Cara Delevingne on Nostalgic Fragrances, '70s Bangs, and the Advice She'd Give Her 20-Year-Old Self

Cara Delevingne's life has been closely chronicled since 2012 when the model, actress, and singer shot to fame after walking in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Since her breakout banner year, the star has snagged coveted roles in films such as Paper Towns and Suicide Squad, released music, and established herself as a staunch advocate for gender equality and the LGBTQIA+ community.

However, the star consciously began to peel back from the spotlight around 10 years ago to reprioritize and now makes herself visible only when she wants to. For the fabulous multi-hyphenate, this means popping by the Los Angeles premiere of Wuthering Heights to support her friend and former co-star Margot Robbie and, most recently, sitting down with Who What Wear to discuss her ambassadorship with L'Oréal and the brand's Women of Worth community.

"It's a very 'pinch me' moment," Delevingne tells us about her bucket-list role. The star knows the power of fragrance more than anyone, and the first thing that connects her to the brand is a particularly nostalgic scent. "My grandmother always used Elnett [hair spray], and it's one of the scents that will always remind me of her," she confides. "Being able to say 'Oh, I'm an ambassador' is really crazy." To no one's surprise, this team-up has also improved her beauty game—something she admits to not being so fluent in before.

The star describes her self-care routine as something that changes on a day-by-day basis, but when it comes to wellness, she knows that simplicity is key. "Sometimes, I'm just terrible at washing my face twice a day," she says with a laugh. "But usually, I will always use Revitalift plumping serum because it just wakes up my skin." The rest of her minimal wellness routine includes a daily SPF and a foam roller. No, it's not for the face. It's for her back and shoulders. "I take it everywhere I go," she exclaims. "Maybe that's just me in my 30s, but it's so necessary for me."

Though Delevingne emphasizes the importance of ease when it comes to her skincare routine, she's been taking more risks with her makeup and hair these days, something she never would have thought she'd thoroughly enjoy. "I've been so spoiled that I've just had my makeup done, [so] I was never good at makeup until I started playing with it," she explains. With the resurgence of 2010s makeup—the era of her early social media stardom—Delevingne reveals that the one dated trend she wished she'd mastered then was a sharp wing.

"A little flick, because I love doing that now. … It's my favorite thing," she says. "There's something so satisfying about getting the perfect one." Her trick for perfecting that sharp black swipe? "It's about the little Q-tip you use to correct," she laughs. "Screw the actual cat eye. It's all about correcting."

As for other beauty challenges, Delevingne recently debuted a stunning set of bangs chopped by celebrity-loved hairstylist Mara Roszak, founder of WWW-beloved haircare brand Rōz. Don't act like we didn't tell you this is the biggest beauty movement of 2026. "They're a different beast," she tells us with a grin. "I haven't had bangs since I was a child, and I definitely didn't do anything with my hair when I was younger, and I'm still kind of refusing to. I just look like I have a big mop on my head—in a good way." However, the en-vogue star likens her laissez-faire hair to effortlessly cool, '70s-inspired waves.

"It's giving a very 'Stevie Nicks in the '70s' vibe right now," she states. "The '70s are such an incredible era, especially for that kind of natural beauty. I love letting your natural features shine through. … I always draw back to [that]."

Though Delevingne's beauty literacy has improved throughout the years, it's what she's discovered on the inside through this ambassadorship experience that's given her a new sense of confidence. The star can now look back on many hard years of rigorous work with appreciation thanks to the people she surrounds herself with today.

"One of the things I always found very important—and something I didn't realize until I was older—is the people you align yourself with [and] really being able to share the values that they have," she explains. She cites L'Oréal's Le Défilé, an annual event during Paris Fashion Week, as a turning point. "Doing Le Défilé with so many women that I've looked up to my entire life and having really incredible conversations about [everything from what] scares us to things that lift us up, it really is that picture-perfect feeling of 'Oh, this can be what it's like to work with people you're aligned with,'" she continues. (Nominations for the L'Oréal Women of Worth class of 2026 close on March 8, by the way.)

Though the multi-hyphenate is thankful for the community of strong people she's found herself in, she says she owes a lot more credit to the person in the mirror. Present-day Delevingne wishes she could go back and tell her 20-year-old self—the age when her life became supercharged by stardom—that she was never alone. "I think I was trying so [hard] to run away from myself because I felt so much imposter syndrome, like I just didn't deserve any of it," she confides.

Her advice? To hit pause, take stock, and enjoy every moment. "That all happened so fast," she recalls. "When you're going through any type of big change or something really drastic, it all suddenly happens." When it rains, it pours. "Be able to slow down and enjoy every moment," she adds.

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