Scrubs up perfectly
How the fit and fabolous stay that way. Celebrity make-up artist Jemma Kidd, 29 today, swears by yoga, healing hands and a spot of bubbly
How do you avoid the It-Girl Syndrome -round-the-clock hangovers, creeping cellulite, cigs habit, brain rot ...?
I drink lots of water and try to get eight hours' sleep. And I don't go near the canapes.
What, no sunblush tomato crostini and spring rolls?
Wherever I am -usually London or New York -I try to adhere to the Montignac regime, where the main rule is no sugar. And I don't eat much fruit, as it's too acidic, but I love simple, wholesome food, like vegetables, chicken and fish. I have loads of energy.
No benders on the bubbly?
I do drink, but only champagne and good red wine. I never mix drinks and rarely get hangovers.
What about treats?
Chocolate. And scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam, which I pigged out on this summer in Cornwall.
Do you feel the burn?
I'm not a hardcore gym-goer, but I like my gym on Draycott Avenue in South Kensington, as it has computer games and televisions in the equipment, which makes exercising less boring. I'd rather go for an hour's walk or do Pilates or yoga than go to the gym. I'm lucky, there are four yoga centres near my apartment in New York. And when I'm in England, and my sister Jodie isn't away on a modelling assignment, we ride at my brother Jack's polo farm near Windsor.
And do you feel the force?
I'm a huge fan of alternative therapies. I often see a healer, who just has to lay her hands on me and I feel better.
Any other healing hands?
I see an acupuncturist to help my sciatica and a trapped nerve in my neck from lugging make-up bags around. And last year I had Ayurvedic treatments for six months -diet, massage and hot oil poured on my head. This year I tried microscopy with a woman called Kathryn Daley, who tests your blood for pH balance. She gave me green juice -full of plant extracts -which made my blood less acid. Acidic blood, apparently, makes you more susceptible to disease. I felt fantastic.
What about supplements?
My mum and I take Emergen-c once a day, which has 1,000mg of vitamin C, and the essential minerals and electrolytes. When I fly I take two or three and always feel fine on landing. I also take skincare pills made by Dr Nicholas Perricone, who wrote The Wrinkle Cure (Vermilion, Pounds 8.99).
Have you gone under the knife?
I've had plastic surgery three times because when I was seven I was attacked by our neighbour's dog, which ripped a hole in my cheek. Now I only have a small scar. I'm not allowed to get sunburnt, so I use Clinique's City Block, even on dull days, and I never put my face in the sun. My parents live in Barbados and a few of their friends have skin cancer, so I've learnt from them.
Any other secrets?
I exfoliate my face and body three times a week and use a body brush daily to improve circulation and stimulate my lymph nodes. I also have microdermabrasion once a year to polish the top layer of skin. If your skin is glowing and fresh, who needs make-up?
Are you healthy?
Yes. I'm not allergic to anything and I am hardly ever ill.
So, no hang-ups, skeletons or time spent on Skid Row?
I am dyslexic and struggled at school. I had to have extra lessons and extra time in exams. Luckily, I am good with my hands and creative and didn't have academic ambitions. I've also had panic attacks since I was 19, when I was at a crossroads in my life. I don't get them so much now, because I'm settled and happy, but I dread them. You never know when they might come -in bed or on a street. It's like having the kind of adrenalin rush that you'd get falling from a plane.
Fairy godmother, please, please get rid of ...?
My love handles. My stomach is the only place I ever put on weight.
And the way to happiness?
Do something you love. It's so rewarding teaching people to make someone's face more beautiful. And living in places that make me smile -England in the summertime. No other place makes me happier.