Emily Langridge & Kerrie Anne Greenland, Actors

For the stars of Les Misérables, life is anything but miserable. Close friends and actors Emily Langridge and Kerrie Anne Greenland share a dressing room but are spending the season locked in a dramatic love – and beauty – battle. In the musical, Emily plays the pretty and pampered Cosette – the object of handsome Marius’ die-hard devotion, while Kerrie Anne is Eponine, the dirt-covered, mellifluous-voiced street urchin, who yearns – in vain – for Marius’ love. The show is a dramatic tour de force, and allows the girls to really shine in their roles.

With a wealth of behind-the-scenes beauty tricks (and know-how in scrubbing off ‘dirt’), the two have their stage routines down to a fine art – and were all too happy to share when they invited the Beauticate team backstage at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre.

Emily Langridge

“I’ve picked up so many make up tips from backstage

I still haven’t learnt how to master the art of the single lashes, that’s my next beauty goal, but I can put on lashes and I can do a good smokey eye. I can also do a good red lip from my years of Eisteddfords. I do put on a bit of make up when I’m not performing – I wear NARS BB Cream and MAC blush, it’s a nice rosy pink blush, and Maxfactor mascara because my eyelashes are blonde. NARS Orgasm blush is also great. I actually wear my day-to-day make up in the show.

trust yourself; pretty in pink mantras inspire the blonde beauty A bevy of beauty; nars, benefit, jurlique bourjois and chanel

I try to get a facial once a month

I use Aspect products which are really, really good because they are cosmeceutical but don’t have any harsh parabens or things that are going to strip it. So that helps, as well as the things I eat. I get my facials anywhere that does an Aspect facial. I always have coconut oil or grape seed oil with me to take my make up off. I also use Go-To Skin Wipes and Face Oil with me when I travel anywhere.

I once decided to go brunette

I hated it and dyed it back the next day. It just didn’t feel like me. Blonde isn’t just my colouring – it’s my personality! I don’t get my hair done very often because I’m naturally quite blonde, so I get highlights maybe two or three times a year. I don’t use heat for styling unless I am getting my hair done for a shoot or something. I am using Redken Real Control Shampoo and Conditioner and a Kerastase Mask, and I love Moroccan Oil. I put it in when my hair is damp and then again when it is dried to tame any frizz. I try to do as little to my hair as possible.

blonde ambition; emily keeps her locks in check with redken, moroccan oil and kerastase holisitic healing; pre-show essentials

Before a show I will put on some essential oils

I might smudge my sage stick to keep a good vibe and good energy, and I might put on some meditation and yoga music on. Before a show I will read a few passages for You Can Heal Your Life. In Melbourne I had my Himalayan Salt Lamp to really clear the air, but it was just too heavy to travel with.

I have to wear a corset

So I try to eat really light and just pick at things because if I eat anything too heavy it’s quite difficult to breathe. I love a good green smoothie, I have one that I call ‘pond scum smoothie’ because of the colour – it has greens, cacao, peanut butter, coconut oil, almond milk. It tastes amazing! I do Yin Yoga at Body Mind Life to feel more balanced, relax and stretch everything out. I walk down to the water at Darling Harbour as I really thrive around nature and I find it really helps me Zen out and find some balance.

juice junkie; emily loves smoothies and practising yoga pretty in pink; hitting floral notes backstage

Kerrie is really loyal to brands

She’s the best for finding a really great go-to brand. She also taught me about perfume layering, wearing not only a scent but a scented lotion as well underneath.”

Kerrie Anne Greenland

“This show has been a lesson in skin care

We have a lot of dirt, which has it’s own issues, I have to make sure I prime really well to make sure nothing gets into the skin. Washing it off and putting it on so many times throughout the show is quite damaging. I had to go through lots of brands to find what works for me – which is Sukin. I moisturise as much as I can so my skin doesn’t get dry from the constant washing.

brunette belle; sultry in black argan oil aplenty; kerrie relies on the range to appease the affects of stage hair

Dirt gets patted into my hair in this show.

I get it braided and then I take it out, lather it in coconut oil, tease with hair spray and rub in dirt. When I wash it so much junk comes out. I’m lucky that my hair is pretty strong. I like to use Argan Oil, I do an intensive mask treatment once a week. I try to put as much moisture back in as I can. Because I use my real hair in the show, I get it cut and coloured here.

I don’t wear much make up to perform

Mainly just special effects dirt, but I generally wear a little makeup everyday. I wear Kryolan because I can wear it really lightly or build it up for evening or for other shows. I always have oils with me for my hair, and my basic Kryolan staples; my compact, powder and eye shadow palette.

the actress favours kyrolan amongst a palette of nude and pink sukin features in her skincare regime

I love to go for a body treatment

Nature’s Energy in Glebe is really awesome. It’s hidden behind a shop of essential oils, and has a sauna and private rooms to have a massage. That helps me relax. I might take a dance class as well. It’s such an intense show I unfortunately don’t have the time or energy to go out exploring. I have an app called Yoga Studio on my iPad so I will do a little yoga session in my dressing room to get ready.

I’m pretty relaxed about my diet

I’m pretty burger-obsessed. I love a good burger; I tell myself it’s got salad in it. We also have almond milk coffee and coconut water for energy. We try to do honey and lemon, but most of us have chocolate before we perform for an energy hit. We shouldn’t have dairy, but there are humidifiers in our dressing room to help clear everything.

books, boxes and bears backstage backstage beauty; trying on her samantha wills jewels

My Samantha Wills love affair began a year ago

I was never a jewellery person, but I was in the store Mocha in Melbourne, and I fell in love. I love the sayings on the back, I love the designs, and I have started collecting her pieces. She is such an incredible human being, and businesswoman, as well as having such a beautiful creative mind to make such amazing art.

Emily my go-to person for health and beauty

She is so good at exploring different natural things, which I really appreciate. She has so many great ideas about looking after yourself, knowing what’s really good for you and what is actually in the products you use.”

dressing room treasureS