When I arrive at a Shoreditch hotel suite to interview Tom Daley my eyes immediately zoom in on his manicure - a riot of bold colours that makes plain why the Olympic champion was this week announced as the new face of Rimmel London - he's a beloved national treasure who has serious fun with beauty.
'Beauty is about being authentically and unapologetically you,' Tom tells me, 'it's about wearing what you want to wear, feeling how you want to feel, and being creative.' 'It's about your own definition of beauty,' he continues, 'about not trying to fit into what everyone else seems to be doing - everyone has a different definition of beauty.'
In his mission to break down barriers in the beauty world, Tom - Olympic gold medallist and double world champion - joins the likes of former and current Rimmel London ambassadors, Kate Moss and Adwoa Aboah.
'Looking back, Rimmel London has always been such an iconic brand, and that's in part down to those who have been selected as ambassadors before me,' Tom says, 'to be the first male Rimmel London ambassador is really cool and it's very forward thinking of Rimmel to go so far in embracing the fact that make-up is for everyone, it goes a long way to giving countless people that extra bit of confidence.'
Tom's appointment comes in tandem with a campaign forRimmel's Match Perfection franchise, which is also fronted by renowned supermodel Adwoa Aboah. The Match Perfection Foundation, £7, is the line's hero buy.
'The fact that the foundation matches 99% of skin tones is great,' says Tom, 'it's part of what helps to break down those gender norms and societal boundaries in the beauty industry, this sort of product transcends those boundaries.'
Tom remembers his first interaction with Rimmel London, as a young boy walking through the streets of the capital past those iconic adverts starring Kate Moss.
Asked about the biggest beauty influence in his life, Tom cites his mother, Debra. 'She always prefers a simpler, more natural approach to beauty, but she's never been afraid of going for the full-on glam look when the occasion calls for it,' says Tom, smiling.
As for his own approach to beauty, Tom knows the worth of thought-through skincare. 'The first thing I do every morning is have two glasses of water,' he says,' I then jump in the shower, moisturise after and follow up with a vitamin C serum and a moisturising SPF and depending on what my day has in store I might apply some concealer, after that I'm on my way.'
Tom makes sure to reserve some time in the evening for a moment or two of self-care. After putting his four-year-old son Robbie to bed, Tom gets out his knitting needles - he set his national treasure status in stone when he went viral on social media for knitting in the stands during the Tokyo Olympics - and gets going with a peppermint tea close to hand. Next comes a healthy dose of screen time (Netflix et al) with husband of five years, screenwriter, director and producer Dustin Lance Black. Current go-to watches include Euphoria, RuPaul's Drag Race UK and Amazon Prime's new Rings of Power.
'I wash my face again before bed, apply an overnight serum and moisturiser,' Tom says, 'when I get into bed Lance and I always ask each other what our best and worst part of the day is.' The best part of the evening, Tom says.
It might sound like a fairly stripped-back beauty routine for someone who's just been announced as Rimmel London's global ambassador, but Tom explains, 'being a parent you just don't have time for lots of pampering, occasionally, Lance and I might wear a face mask or something when we're upstairs, but most of the time it's a very fuss-free routine.' We can relate Tom.