Not Just A Pretty Face
Olivia Newton-John is one of the pettiest girls to make the charts for a long while (she did it with “If Not For You”). Whenever she appears on TV shows or just around the town, she always looks great. So I thought I’d go round to have a chat about her clothes and make-up.
Olivia was just washing her hands when I arrived. “I was just going to pretty myself up for you,” she said. “But now you’re here, I won’t.” The last thing Olivia looked as though she needed to do was to pretty herself up. Her shoulder-length fair hair framed a lightly made up face. “I don’t wear very much make up.” she said. “At the moment, I’m using one of Estee Lauder’s gels for cheeks which is just to give you a healthy glow; Mary Quant’s blue eye shadow, anyone’s mascara-though I prefer a block type rather than any other because I find my eyes are sensitive. “I use Vaseline on my mouth with just a touch of lipstick on top for a bit of colour. Sometimes, I wear a grey eyeliner but it’s very light.”
Olivia goes to a leading London hairdresser, Leonard’s in Upper Grosvenor Street, where Martin trims her hair once every six weeks. Otherwise. Olivia does her hair herself two or three times a week using baby shampoo and a conditioner. “I started going to Leonard’s when I was in the group and film ‘Toomorrow.’ I had blonde streaks in my hair, but they couldn’t take it right out down to the roots, so I decided to stop having it done. “Martin layered my hair on top, leaving the rest long, but I find that it gets greasy much more quickly than it used to, now that it’s shorter on top. “I washed it last night but put on too much conditioner and it’s gone all soft and floppy,” she grinned ruefully.
Olivia is very feminine in her approach. She loves many perfumes and when asked which ones immediately rattled off such names as Femme, Caleche, Aquamarine and Blue Grass. “I don’t like them very sweet, though,” she says. Every time I’ve seen her I’ve noticed her jewellery. Its quality stands out. She wears a gold key on a chain around her neck which was her 21st birthday present from the press girl on her film Toomorrow. On her left wrist is a rolled gold watch.
She wears three rings. “This little seed pearl ring (on her left hand, little finger) was s present from my sister… this is my engagement ring (she’s engaged to Bruce Welch), a large pearl set in silver with diamond chips. “This other ring is a black opal, although it looks blue and green, set in diamonds. Bruce also bought that for me. I used to think I ought to keep it locked away and only bring it out for the best. but then I thought how stupid, so I wear it all the time.”
Olivia was dressed in blue suede trousers and jerkin that had been treated to look like denim. She also has another matching top which laces up. “I bought this in Cordoba in Bond Street, but I don’t often go in there because they’re so expensive. I like to have a few really nice things that I can always wear. “I have a good basic wardrobe now, and only go out and buy something if it’s for work or if I fall madly in love with it. “I have a midi suit with skirt and jacket, a few pairs of basic trousers in brown, black, green and red, and I love to have lots of different jumpers and things to change around. “I have three or four pairs of boots, various bags, belts and other accessories which I love collecting. “I also have a few midi dresses; and I cut the legs off some of my old trousers to make them into pants instead of buying… but that didn’t go too well. One leg ended up the right length, and the other far too short!”
“I’m useless sewing on my own. I have a girl friend who is a good seamstress and it I go round to her, I’ll sit down and do it; but on my own - never! I don’t seem to have the patience: I’ve got about half a dozen things lying around that need finishing.”
Olivia’s favourite colours are the autumnal shades of browns and beiges with a few blues. “I like the natural shades best,” she says. “Then I can cheer them up with scarves and other bright accessories.” She says she doesn’t buy clothes on the spur of the moment but likes to shop around, and finds that usually she could save herself the bother.
“I usually end up buying the first thing I see. I always take Bruce with me if I’m going to buy anything special. He has fantastic taste. He bought me a dress for Christmas: it was a midi dress with knitted top and sleeves and crepe skirt, with little false buttons on the front. I loved it when I saw it, and it fitted me perfectly! He always knows what will suit me, but I do buy ordinary things on my own, like jumpers, shirts, etc. for both of us. Bruce is so fussy he generally wants to come with me if I’m planning on buying him anything special. I used to buy him things which we’d have to take back and change. So now I stick to basics; otherwise, we go together.”
“I always pop into ‘Miss Selfridge’ or ‘Way In’ at Harrods if I’m round that way. They’re both very good. especially for things like skirts and trousers. You often see lots of the same thing, but they’re so good it doesn’t always matter. “‘Feathers’ in Kensington High Street has some beautiful clothes. There are a lot of small places like that where you have to pay more, but you knew you’re not likely to see yourself walking down the street hundreds of times.
“I like hats and am always getting carried away when I try them on in shops- but I’m too self-conscious when I wear them out. I’ve got about half a dozen. One black velvet droopy hat, I was always wearing, but got very fed up with it always blowing off down the street. I’ve also got a couple of summer hats, a boater and a floppy one. I like the butcher boy velvet caps, but I haven’t got one yet.”
Olivia makes frequent working trips abroad, but rarely buys anything fashionable then. “I usually buy just one thing a dress or belt or something - but I’m normally counting my pennies when I’m away. I buy the fashion magazines just to see what’s on the market. That’s how I got my coat. “I saw this French gaberdine coat with Mongolian lamb, and a vent at the back. I hunted down the stockist which was Baccarrat; went down straight away and bought it. That was two or three years ago now. It’s a midi coat and I bought it long before anyone else was wearing them.
“I don’t know that I have a good idea of what will be the next fashion, but when we were making ‘Toomorrow’ which is two years ago now, I suggested that I should wear suede shorts, and it’s only this last winter that they’ve really caught on. “I do follow trends, but I try not to go over-board about anything. I’ll buy perhaps one or two things in current fashion, but not too much, and only if it suits me.
“For instance, I don’t like this Twenties and Thirties look, with the high clumpy heels and straps. I wouldn’t wear that. I like cotton things and washable things because they always feel fresher than clothes that have to be dry cleaned. I like crepe for dresses, and suede. If we’re going out to dinner I’ll perhaps wear just a pair of plain trousers and s pretty blouse or a midi dress. Another fabric I like wearing is lightweight wool. For a gala night out, I’ll wear a lovely. long evening dress.
“I’m lucky I never have to watch my weight. I can eat as much as I like and what I like without having to worry about my figure; but I do have to be careful about what I eat and drink so far as my complexion is concerned. I can’t eat anything too rich like chocolate or drink heavy spirits or wine without it upsetting my skin. But I’m afraid that doesn’t stop me!”