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The actress shares her beauty philosophy and her make-up and skincare favourites

Much is made of Charithra Chandra's striking beauty in the second series of Bridgerton – in which she starred as the immaculate Edwina Sharma, the 'diamond' debutante of the season – but, outside of work, the actress prefers "a more natural look", she tells us.

While the hit Netflix series propelled her to almost overnight fame, taking her career to new heights, she also has the show's hair and make-up artists to thank for introducing her to many of her now-favourite products (including Olaplex, which she credits as bringing her hair "back to life", and her Armani Lip Power lipstick, which is her current "go-to"). Inevitably, Bridgerton also opened the door for new working relationships in the fashion and beauty industries; a new campaign for Levi's, a day at the polo with Cartier – and earlier this year she attended the Venice Film Festival as a guest of Armani Beauty.

It was at the latter where we met to discuss her approach to beauty, which she says is an integral part of her approach to self-care – so much so, that she almost enjoys "getting ready for a night out more than the night out itself". As for when she feels most beautiful? That's when she's wearing traditional Indian outfits and when she's feeling happy. "Doesn't everyone feel more beautiful when they're happy?" she suggests.

Below, Chandran shares her skincare must-haves, the best make-up tip she's ever heard and how she uses beauty as a form of self expression.

"Make-up isn’t to hide, make-up is to highlight – be it to show off creativity or accentuate a feature. It should reflect one’s identity."

"I love a sheer, hydrating lipstick or lip tint. It’s such a low-maintenance beauty item that can totally change up your look – and as an added bonus, you can use it as a blush if you need to. My go-to right now is the Armani Lip Power lipstick."

"Yes, definitely! It’s the ritual of a beauty regime that is the self-care element for me. I almost enjoy getting ready for a night out more than the night out itself. Women especially can get criticised for any act that seems ‘self-indulgent’ so I like to push back on that. Yes, I will spend 20 minutes gua sha-ing my face if I want to, because it makes me feel good!"

"Therapy is such an important form of self-care. It’s a dedicated time each week where I sit down and really check in with myself and how I’m feeling. It’s such a privilege to have access to it. I wish everyone did.

"Self-care to me, is self-protection. It’s the things you do to make you feel safe, comfortable and happy. Skincare and make-up is a massive part of that for me."

"I try to! The obvious and most consistent one is oiling my hair with coconut oil. I'm also an eyeliner girl so a kohl pencil is a must. I also think that a key component of South Asian beauty rituals is simplicity – keep it easy, don’t over-complicate skincare – and I definitely do that as much as possible. It’s interesting to see the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic become popular over the last couple of years because to me, that’s very much the Desi beauty aesthetic (plus some eyeliner, of course)."

"I apply coconut oil to my hair once a week and sleep with it in overnight. It’s a gentle way to hydrate your hair that I’ve done since I was a baby. I also braid my hair before bed instead of leaving it loose, and use a silk pillow case."

"Mainly product recommendations. Jessie and Farida who did my make-up and hair on Bridgerton put me onto Olaplex and many more of my now-favourite products.

"I’ve also learned so much about wigs and now I love incorporating them into my event looks. It’s so much fun!"

"The 111Skin hydrating masks, Armani mascara and latex-free eyelash glue, which I use as brow gel!"

"A sheer lipstick or lip tint (which can double up as blush), a perfume in a travel atomiser, eyebrow gel, concealer and a kohl pencil."

"I used to; I loved playing with colour and trying different looks. Nowadays, because my job often requires me to wear loads of make-up, outside of work I go for a more natural look. Plus, as I get older, I’m focusing much more on skincare than make-up."

"I remember watching a YouTube video with Sir John where he advised using eye cream to moisturise your lips before you use a matte lipstick. I still do that to this day."

"My signature scent is jasmine flowers because it reminds me of India. They are the flowers we wear in our hair every day back home. I really like super clean, floral scents or strong musky ones."

"For beauty, I love Rihanna, Deepika Padukone and Laura Harrier. They definitely dominate my private ‘hair and make-up’ Pinterest board! They have similar skin tones to me so I know how certain shades or colours will translate. They’re all beauty chameleons; they can serve the crazy glam and do every day make-up so seamlessly. Plus they’re all so ridiculously beautiful!"

"I think I feel most beautiful when I’m wearing traditional Indian outfits like a sari or lehenga. I love wearing bindhis – in Tamil we call them pottu. I think they really suit me; I definitely look better with a bindhi than without. Also these days I only wear traditional Indian wear for happy, special occasions like a festival or wedding so I always associate it with happy memories – and doesn’t everyone feel more beautiful when they’re happy?"

"Firstly, colour-matching for my skin and undertone has always been difficult; there are very few foundations out there that match well and Luminous Silk is one of them. Secondly, I hate feeling like I'm wearing lots of make-up but I love the flawless skin look. Luminous Silk is very lightweight and blends so easily, plus it lasts all day – I forget that I even have it on. Thirdly, it's fragrance-free; I love perfumes but not in my make-up."

"I wish more people knew about this. I find most contours are too warm on me – I definitely gravitate towards a more grey contour shade. The Kevin Aucoin contour powder is exactly that. It's also really buildable and super finely milled. I wish they had more shades though to make it more inclusive because the last time I checked I use the darkest shade and it's perfect on me."

"RIP! I love the packaging, it's so sleek. The eyeshadows are so soft and easy to blend and the colour pay off is intense but there does tend to be a bit of fallout, so when I use it, I do eyeshadow before skin."

"It's a versatile, multi-purpose, easy to find and accessible product."

"It can bring my hair back to life, after back-to-back heat usage, in one wash."

"It melts away the make-up and leaves my skin so fresh."

7/ Emma Hardie Vitamin C serum

"Since I started using the serum, I've been getting more compliments about my skin than ever before. It really makes the skin glow."

8/ Youth to the People cleanser and toner

"Really reliable and affordable – it does exactly what I want from a cleanser and toner."