SHANGHAI — When friends are late, I really don’t mind waiting for them. However, waiting for my interview with Blake Lively to start was another thing altogether. I was petrified. Perhaps it was because I absolutely adored her as Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl. Or maybe because her other half, Ryan Reynolds, had flown in with her and was lurking around somewhere. Whatever the reason was, it was just nerve-wracking. Luckily, the suite at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai had a magnificent view of the Bund to distract me from what was to be the most epic interview of my life. Barely. Lively was in town as the face of Gucci Premiere, the brand’s fragrance, which was inspired by the Gucci Premiere couture collection that made its appearance on Kate Beckinsale, Salma Hayek and Naomi Watts, among others, at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. When she finally arrived, Lively was as sprightly as ever. Decked in an all-black get-up and jewel-encrusted flats, she worked the room (her handshake, I am glad to report, was firm). “I’m so excited to meet you, too!” she exclaimed. And what of Ryan Reynolds? Her beau arrived right at the end of our interview, surfacing to give a tender kiss on Lively’s lips. Where was mine? *** Q: What are some of your favourite scents? Something to do with the ocean, perhaps? Some “green” scent like the forest? A: Yeah, the forest has a really nice smell. Cedar, that’s a really good smell. You know, coming from California, the redwood trees, that’s always nice, and the ocean, too, because of that. The smell of my mum — her skin — that’s one of the best ones. Fresh cookies? Brownies? Nothing better. Q: Does Ryan like the same scents as you? A: Well, we always fight over desserts so yes, yes, he likes cookies and chocolates. (Laughs) Q: You’re the face of Gucci Premiere. What do you like about it? A: I would always mix fragrances. I would mix perfume and cologne because I want that feminine, soft, sensual smell, but I also want the strength that you get from a cologne. There’s a certain power to it that’s missing in a lot of perfumes, so I always mix the two. The amazing thing about (Gucci Premiere) is that it is the first one that I ever smelled that has both (qualities). You know, because it has the wood in it, which is very masculine, strong but without being overpowering. It’s solid but subtle. And then it has the bergamot, which has this citrus, sassy sort of smell which ties together the more feminine, floral notes which are very sensual in itself. Q: What’s the best thing about becoming the face of Gucci Premiere? A: It’s such an honour because Gucci is a fashion house that I’ve always looked up to. The women that they represent are all different sorts of women. There’s the very “glamazon”, Italian golden sparkly sort of women, the more sporty, masculine, equestrian woman that you see, you know, the very capable woman. And then there’s a softer woman, which you see in the long flowy, bohemian dresses and the more natural sort of messed hair. To be representing their signature fragrance, which encapsulates all of these women — that is the ideal woman that I would love to be. But also to work with Gucci, but namely (creative director) Frida (Giannini), who is one of the talented designers out there by far, (and) yet, she spends so much of her time trying to improve the lives of others, not just working on her designs or her own career. Look at what she did for Chime For Change, where she raised over US$4 million dollars. Just that one night, leading up to the follow through afterwards, (shows) how philanthropic she is. She’s shown that for years with Gucci but this really hit the next level. That, to me, is the biggest honour — to work with a brand that’s doing so much on so many different platforms. Q: How do you think the fragrance represents you? A: I think of myself as very feminine and girly and soft. But I also like to be strong and empowered, and tap into my more masculine side. So, what’s nice about this is that it represents all sides. If you’re feeling a little more girly one day and you put on a girly dress, but you’re wearing a fragrance that smells just like that but it is not rounded out enough — you need the balance of the masculinity: You don’t wanna put on a pant suit and wear cologne. It just seems like it’s too much. If you’re playing up one part of your personality in the way you dress and the way you present yourself, this can round out the other part as well. Q: Let’s talk about your style. A: The older I get, the more timeless I aim to be. I look at the clothes that I wore when I was a teenager and I would think: “Oh gosh, I would never wear that again.” But it was appropriate for being a teenager. The women I look up to — Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Katharine Hepburn, Jean Seberg — their outfits could exist now or they could exist in the ’70s or the ’40s. I lean towards that sort of timelessness more because I don’t wanna be embarrassed. (Laughs) So, I think that my style is timeless, it’s moody — because it depends on what sort of mood I’m in on that day — and I think that it’s playful because I love fashion so much that I dress up all the time. I never really grew out of that thing you had as a child when you play dress up. Q: Would you say that your current style differs from that of Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl? A: My style is different in that I used to just borrow a lot of the wardrobe from Gossip Girl because I didn’t have that access anymore. But I think my style is very similar because a lot of what (Serena) wore was something that I was bringing to the table. (Gossip Girl’s costume designer) Eric Daman would learn to shop for me (and) I would assemble the outfit so it was very reflective of my personality. But the older I get, the more my style changes anyway. Q: You mentioned that you love dressing up. Do you ever get stressed dressing up for red carpets and premieres? A: No, I love to dress up so it’s never a stressful thing for me. It’s stressful being on the red carpet because there’s all these people shouting your name and these bright lights and it’s never a natural situation to be in. But I love dressing up. It’s the same thing as being a little girl and dressing up. I just never grew out of it. Q: Have you ever regretted any outfit that you’ve worn? A: You know, there are things that I look back on that I’m just like, “Oh gosh, I would never wear that now” but at that time, made sense. I find that now, rather