Self-care will forever be our favourite hobby but we appreciate that recharging and putting yourself first looks different for everyone. Each week, we'll be asking the celeb lot to share their ideal self-care Sunday routines, the hard-working beauty products they recommend to their friends and which TV show they're currently binging…
This week it's all about Love Island legend, Olivia Hawkins. The actress, dancer and ring girl entered season 9 as an OG and was later famed for her iconic glove and dress combos and achieving quite possibly the best slick-back ponytail telly has ever seen. Sure, she may have got the 'villain' edit on the show, but we can confirm she is easily one of the nicest Islanders, EVER.
Since leaving the show, Olivia has been booked and busy - working with plenty of huge brands including PrettyLittleThing, Shein and Ann Summers.
Liv chats exclusively to heat about her self-care must-haves, how she manifested Love Island and her career plans for the future...
On Love Island prep
“I have quite a lot of clothes anyway, but I feel like I really manifested it. Obviously, I wasn't taking it seriously but I had in my head, ‘I'm gonna go on’. I even put it in my calendar on my phone!
"I just had a really weird gut feeling, manifestation is so powerful. I just started slowly buying things, but this was when I'd already been added to a group chat. This is like giving me a sign. I was really on my health kick. I don't know if you know, but I lost 10kg before I went into the villa. I lost a lot of weight, so preparing myself in case. Because I didn't want it to be sudden. Like, ‘You're going on’ and I'm like, ‘Oh, I'm not ready’, you know? So, I had quite a lot of clothes anyway, but I did buy quite a lot. I think if you're going to be on national television, who wouldn’t?”
On self-care
What does an ultimate self-care Sunday look like for Liv?
“A self-care Sunday for me is ultimately relaxing. I'm very hectic and busy and it's just taking time for myself and being alone, taking care of my mental health. I live by the beach so I'll go down to the beach. I’ll go for a long walk. There's a really nice roof terrace bar and I'll sometimes just sit there and have a coffee by myself and just watch the world go by. I'll come home and do all my pamper things. Get my nails done, my hair, my tanning routine. Then probably put a hair mask in and watch random stuff on YouTube and Netflix. Selling Sunset, that kind of thing. Mainly just taking time out - going off my phone as well, if I can.
“I love the Origins Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask. It's really good for spot-prone skin. I love the charcoal ones as well."
On skincare
"In the last few years, I've really been on my skincare. I think when I was younger, I didn't really take care of it as much as I should have and I kind of regret that - but it's never too late. The skincare I'm really big on is CeraVe, I love the Hydrating Cleanser.
"I love The Ordinary products, I couldn’t swear by the Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 more. It leaves such a nice glow on your face. I'm really hot on SPF, I use SPF moisturisers every day, even if it's not sunny. I never realised how much we have to wear SPF. I have dry skin so I use the CeraVe Am Facial Moisturising Lotion which has got SPF 25 in it.
"In the villa especially, I was actually wearing 50 every day because it was so hot, but then I got such a nice tan because I think it's better to do it more gradually, when I was younger I was like ‘I don't need any SPF’, but you really do."
On make-up favourites for filming
“I loved the Fenty Gloss Bomb Ice Cooling Lip Luminizer in Cold Heart'd. Whenever they dropped a new one, the girls knew, I'd be like ‘I’ll keep it and then we can share!'. My staples were a good gloss. During the day, I wouldn't like to wear too much on my face. I used the Benefit Brow Defining Pencil in my brows and I liked a good setting mist. I make sure I apply that between each layer of my makeup. The Urban Decay All-Nighter is my favourite. I'm trying to find a setting spray that is as good, but I can’t.”
“In the day, I'd wear the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter, just to give a dewiness. It has a little bit of coverage but it's more like a BB cream. Then in the evening, I'd always wear the NARS Long-Wear Radiant Foundation. That's my go-to, I haven't worn another foundation in years. It's just so good.”
