I’ve worn makeup and heels since I was 12 – trolls slam me but it doesn’t bother me, says Dancing On Ice’s Liberty Poole
FALSE lashes, fake tan and full-coverage foundation have got Liberty Poole a lot of stick.
But the Love Island star insists that being glam has always been part of her personality and she is not about to change because of a few trolls.
Liberty, 22, who crashed out of ITV’s Dancing On Ice two weeks ago after taking a tumble, says her mum Jo introduced her to make-up when she was a young girl.
She says: “I’m really close to my mum and she’s taught me a lot — like how to be glam. Since the age of 12 I’ve been into make-up and always worn heels.
“My mum and I are quite little (5ft 6in), so I think that’s why it started.”
Liberty, who is 5ft 2in tall, continues: “I used to wear heels everywhere. I’d even wear high heels for the supermarket food shop just so I could reach the milk on the top shelf.”
The former Nando’s waitress has been criticised for her love of heavy make-up but says: “When people ask, ‘Why do you wear so much?’ I tell them, ‘Would you question an emo wearing thick black eyeliner?’
“You would never question an emo because that’s what they choose to wear and do. So why ask me? It’s part of who I am, it’s part of my personality, confidence and my individuality — it’s the same thing.
“I love getting glammed up, but I also love being more natural, too. But the minute I’m glam, people are like, ‘Oh, she’s got too much make-up on’, but when I’m more natural I get negative comments, too. I just can’t win.
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“I’m a scatterbrain, but I’m also intelligent — people judge you if you wear too much make-up.
“The funny thing is that although everyone thinks I wear loads, it only takes me 20 minutes to do it.
“But I quite often get it done by a professional — and those times I don’t have any control over how much I’m wearing. People notice the smallest changes. I’m lucky that I’m quite tough-skinned.”
Liberty shot to fame last year on the seventh series of Love Island. Her dumping of villa boyfriend Jake Cornish just two weeks before the final earned the star an army of female fans.
Upon her exit, Liberty clocked up over 1.5million followers and landed a number of lucrative beauty and fashion deals, with the star reportedly set to become a millionaire this year.
Liberty says her recent stint on Dancing On Ice made her childhood dreams come true.
She says: “This whole thing was surreal. I’ve watched the show since I was younger with my mum. When I was training in the ITV Bovingdon studio I was like, ‘How am I here?’”
While on the show, Liberty told how she is all about embracing her curves. She said: “I’ll never be one of those girls with a six-pack but I’m enjoying it. I’ve got more fit but I’m still quite curvy. Just own it.”
Her mum flew back to the UK from her home in Abu Dhabi to support Liberty on the show.
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She says: “I’ve got a very female-dominated family and I grew up with just my mum raising me, so I’ve always had a lot of respect for women.
“It’s taught me to never shy away from giving other women a compliment. Women can be quite bitchy or jealous and there’s no need — girl power is so important, it’s important that we support each other. I definitely stand for women empowerment.”
Liberty’s love for false lashes, fake tan and a bursting wardrobe has landed the star partnerships with lingerie chain Boux Avenue, online retailer In The Style and beauty brand Skinny Tan.
She has certainly come a long way since she accidentally turned herself green from a fake tan fail.
Liberty said: “I put on this stuff for a work shift at Nando’s. It was before a night out, so I put it on underneath my foundation.
“As the shift went on, I ended up turning green because the tan had a green tint in it. Everyone said I looked like Fiona in Shrek.”
Five months ago, she announced her fourth six-figure deal with Lola’s Lashes.
She says: “I make sure the brands I work with have that ‘be confident’ ethos I love. A lash partnership was perfect as I’ve worn them since I was 15. I can’t live without them — they make me feel complete.
“Yet I still had breaks from lashes and make-up during lockdown. I feel confident with or without it, which I encourage everyone else to feel too.”
Liberty admits her confidence can waver when trolls take aim on social media. She says: “It can be hard finding nasty comments in your inbox. I might see a negative comment and they’ll be like, ‘Lib, I love you but in my opinion this is not OK’ — it’s a negative comment but in a nice way.
“I respect that, as everyone has opinions. But it’s when people are just unnecessarily mean . . .
“I used to care too much about people’s opinions. As long as you know who you are and what you stand for, who gives a sugar about that?”
Appearing on Love Island is a double-edged sword that garners both positive and negative opinions.
For Liberty, her decision to cut ties with Jake and quit the show — amid fears she was being “gaslit” by the handyman — saw an influx of messages seeking advice from both men and women.
‘No distractions’
She says: “It was nice to receive responses telling me I’m their inspiration. I did get a couple of lads approach me and say, ‘I respect what you did, it made me realise a few things’.
“One guy came up to me saying, ‘You gave me strength to come out to my parents’, while women would say, ‘You’ve been such a good ambassador for women’. That is so important to me. I’ve always wanted to use my platform for good.”
Despite being linked to Towie’s Joey Essex, 31, and fellow Islander Brad McClelland, 26, Liberty is happily single.
She says: “There’s not a lot going on in the love life department. I’m so focused on myself that I don’t want any distractions.”
- Shop Lola’s Lashes x Liberty collection at lolaslashes.co.uk and look fantastic.com. Prices from £9 to £35.
