Interview with Austin Butler reviewing YSL Beauty’s new men’s fragrance: “I like the richness of a scent that smells like tobacco or whiskey, but not too strong. I prefer something delicate”
Thanks to his award-winning performance as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s film about the rock ‘n’ roll legend, Austin Butler has established himself as one of Hollywood’s brightest stars (we’ll soon see him as the very bad Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Chapter Two Dunes). Despite his busy schedule, the actor also found time to work in the beauty industry. In fact, Austin Butler is the face of YSL Beauty’s new men’s fragrance Myslf. We caught up with him in New York to talk about his perfume preferences, his wellness rituals, and the beauty secrets he learned on set.
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How he relaxes
“I’ve been going to the sauna a lot lately and doing cold water diving, which I really enjoy. They make me feel like I’ve completely rebooted. As for taking a break, I like to read, sitting in the sun, under a tree: it always helps me relax.”
His favorite book
“I can’t name a favorite book, it’s like choosing a favorite child.”
How he likes to wake up
“I prefer to wake up slowly. There were times when the first thing I did was work out or something like that, but lately I like to get up, take a shower, take the dog for a walk and make a cup of coffee. I write a few lines in my journal to start the day with a focused mind.”
Her morning beauty routine
“I don’t have one. I’m just taking a shower.”
His relationship with perfume
“I choose a perfume depending on how I want to feel, almost as if it were a dress. There are even days when I don’t wear perfume. For the first time, I chose a scent based on the role I had to play when I The Iceman arrives with Denzel Washington on Broadway. During rehearsals, I started putting a certain oil on my wrists, sniffing it before starting, and it ended up becoming a kind of trigger that helped me get into a certain emotional state for the performance. So, every evening, before going out, I sniffed this oil: it was a way to bypass consciousness and get to emotions. This is the true power of fragrances.”
The pleasure of aromas
“I am very sensitive to smells and love pleasant smells. So I think it’s fantastic that there are people who create perfumes because it allows us to smell the scents that we’re most drawn to all day long.”
His favorite perfume
“I’m not sure I have a favorite scent, but I prefer woody scents. I like the intensity of the tobacco or whiskey flavor, but not too strong. I prefer something delicate.”
Read also: Two unisex woody scents that remain in the memory (and are addictive)
His first experience with fragrances
“I’ve been layering scents since I was a child. I remember sneaking into my parents’ room and spraying myself with my mother’s floral perfume, and then doing the same with my father’s woody perfume.”
Beauty secrets she learned on set
“Before going on set, I had never tried any beauty techniques. But when you’re an actor, you’re often called on set very early and in those cases, they put plasters under your eyes. They are really helpful and feel like they moisturize your eyes. However, I personally limit myself to simpler things. I like to put a little oil on my face or something, that’s it, as far as I’m concerned.”
Her skin care routine
“I don’t have any skincare products other than Amy Komorowski who does my makeup. She developed a facial oil called Circa 1970 – she gave me a bottle of it and I loved it. I get out of the shower, apply some and head out. That’s all I do.”
Read also: Yves Rocher oil “containing” 1000 roses (you read that right) is ideal for dry skin
What does he always take with him on trips?
“Passport. And then… headphones. I like to listen to music. I have two pairs: Apple, which cancel out ambient noise, and Bose, which cover the ears and are especially suitable for airplane travel because they block out device noise better.” .
His philosophy of well-being
“I think it’s all about the mind, keeping it healthy. My mother had a habit of writing down 10 things she was grateful for every morning (Austin’s mother, Lori Butler, passed away in 2014). I started doing this too: from time to time in the morning I write down three things for which I feel grateful. It changes your perspective and reminds you how lucky you are to be alive. Focusing on the little things that bring you joy will help you start your day positively. I prefer to do this in the morning because, at least for me, sometimes you wake up and feel like your guitar is out of tune and needs to be tuned. So, doing something physical that helps pump blood, somehow wakes you up, changes your state.”
His favorite physical exercise
“I did a lot of different things. When I was filming DunesI started training with a guy named Duffy Gaver, who I discovered because Brad Pitt was training with him before filming. Troy. He’s a former Navy SEAL. His training is brutal and training with him is the main thing I’ve been doing lately. I like it because it pushes you to the limit.”