Skin Deep: Felicity Jones on Becoming Ruth Bader Ginsburg

When it comes to her career, the actress Felicity Jones is game for taking on a range of roles, including the fierce Jyn Erso in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and Ruth Bader Ginsburg in “On the Basis of Sex,” the biopic on the Supreme Court justice that will be out on Dec. 24.

In beauty matters, Ms. Jones, 35, is a bit less adventurous but still willing to switch up her regimen if it’s good for her sensitive skin. Raised in England, in the Bournville village of Birmingham, she now lives in London, where you may find her at her favorite yoga studio.

Skin Care

I get up and wash my face with water. Then I pull my hair back and run down to the gym. It’s the best way for waking up and putting yourself in a good mood.

When I come back, I exfoliate — I do that once or twice a week. I use a product by Caudalie that has a very fine grit. It’s not too abrasive. Or I use this cleanser by La Roche-Posay that’s amazing for sensitive skin. A lot of products do irritate my skin, so when I find something that works, I’m fairly loyal.

Then I moisturize. My skin-care game is about hydration, hydration, hydration. When you do a lot of traveling, you have to put a lot of care into your skin. Occasionally I like to have a facial because it’s incredibly relaxing, but I find it’s the day-to-day care that’s key, and that includes not too much caffeine, not too much alcohol, rest and water.

I’m an ambassador for Clé de Peau, and I use La Crème. It has a really fine texture, which I love. I use the eye cream as well. Then I do SPF — I have the one by La Roche-Posay. At night, I use the same products, but first I take off my makeup with Bioderma Sensibio micellar water. It’s fantastic — it doesn’t dry you out.

Makeup

I really enjoy makeup. I always have. When I was younger, I used to take art classes, so when I approach makeup, I love the artistry, and I love the colors. It can change a face, honestly.

For the Ruth Bader Ginsburg role, I had lots and lots of in-depth conversations on the details of Ruth’s face, down to the shape of her teeth. I was obsessed. I had my teeth capped so the shape would be the same. Eyebrows are hugely powerful — the way you shape them. I also contoured and wore blue-gray contact lenses.

When I’m off, I do brown mascara — I love one by Charlotte Tilbury — and brown Clé de Peau eyeliner. I like brown during the day because I like the effect to be a little bit softer. If I’m going out at night, then I’ll probably go for a black, something a bit more graphic.

I use a little blush. I like either a pinky blush with pink lips, or sometimes I go for an apricot blush for daytime. Those by Nars are great. Or I do Glossier Cloud Paint.

And I do love the Clé de Peau concealer, which I use everywhere. I use it under my eyes and on my nose because it gets red out and covers my spots. If it’s night and I need more coverage, I use the Foundation from Clé de Peau.

Fragrance

If I’m going to the set, I’m usually up so early, at 4 a.m., that fragrance doesn’t enter into my head. But I do wear fragrance in my everyday life. I’ve been wearing Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain for the last few years. It’s quite unisex, and it’s not too sweet.

Hair

I absolutely love wigs and hairpieces. Playing Ruth, her hair is pivotal. When she was younger, she followed the pressure of looking a certain way, from her clothes to her hair. But by the ’70s, that dissipated, and she evolved to her one look: the low ponytail.

She loved the scrunchie and the hair scarf. For her, it was about being practical and saving time in the morning. She has kept that style for 30 years. It’s like Karl Lagerfeld or Anna Wintour. When you stick to one look, icon status is yours!

For myself, I tend to do a natural looking blow-dry. I like it with a little movement and not too done. My hair icons would be Kate Moss or Jane Birkin. Because I have naturally wavy hair, my main goal is to control the flyaways. I like the Davines Oi All in One Milk for that, and it keeps it glossy. I use a hair serum by Davines as well.

With all the styling on set, my hair can get dry. A hairdresser once recommended the Leonor Greyl Masque Fleurs de Jasmin, and now I use it once a week.

Other Services

I love, love getting a deep tissue massage. I also have a fantastic physical therapist, David Higgins, who I worked with on my last job. I was doing a lot of running around and stunts. It’s really important for actors to look after their bodies, and when working on films, you have to think like an athlete.

Diet and Fitness

If I’m in a hotel, I go to the gym and spend a long time on the step machine. It’s about trying to target and tone. I also work with Amy Rosoff Davis — she’s fantastic. She just gets my body and how to make it work. And she has a background in dance and Pilates and yoga, and all the movements are about building your core. It’s about making you strong and lean.

I also love restorative yoga — anything that calms the adrenal glands. I’m based in London, and I go to Triyoga. They have places all over the city.

I eat very healthily when I can, but I’m not too hard on myself. For me, it’s all about common sense, and I don’t like extremities in diet. Sometimes you need to treat yourself. Otherwise you become very boring.