From Nine Perfect Strangers to The Perfect Couple and, of course, Babygirl, Nicole Kidman is having somewhat of an onscreen renaissance of late. But the actress has been on screen for decades, starring in legendary movies like Practical Magic and Moulin Rouge. Across her decades-long career, Nicole has captured the world's attention on countless red carpets and magazine covers, and her time in the spotlight has taught us some very valuable beauty lessons.
So, what can we learn from Nicole Kidman when it comes to beauty?
How to confidently rock your natural texture
Nicole undeniably has some of the most famous curls in Hollywood and, although she's been known to wear wigs in a lot of her recent roles, the actress shows off her natural hair from time to time. Take this Instagram post, for example, in which she confidently rocks her naturally voluminous 'do in slide five of the 16-part carousel.
Speaking about her natural curls in a video for Allure in May 2025, Nicole reflected on previously straightening her hair and how she now regrets not embracing it. "Why did I straighten my hair?" she asked while looking at old photographs. "I loved my hair there. That is my natural hair."
"For all the little girls out there, embrace the curl. Do not follow in my steps and straighten your hair," she advised, before revealing that it's no longer as easy for her to achieve those eye-catching curls. "I can do that to my hair still, but it needs to be kind of humid, and I need to use the right product."
SPF is everything
By now, we should all know that SPF is the single most important thing you can do to protect your skin. Like, seriously, if there's one skincare step not to skip, it's this one. If you're not convinced (*shudder*) then perhaps Nicole's endorsement of SPF will help.
In an interview with British Vogue, the actress revealed her 'skincare trifecta' includes SPF, oils, and red light therapy. Notice how SPF is first on that list??
Using SPF is particularly important for Nicole, growing up in her native Australia as someone with a fair complexion. "We're a beach culture and for a girl with a really fair complexion, sun protection had to be part of my life from the very beginning," she told the magazine. Recalling how she once had to plaster her skin in high-coverage zinc, Nicole said she's pleased there's now so much variety on the market when it comes to SPF, meaning she can spend more time in the sun.
"I'm so grateful that there are protective creams you can wear that you can't see and have different choices of coverage," she revealed. "It's just nice to be able to stay outside." As for her go-to? Nicole's SPF essential is Clé de Peau Beauté's UV Protective Cream SPF 50.
Pixie cuts are always a vibe
When she's not embracing her trademark curls, Nicole isn't afraid to try new things when it comes to her hair. Yep, she's undergone a fair few hair transformations in her time, and none were more of an overhaul than her Met Gala 2025 pixie cut.
Following in the footsteps of Emma Stone, Zendaya, and Zoe Kravitz, the Big Little Lies star strolled the steps of the Met with a pixie cut earlier this year. "As you know, I love changing my hair," she said at the time (per HELLO!), with her hairstylist explaining the look tied into the theme of the event, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.
"The inspiration was a tailored short cut that brought out the essence of Dandyism on Nicole," Adir Abergel wrote on Instagram of the look. "I wanted to celebrate this year's theme by honoring the Dandies and their individuality, elegance, and confidence – where every detail is tailored to that unique person."
Oil works wonders
As well as using oil in her daily skincare routine, Nicole is also a fan of working oils into her beauty regime elsewhere. "I take hot baths with lots of oil," she previously told Allure. "I love oil, and I love bathing in it."
Switching up your hair is the quickest way to transform your look
Nicole said it herself, she loves to change her hair. It's no wonder then, that we've seen so many different styles on the star over the years. Just days after debuting her Met Gala pixie cut (which she revealed to be a wig, after numerous fan queries about whether she'd really gone for the chop), Nicole stepped onto the red carpet of the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards with some of her lengthiest locks to date.
Trading in the sweeping side fringe and blunt ends of the pixie, Nicole transformed her look with long, sleek, straight strands that framed her face with a middle part. The hairstyle gave her look a totally different vibe and proved once again that Nicole's versatility knows no bounds.
Hydration, hydration, hydration
No, this isn't a spin-off to Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer's iconic house-hunting TV series, it's Nicole's motto for all things beauty... which she stole from her husband, Keith Urban.
"What my husband taught me is water, water, water," she previously told Allure. "We drink so much water. I didn't realise how important it was to hydrate and flush out." She went on: "Because he's a singer, that's part of his routine. They know that they have to drink and that it helps the chords, but it also helps the skin, it helps all the organs. It keeps you healthy."
You don't need a long skincare routine
Tired of starting every morning (and ending every night) with a 10-step skincare routine? Take a leaf out of Nicole's book and trim down your skincare routine to the essentials.
Revealing her nighttime skincare routine to Harper's Bazaar, Nicole started off with a gentle cleanser to remove her makeup followed by a CBD facial oil to "help with inflammation". And that's it. Literally.
"I'm just very much about less is more," she said of her very simple skincare routine. "Also, having kids, I can't be bothered," the mum-of-four added. That being said, Nicole explained she loves to exfoliate when she "gets the chance" because her husband's beard growth "stresses" her skin, causing dry patches on her chin.
Beauty goes from top to toe, literally
In the same bedtime prep clip for Harper's Bazaar, Nicole revealed that her skincare routine extends all the way down to her toes – which makes sense, considering how often she has her feet on display while walking all those glamorous red carpet events. "I put on this beautiful heel soufflé," she said, "because my feet get really dry."
We're taking notes...