than following trends, I look for things that are more timeless the older I get. But when you’re younger, you wanna be very contemporary but the older you get, you wanna settle into something that is more of your signature look. Q: Your style is normally laidback, but in this campaign you’re so glamourous. Which is more your vibe? A: I think both are me. I’m not gonna walk around my house in a ball gown but I have been known to do that. Because, well, let’s say you go to the Met (Ball) to wear this beautiful dress but then you have to give it back the next day. So, of course, if I have it the day before or the day after, I put it on, I’ll walk around my house just because it’s, again, like being a little girl playing dress up. So for me, it changes. If I’m in Los Angeles, I dress much more “beachy” and bohemian. If I’m in New York, it’s a little sleeker, the lines are more tailored and straight. If I’m in Paris, I have more fun (with) feathery skirts and big hats. Wherever in the world I am, I sort of play up and try to tap into the culture a little bit. Q: Style wise, what do you think makes the outfit? A: I know this sounds cheesy but I really think confidence makes the outfit. Because you see people that can — and I’ve even fallen prey to this — try to look like someone else (who) you think looks really cool. You dress up like them and you feel uncomfortable the whole time like, what am I wearing? It doesn’t matter how great the outfit actually looks — if you don’t wear it, you don’t own it, and it doesn’t look good. You can see somebody with no make-up on, (wearing) jeans and a t shirt and they are just poised and comfortable and elegant and that is what’s most attractive. A lot of the things that you do for yourself — beauty wise — are outward. Other people get to see your make-up, other people get to see your outfit but fragrances are something that other people get to see but you also get to enjoy. It’s the one thing that both people get to enjoy. Q: And then there’s your hair. You are always known for having such gorgeous hair. How do you achieve it? A: (Smiles) You know, I take care of my hair because I was lucky to come from a family with good hair, but if I’m working a lot, if it’s getting a lot of heat styling, I notice that it doesn’t do as well. I always like to leave in a (hair) mask in my hair; it helps protect it. Yeah, masks (and) serums keep it moist because when it dries out, that’s when it starts breaking. Q: Care to share some hair tips with us? A: Yeah. What I normally do — and this doesn’t work with all hair types — (is) rather than conditioning my hair, I’ll shampoo it, I’ll wring out (the water) while I’m still in the shower and put a little bit of mask in there. I use a mask more as a leave-in (conditioner). It gives (the hair) almost like an extra layer of protection. You can’t use a mask that’s too heavy too often or you’ll start to feel the weight down your hair. Q: What’s your beauty regimen like? A: I moisturise my skin, I use good hair mask on my hair to keep it strong, and (I) never wear too much make-up because the more make-up you put on, the worse (your skin gets). Q: What are your make-up must haves? A: For me, I love to have a great mascara because the eyes are (what) you notice most about the person. (They are) the most telling of who they are, so a mascara is good — and lip gloss. I think if there are two things I would have to have, it would be mascara and lip gloss. Q: And beauty products? Which ones do you adore? A: I really like tinted moisturisers lately. It is summer (and) it’s hot. When you put make-up on, you start to feel like it’s getting into your skin and clogging up your pores, so having moisturisers and also having something that can even your skin tone… Q: You travel around the world constantly for work. What products do you never leave home without? A: Well I always have my fragrance because that’s something that… even if you’re on a plane and you’re feeling crappy and you’re feeling tired, it’s nice to have sort of boost and feel like no matter where you are, you have a piece of yourself, you have a piece of home, you don’t ever get lost. And the fragrance that I really wear is Gucci Premiere. Q: When it comes to keeping your skin in tip-top condition when you’re travelling, what advice would you give travellers? A: It’s important to wear moisturiser when you’re on a plane. Your skin gets dehydrated so it’s important to moisturize, but it’s also important that you don’t wanna put too much on because all that recycled air, it grabs. I normally just keep my skin clean because recycled air (is) not great. But as soon as you get off, steaming your face with a hot wash cloth and putting on a good moisturiser (are essential). Q: What, for you, completes the outfit? A: There’s so much that you can do, there’s so many people that you can try to look like or different things that you can do for yourself, but I think (it’s about) what makes you feel confident. You can read tips from different people but, depending on their hair type, depending on their skin type, it might not necessarily work for you. You should find that thing that really gives you that confidence or (that thing) you feel the most like yourself. For me, I think it boils down to shoes and fragrances. (Laughs) When I put on a pair of heels, I feel like a different person. No matter what I look like, my make-up or hair, you put on a great pair of heels and you automatically feel attractive. And the same thing (goes) with fragrance. Q: What is your favourite pair of heels to date? A: Christian Louboutin made me a pair for my wedding. They have a lot of significance and they are just beautiful. They are pink and there’s crystals and there’s feathers and they are beautiful. Q: Any future collaborations with Gucci in the pipeline? A: There’s also a lighter version of (Gucci Premiere) that will be coming out later but what’s nice about this is we’ve done a lot of fragrances that represent a certain sort of woman or a certain time. This is supposed to be their staple fragrance, their signature fragrance. And I think that with fragrances, it’s important to have one because you want to have the power of having someone smell it and say (that) it smells like you. I know when I smell someone I love, there’s an emotional reaction that’s evoked so I wanna have that same sort of power if I spray it on something, someone can feel that same connection. Gucci Premiere Eau de Parfum is available at all leading departmental stores and Sephora stores with a price range of S$63 and S$183.