India Amarteifio on the Jo Malone London Combo She Can't Stop Wearing This Summer
We talked to the ‘Bridgerton’ star about her top five beauty products.
Long before the cameras found her, India Amarteifio was moving to music. Dance came first, a physical, storytelling instinct that eventually gave way to acting, one skill layering over another — a shift she describes as almost inevitable once she realized where her heart actually was. That instinct paid off, and Amarteifio landed the role of young Queen Charlotte in Netflix’s Bridgerton prequel, introducing her to a global audience practically overnight. Now, with her new show The Rapture on the horizon, the actor is proving that range is only part of the story. After being named the face of Jo Malone London‘s Scent Layering campaign last year, the British actor is lending her name to a brand that, as it turns out, has been layered into her life since she was a child.
Amarteifio’s connection to Jo Malone London didn’t start with her role as ambassador. It started in her mother’s bathroom cabinet. “My earliest scent memory is stealing my mum’s perfume from her travel set, a Jo Malone London one that she was given by a friend, and using the majority of the bottle, probably over the whole time she’d had it,” she tells Hypebae. What she didn’t realize as a child was that the perfume she’d been dousing herself in was actually “Pomegranate Noir” room spray. “Years later, when I told her the story, she was slightly concerned, because it was actually a room spray! ” Full-circle doesn’t begin to cover it: the brand she once raided as a kid is now the one she represents. “It’s just lovely that I now get to partner with Jo Malone London. It’s a full-circle moment.”
That coincidence also explains why the brand’s approach to fragrance, and its scent layering philosophy specifically, has appealed to her for so long. Jo Malone London’s scents, Amarteifio says, leave nothing to guesswork. “The ingredients and notes are so clear. The scents are named after the ingredients, so you know exactly what you’re going to be using,” she says. “There are scents that don’t exist outside of Jo Malone London. They’re unique, elegant and playful at the same time and I like aligning myself with brands that have that.” For someone building a scent-layering routine from scratch, that clarity, “Pomegranate Noir” stacked with “Grapefruit,” or “English Pear & Freesia” worn as a base beneath English Oak and Hazlenut”, is not about trial and error, but rather knowing exactly what she’s reaching for.
Scent layering is what Amarteifio keeps coming back to this summer. “For me, it’s been an absolute privilege getting to know all the different scents through the Scent Layering campaign , because it [means] I’ve been able to meet them all individually and then meet them all together,” she says. One standout combination, “Grapefruit” layered with “Poppy & Barley,” is a duo that came together by accident. “It’s a bit random and kind of just happened, because I was getting ahead of myself wanting to try them all,” she admits, “but together, I think it really feels very me.” For the actor, it’s less about picking one fragrance and more about building something new out of what’s already there. In her words, layering scents “quite literally speaks to who I want to be this summer.”
Growing up around a mother she describes as glamorous, Amarteifio once saw hair, makeup and skincare as something technical, a set of rules to follow rather than a form of expression. Now, the actor says years in the entertainment industry has allowed her to be at peace with her own routine. “I’ve learned to give [beauty] less attention,” she says. “For me, I’m really trying to let my work speak for itself, and not the aesthetics around it.” Beyond that, the star is candid about wanting her styling choices to reflect how she actually feels rather than fit into a category, “I don’t want to try and fit into a narrative or a box that isn’t my own.”
That same instinct of building out what feels right rather than what’s expected is what makes scent layering click for the star. That philosophy now extends to how Amarteifio approaches fragrance, less like a costume, and more as an extension of her mood. “It’s about how you’re feeling in the moment,” she says. For the actor, building a combination that reflects where she is emotionally surpasses the need to reach for the same bottle out of habit. Off-screen, Amarteifio says she’s drawn to roles with real depth, ones that resonate beyond the time she might spend on screen, a perspective that tracks with someone unwilling to let a fragrance, or a red carpet look, do the talking for her. Whatever comes next for the Bridgerton alum, one thing is certain: she’ll arrive fully, unmistakably herself, scent included.
From the Jo Malone London summer scent combination she stumbled into by accident to her childhood essentials — ahead, India Amarteifio breaks down her top five favorite beauty products.
Jo Malone London “Grapefruit” Cologne
“First up is my Jo Malone London fragrances, and I mix ‘Grapefruit’ with ‘English Pear & Freesia.’ I can pop them together and create a completely different scent. It’s basically perfect for summer, given that it’s citrusy and uplifting. I feel like I’ve got my own little fragrance. I’ve created its magic.”
Jo Malone London “English Pear & Freesia” Cologne
Sweed Lip Liner
“The Sweed Lip Liner is the newest addition to my very limited makeup bag. I really just love the product, and I think the color’s beautiful. They’ve got loads of different shades.”
ILIA Lip Sketch Hydrating Crayon
“I don’t really use this [on my lips], I use it on my cheeks and my eyes. Again, I have a very limited makeup routine — I can just put a little bit on, put some eyes on, and I’m ready for the day. I’m always going for things that are super easy to put on that do the trick, and this definitely does that.”
RevitaLash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner
“A staple that’s been in my beauty bag the longest is from RevitaLash. I use their brow serum as well, which is fantastic, but the Eyelash Conditioner is my go-to.”
Eyelash Curler
“Lastly, eyelash curlers, just any old eyelash curler. This is the thing that I’ve worn the longest, even before SPF.”
