“Jisoo is so pure — she has the best heart,” Anya Taylor-Joy reflects on her Dior family and what makes her glow

“Every time Jisoo, Willow and I are together, we’re like, why do we not have a routine?” Anya Taylor-Joy says with a laugh. “We immediately start moving together. We should do Charlie’s Angels — and it should be a musical. We’re so ready for it. We’re so prepared.”

The actress shares this over a Zoom call with regional media, her ease reflecting the rapport she has developed with her Dior co-stars. Taylor-Joy stars alongside BLACKPINK’s Jisoo and singer-songwriter Willow Smith in Dior’s new Addict perfume and Lip Glow Oil campaign, each embodying a unique scent and finish that captures their individual personalities.

For Taylor-Joy, this includes the grandiflorum jasmine absolute and fruity Peachy Glow scent, crafted by Dior perfume creation director Francis Kurkdjian, along with the juicy Lip Glow Oil in shade 041 Peachy, created by Dior Makeup’s creative and image director Peter Philips. Community has become increasingly important to her — both personally and professionally.

“In the last year, I started working with my best friend. I’m married to a wonderful human who gives me so much support and love,” she explains. “It’s so much better to do things with the community. That really makes me glow — being able to look around and see people that I love, and who love me back.”

Her consideration extends naturally to her co-stars. Taylor-Joy recalls the early effort she made to connect with BLACKPINK’s Jisoo.

“Jisoo is so pure — she has the best heart, and I have such a soft spot for her,” she says. “When we first met, I had woken up early in the morning to try to learn some Korean because I knew her English wasn’t great at the time. I wanted to be able to say hello to her in her own language.”

She adds, “Her English has gotten so much better; my Korean is still pretty not great, but we connected on a pure soul level. We immediately knew each other’s essences and had each other’s backs, and that is really gorgeous.”

Taylor-Joy also speaks warmly about her bond with Willow. “Willow is just so deep; her soul is on display consistently, and we really take care of each other,” she says.

“On these days that we’re working so hard, technically there isn’t a lot of room for friendship, but we make it. We make sure to check in with each other. We make sure that everyone is having a good day and feels supported, and we’re just helping each other out the whole time. It’s really a beautiful thing to be a part of.”

Keep reading for an exclusive look at the beauty lessons she has learned, her journey to self-love and confidence, and what truly makes her glow.

On her definition of femininity

“There is no form of femininity that is better than another,” Taylor-Joy explains. “Mine is not as pink and sparkly, but it’s fun to explore and experiment. The thing I love most about working with Dior is that I can explore different aspects of myself. It’s exciting to go from being ‘Dior addict girl’ to ‘Dior forever woman’ all in the space of 48 hours.”

She continues, “Femininity is still something I’m exploring, and I find it deeply fascinating. I love history — looking back and seeing the different ways femininity is expressed, and taking cues from that.”

On finding confidence

“I hope that we’re learning that beauty is less about covering up and fitting into a standard ideal, and more about accentuating what you already have,” she says.

“In an ideal world, it should make you feel more like yourself or allow you to explore aspects of yourself rather than hiding away or attempting to look like somebody else. I feel most confident when I’m accentuating the features I already have.

“When I was first starting out, a couple of makeup artists would ‘correct’ my face, and when I looked in the mirror, I would always be like, I don’t know who that person is — I look crazy. I’m glad I worked that out, and I hope women of my generation feel a similar way.”

On what she’s addicted to

“I’m addicted to being around people I admire,” she says. “They don’t have to be successful in a stereotypical way, but if somebody looks at the world or thinks about things in a way I haven’t before, that makes me really excited.”

On her beauty fixation

“In the last year, it’s been an extended brow,” she admits. “I was unaware of an extended brow until the Dune premiere in New York. It was such a spur-of-the-moment decision. I was in the van, about to step out, and my makeup artist asked if she should extend the brow. I said, ‘Do it.’ It was such a split-second decision, and now I’m obsessed with it.”

“Before I go on a red carpet, if my brow isn’t extended, I feel a tiny bit naked. The arch-villain brow is my new personal favourite.”

On expressing herself with makeup

“I’m very interested in contrast,” she says. “When I was growing up, an internal struggle was trying to fit myself into a box. I feel most comfortable when I can express two things at once. Sometimes I like to lean in and go very pretty, but sometimes I like to toughen up a look — through fashion or makeup. Having that contrast makes me feel confident. I always like there to be a twist.”

On her self-care ritual

“I’m obsessed with having a bath — I have one every night, regardless of the country I’m in or how late it is. It is my personal time,” she explains.

“I’m quite a social person, and by the nature of my job, I’m surrounded by wonderful people. But when I go into my bath zone, everyone knows: she is out. You will not speak to me for at least an hour and a half, maybe two hours. It’s my time with my podcast and music. I mix my own bath salts and mixtures, so I find it a bit of alchemy and magic, and a lot of peace.”

On a makeup lesson she’s mastered

“Before I found the right nude shade for me, I went too light and looked like an owl,” she says. “My eyes are too big, and I need something to bring it all together. Now I’ve remade friends with the nude lip. It’s just about finding the nude shade for you. I naturally have quite pigmented lips, so if I lighten them too much, my face falls out of balance.”

On lessons from her characters

“All the characters have taught me different things; some lessons are harder than others,” Taylor-Joy says.

“Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit taught me a lot. Furiosa in Mad Max: A Saga also taught me a lot — there’s definitely a before and after in terms of my relationship with myself and how I deal with the world. I’m so fortunate with my characters.

“I just played one that will come out next year that I love deeply, and I’m so fortunate to work with a filmmaker who really saw me. This character brought me closer to self-love than I was before, and that’s lovely.”

On fragrances

“I have terrible eyesight, so my hearing and sense of smell are very acute,” she explains. “I usually pick a fragrance for each of my characters. That gives me a time capsule to go back to. I wear it even when I’m not seeing anyone that day. I see it as something you do for yourself.”

When asked what her own essence would smell like, she says:
“I would love to smell like a cathedral. I love the smell of burning candles that have been blown out — like a smokey rose, night-blooming. I like the balance of something delicately feminine but with a punch.”

On self-confidence

“It’s been a real journey,” Taylor-Joy admits. “I probably didn’t look in mirrors very much because I was so picked on, and my self-worth was so low. I had to focus on something I could control — how I make people feel and how it feels being around me. I put all my efforts into being a really good listener, making people feel less alone or ostracised.

“That self-confidence comes from being in a dark room and eventually being okay with the darkness. We have to work this out together, and some things gotta change. I’ve let go of trying to please everyone all the time. It’s a real process. I don’t pretend to have it all figured out, but I’m much more confident in my skin and being than I was in my teens.”

On what makes her glow

“I love animals,” she says, smiling. “I was talking to my husband earlier today — you have all these dreams and ambitions, but all you want is for someone to give you a kitten. I have such a soft spot for animals and just being around people I love. I started my career quite young, and I was headstrong about doing everything myself. I wanted to be seen as an adult, as capable. But now, those moments of love and connection — that’s what truly makes me glow.”