a bold floral, a high-impact blend of fresh gardenia, warm vanilla and amber – suitably badass.

Priyanka spent a lot of time filming Citadel in London during the pandemic. ‘I was living in Holland Park for a while,’ she says, ‘and was constantly flying between the UK, India and the US.’ But home, for Priyanka is in LA. ‘When I come back home my spirit rests,’ she says. Malti can be heard gurgling her agreement, ‘Yes it is!’ Priyanka replies to her, laughing fondly, ‘my home is where my heart is and we’ve built a home, my husband and I, which we’re proud of. Wherever in the world we are we have this sort of homing signal, we always know we’re coming back home, it makes me the happiest.’

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