Vanessa Kirby says her "earliest memory" is her mother's Lancôme products in the bathroom

She told WWD: "My earliest memory is my mum having Lancôme products in the bathroom. I always grew up thinking: 'Oh, that's what my mum uses.'

"So it was very surreal to be asked to be ambassador, and I was honoured, because for me, it's in my history.

"The history of the brand and the legacy of it - all the women over the years who have used it for their every day - there's something that felt very intimate, very special for me personally."

The Crown actress thinks the brand portrays a woman "in her natural state", which she appreciates as a new mother.

She added: "I have an authentic connection to [Lancôme] because of my mom, and I'm going to take that with me."

Meanwhile, Vania Lacascade - Lancôme global brand president at L'Oréal - insisted the brand wasn't simply "looking just for a face" for its new ambassador.

She explained: "We were looking for conviction, for meaning. What struck me immediately when I met Vanessa was her depth.

"She approaches her heart, her roles, the way she's portraying her characters from the inside out. She has this emotional intelligence, this curiosity."

Vanessa is the latest big name to join the brand, who has worked with the likes of Christy Turlington Burns in the past.

Lacascade added: "She represents this cultivated, modern femininity that is bringing a lot to our collective of spokes.

"She brings this grounded meaning that is very important... We believe that modern femininity is plural.

"So, in a way, Vanessa joining Christy, joining Isabella [Rossellini], joining Julia [Roberts], joining Olivia [Rodrigo], it reinforces the message that beauty is universal, diverse and is typically connected to personal growth."