Dita Von Teese’s beauty routine takes only 5 minutes

Dita Von Teese has long been the doyenne of glamour, burlesque and, of course, naughtiness. Rarely seen without her trademark look —cat eye, red lip, raven locks,pale skin —the 43-year-old is always flawless, thanks toa youthful complexion she puts down to her unwavering dedication to sunscreen.

These days, Von Teese is all about celebrating beauty,but not just hers. Her new book, “Your Beauty Mark,” is a collection of exclusive how-tos and tips and tricks from Von Teese and her equally sumptuous friends. The femme fatale chats to Metro about basic skincare rituals, her admittedly expensive but necessary eye cream and how there are no rules to break when it comes to makeup.

“Your,” not”My,” “Beauty Mark”

“The beauty mark under my left eye is a signature, a kind of a retro hallmark amongst glamour enthusiasts. I’ve seen lots of girls recreate it and it’s inspiring to me that they’re taking note of my style. But I didn’t want to make this just about me. The book is about my universe, but it’s also about celebrating diversity. I wanted to empower others to make their own beauty mark.”

Beauty is never a chore, but a passion

“Wanting to be like the glamour idols I saw in old movies – Hedy Lamarr, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe – is a childhood obsession that’s never left me. I thought, ‘When I’m a grown up lady, I’m going to be like that!’ – and it didn’t occur to me that that would be weird or anything, just that that was how I wanted to be.”

You can look camera-ready in five—yes,five! — minutes

“I don’t wear a full face of makeup every day – most of the time I need about five minutes to get ready. I have a sweep of face powder, maybe a little bit of mascara, red lipstick, and I tie my hair back in a neat chignon. I’m not talking red carpet glamour, but the way that you might see me caught off guard in paparazzi photos. People think I look polished, but I know there’s nothing under those sunglasses.”

There’s no such thing as a beauty faux pas

“The worst is looking sloppy. I’m not that fond of people going out in their workout wear and spending the day in it like it’s clothes. But when it comes to makeup, I celebrate everyone having their own ideals. Maybe you can go wrong, but you can go wrong by being boring. I love when people go crazy or dramatic and wear blue mascara like it’s their thing. I can totally get behind that. As long as it makes them feel good, I endorse it.”

Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen

“I’ve never gone to bed without taking my makeup off, and my routine isn’t complicated. First I use MAC’s Cleanse Off Oil to melt away all the makeup. I follow that up with the Éminence Stone Crop Gel Wash, which feels a little bit slimy. Then I put my face cream on – again, something by Éminence – immediately after cleansing and dab on some Retrouvé Revitalizing Eye Concentrate. It’s super expensive, but makes a difference. I like to feel fresh, so in the morning I rewash my face and exfoliate with a wash cloth. I like a day cream with a heavy texture, so I use the Éminence Linden Calendula Treatment. Sunscreen is the key to youth, so I’ll finish off with one by MDSolarSciences.”

Her top beauty tip

“It’s really about taking inspiration and choosing maybe one new thing that you want to try. A vibrant lip is always a good way to start. I’m not telling you that you have to go for a berry red lip, you can pick out a hot pink or a deep orange. There are just so many different joyful lip colors that may put a little spring in your step and make you feel like you’ve got something new and exciting going on. In terms of the formula, matte is always going to last the longest. The more matte and dry your lipstick is in terms of the texture, the better. The glossier it gets, the more upkeep it needs.”