Strictly’s Dianne Buswell reveals her beauty secrets: How we feel mentally can change everything

By Yolanthe Fawehinmi, PA

Dianne Buswell’s new favourite place to unwind comes with tremendous health benefits – including better sleep.

“I very recently got myself a sauna, which I use before I go to bed, which gives me the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had in my life,” says the Australian dancer, 34, who joined the Strictly Come Dancing professional line-up in 2017.

“I also try hard to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night, especially as I’ve gotten older.”

But like many of us, Buswell admits she’s also guilty of looking at her phone before bed.

“It’s something I’m trying to do less of and I’m getting better at. We use our phones so much – if we could just put it aside, charge it in a different room or away from your bed so you can still hear your alarm, we would all have better sleep routines.”

The self-confessed wellness enthusiast – Buswell launched a wellness YouTube channel in 2020 called Buswellness, and last year published her book, Move Yourself Happy: 21 Days To Make Joyful Movement A Habit – swears by the importance of good sleep. Not only is it vital for staying energised, it helps her feel and look her best too.

As an ambassador for dry shampoo brand Batiste too, she’s constantly thinking about how she can make the most of her time with a busy schedule.

Here, Buswell talks us through her beauty secrets, including why she prioritises skincare, and how she maintains her fiery red hair…

What is your skincare routine?

“I use a skincare brand called New Nordic, which is a beautiful product. I use three main products from their hyaluronic acid range religiously daily, and then take a Hyaluronic Shot as well,” she says.

“It’s changed my skin dramatically, tastes very citrusy and is quite nice. I always say to people that it tastes like that bit at the end of an ice lolly – I say icy pole.”

She’s also religious when it comes to removing make-up at the end of the day, especially with the type of work that she does. “I tend to use micellar water – my favourite thing. It’s quite gentle and takes off a lot of the eye make-up, which is usually quite heavy when dancing. But also I use Clinique’s Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm alongside my cleanser,” she says.

“That’s all I use on my skin. In the past, I would use so many different things but never stuck to a regime. With this, I feel I can stick to it and see results because I’m doing it religiously.”

How do you maintain the health of your signature red hair?

“I use the new Batiste 24-hour Dry Shampoo, which has sweat-activated technology, because I’m so busy and also have extensions in my hair,” says Buswell.

“I’ve had red hair for about 10 years now. I’m a hairdresser by trade, though I haven’t done it in a salon for many, many years. But when I was hairdressing, I literally had every single colour you could imagine.

“I had blonde, I had black, I had brown, I had black with red stripes, I had black with blonde streaks – it was just like that hairdresser thing where you’re just constantly changing the colour of your hair.

“And then, when I started dancing on stage, I went from jet black to honey blonde. And then I got bored – so I put a red dye over it one day and was like, ‘I kind of like this’, and then it stuck. Everyone was like, ‘Oh my god – red really suits you and works with your eyes’.

“Then since I went on Strictly Come Dancing, I’ve been known as the girl with red hair. But I have just recently done the roots for like a little bit of depth in there, which I like.”

Did going red change how you saw yourself?

“When I did go red, I felt like it was ‘me’. When I was on stage, I felt like I had a real identity and felt powerful. I think anything that you can do that makes you feel powerful and good, go for it, because it really did that for me,” says Buswell. “I genuinely started to dance differently. I felt more confident.

How do you maintain the colour?

“The maintenance is not too – maybe at first, as it would wash out very quickly, but not so much now. I use a red-based conditioner in a pink bottle from Sally’s, and every time I wash my hair, I just pump that in and work through my ends to keep my hair nice and fresh. I’m not constantly dying it.”

What are your favourite make-up items?

“I love Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter foundation. I’m obsessed with that. I also like the Iconic London undereye concealer and Essence mascara – they are probably one of the cheapest out there.”

When do you feel most beautiful?

“It’s when I feel the most confident – especially mentally. It’s not even about the way I look. I could be having a breakout, but if I’m mentally feeling good, I feel the most beautiful,” says Buswell.

“Sometimes we are so invested in how we look and being perfect. But it’s how our brain is thinking that is important. It can change everything.”Dianne Buswell is brand ambassador for