Real Beauty: So, what is your skin-care regimen?

Cate Blanchett It truthfully depends on how much time I’ve got. I’ve been using SK-II products for, I think about 10 years. I use the Facial Treatment Essence in the morning, which is super-hydrating, and then I use the LXP range and sunscreen. Sunscreen is essential for me.

Real Beauty: Are there any beauty tricks you regularly employ?

CB: I’m not so into tricks, but I put on the Essence if I’m wearing makeup, because it sets everything. Usually my tricks are to not do things, as opposed to do extra things. But maybe it's because I’m lazy. (She says with a smile.)

Real Beauty: And what about your attitudes toward beauty and aging?

CB: Well, it’s going to happen, and we’re all going in the same direction. I look at people who have had a lot of work, probably starting at a very young age, and all you see is the work. They don’t look any better.

I see the fear, actually, when people confront aging. It’s not just women, it's men now, too. But when it comes to remedies, I think the main thing is consistency. I don’t think of skincare is fashionable. People are always wanting new tips or new products, but the best advances come from well-observed science.

I’ve been using the same products for a decade, and I think the consistency has paid off. The thing about quick fixes is that they don't really exist. Time eventually reveals everything. So, maybe it's because I didn’t smoke as a teenager—I don't know—but nothing will stop aging, and that’s okay. I think the most beautiful women in the world are people like [actress] Liv Ullmann. She uses the same products that I do—I actually introduced her to SK-II—and she is still incredibly beautiful at 73.

Real Beauty: Who are some of your other beauty icons?

CB: Ingrid Bergman is one of the all-time beauties. I think Jessica Chastain is heaven-sent, there’s an inner light in her. It's something very special, and I think she’s very, very beautiful.

Real Beauty: What about your own red-carpet decisions? How do you decide how to present yourself for different events?

CB: Red carpets have turned into runways and showcases. Over the years, you develop direct relationships with certain designers. So, when Nicholas Ghesquière says, "I’ll make you something," that’s extraordinary, because he’s a genius.

I think what is happening at Givenchy is incredible. I love the classicism of Giorgio Armani. And I think Phoebe Philo is a genius. To have a dialogue with those people is a privilege, so the level of conversation is great. But in the end, you’ve got to say, "That’s an incredible dress, because it hangs well on that model, but will it hang well on me?" Not always.

So I’ve been offered things that I adore, but I had to pass. You have to be comfortable enough to say no. There’s this expression that the dress can wear a woman, and I think you’ve got to be able to wear the dress.

Going back to designers, I also think Alexander McQueen was absolutely incredible, and what Sarah Burton has done with the line is remarkable. To take on that mantle—and also make it her own—I think is wonderful. My taste is quite eclectic. In the end I think you just go, "That’s the one." And you wear it on the red carpet. I’m not from the South—there are not a whole lot of cotillions and balls for me. I’m not a Saudi princess. Those awards show and premiere environments are often the only chances I get to wear those incredible outfits.

Real Beauty: How has your Australian background factored into your overall attitudes toward beauty and fashion?

CB: Australians have really strong BS detectors. You are who you are in Australia. But in terms of my fashion choices, there are some really wonderful designers down there. Luke and Anna of Romance Was Born are amazing. Akira Isogawa is a great designer who's been around for a while. Lee Matthews makes wonderful comfortable clothes for regular wear.

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