On Love Island beauty tips
“Lana [Jenkins], she’s a make-up artist. I was just constantly watching and seeing what she was doing. I'd always make her help me do my eyes and stuff. She was the queen of winged liner. She’d always do the girl’s winged liner. Jessie [Wynter] would always come round, bless her, because she was sat over on the other side and be like ‘Lana I know you're in a rush but please can you do my winged liner for me?’.”
“I definitely learned a lot of tips from the girls. Rosie [Seabrook] introduced me to some really nice blushes from Rare Beauty, the cream ones. So now I’m dead on blush. I'm literally obsessed with blush at the moment.”
“Now I’m using the Dior Backstage Rosy Glow. I know it’s a bit pricey. I feel like it doesn't matter what blush it is, it is how you apply it. I use a powder puff. One of the Trigwell cosmetic ones. I go into the blush and I dab it on as if I was like baking with a normal powder. And it just gives such a nice rosiness to the cheeks. Anytime I do it, everyone's like, ‘What blush are you wearing?’ and I'm like, 'It's not the blush, it’s the technique!”
On stealing products from the villa
“Loads! It was so funny because I left Love Island from the Beach Club and my first thought was, ‘Oh no, I haven’t taken enough,’ I wanted to whisper to Tanya, ‘Get me some Fenty!'
“I took a really nice eyeshadow palette that I still use every single time I go out. It’s the Huda Beauty The New Nude Palette. They were stocked with Elemis, and I use their Pro-Collagen Balm every night to take my make-up off, the cleansing balm, is so good. There were just endless products in there.”
On boujee Love Island request
“You can just go to the 'Zoom Room' when you have your chat every day, just see how you are, you can just ask for whatever you want. You can ask for whatever you want that Boots supplies. Even food and drink, whatever you want, you can just ask and it'll be in the fridge the next day.”
What was the most diva thing Liv requested during her time in the villa?
“Probably the Fenty glosses!”
A girl after our own heart! What other beauty essentials were on the list?
“I basically needed root spray. My roots were just getting worse and worse and worse because I had it dyed quite dark. It was basically black. That’s why I was having to wear it up so much because when I’d wear it down you'd see the roots. So, they had to get me root spray from L'Oreal."
On iconic glove outfits
“I asked my mum as soon as I came out of the villa, ‘What do people think of the gloves?’. Because apparently, someone said they hated them. She said ‘Oh no, you were in the magazine next to Kate Middleton and you both had gloves on!’”
“Because it was so cold, I got these gloves to match my outfits. Everyone was stealing them. All the boys were wearing them. It brought entertainment to the villa. I love being fun with my outfits and I love to play around, so if I want to chuck a glove on, why not?”
On great advice
“The first thing was my mum, actually was, ‘Don’t lose yourself’. I’ve always kept the same circle around me and I would never change for anything. Don’t lose yourself. Stay true to yourself. A few ex-Love Islanders told me: ‘Don’t take the negativity too seriously’. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion, but as much as you can don’t take too much to heart.
Does Liv have any advice for any of the new Islanders?
“I'm so open to speaking to them because I think that really helps and it was really nice to have people reach out. No one else knows what you're going through, apart from them and the people who have experienced it, because it's such a rare experience.”
On what's next
“I'd love to utilise my platform. I want to go back into acting, I want to do presenting. There are just endless things that I want to do. I also want to bring awareness to things that I'm really passionate about. My nan's got dementia, so I’d really love to work with a charity and bring more awareness to that side. There are so many things I want to do. I honestly just want to dip my hand in everything. As much as I can do, I guess.”
“I would love to present. I’ve always wanted to do presenting. Who knows? Watch this space.”
Quickfire round:
What show are you currently watching? I'm watching Selling Sunset at the moment. Absolutely obsessed.
How do you like your cuppa? Like I like my men - strong! Tea has to be strong and Coffee, sweet.
Go-to loungewear brand? I love Boohoo and Boohoo Man tracksuits. I'm literally living in them at the moment. They did a really nice collab with Pantone.
Favourite face mask? The Origins Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask
Go-to takeaway order? I love Thai food. A nice massaman.
Favourite candle? Probably a White Company one. I am a bit bougie with candles. Or Jo Malone.