Modern beauty - rhea jacobs

THE GAME-CHANGING WOMAN WHO’S MAKING WAVES WITH HER ALL-INCLUSIVE BEAUTY ETHOS

Rhea Jacobs is a force to be reckoned with. At the age of 25, the Indian-born, Dubai-based talent has managed to land herself one of beauty’s biggest and most coveted roles as one of Marc Jacobs’ beauty ambassadors, a position she takes very seriously.

“Beauty standards now amass an array of characteristics and features that cover a wider spectrum of individuality. I’m incredibly proud to be a part of this movement,” says Rhea. “Brands now understand that inclusivity is the future. You can no longer cater to just a handful of the audience but now make everyone feel included.”

Rhea’s beauty essentials

Strong, independent and armed with make-up looks that are just as arresting as her beliefs, Rhea is almost chameleon- like, shifting from one look to the other with the swipe of a Marc Jacobs make-up brush. “My approach to make-up is always to let skincare do half the job, and use the base very minimally. I usually like to highlight my eyes more, or alternate the intensity from them to my lips,” she explains. “But eyes are definitely a main focus. It’s the first feature I notice about someone, and feel it best represents the beauty of a person.”

From concealer (she rarely uses foundation), setting powder and stick eyeshadow to blush, eyeliner and lipstick, her beauty routine is one to memorise and so are her make-up must-haves which include Marc Jacobs Accomplice Blurring Powder, a tinted lip balm by Elizabeth Arden and Dr Barbara Sturm’s Hyaluronic Serum.

Although her beauty cupboard is every bit as glamorous as you’d expect, it’s her skincare regime that’s her crowning glory. “I follow a strict routine both morning and night. You’ll never find me sleeping in my make-up, and I always wear SPF, even when I’m indoors,” Rhea explains of her super-simple daily must-dos.

Rhea Jacobs wears a kaftan by Layeur

“When I was younger, skincare meant just moisturiser and sunscreen. Back then, the options were so limited. Now they’re intensive, and target every concern there is – there are toners, serums, eye creams, moisturisers, sunscreens and more for every issue that needs to be addressed. In five years, I’ve moved on from two products to more than seven or eight.”

Rhea says that she pays that same meticulous attention to haircare, using her own homemade concoctions for scrubs to keep her mane fabulously shiny. You’d think that with all the make-up and skincare ammunition she packs, her confidence would always be sky-high.

“Growing up, there have been many times I’ve felt insecure about the way I look. During your formative years, all you want to do is fit in and look like everyone else – it’s only when you’re older and wiser that you realise the beauty of standing out and being different,” she explains. “My mother instilled in me that beauty is self-defined, that it’s much more than skin deep. I think it was the act of watching her go out to work every day, and to be as empowered as she is, that showed me real strength and beauty.”