*Harriet Pudney is a beauty aficionado and former Stuff journalist who lives in Melbourne.

OPINION: Heaven only knows why we care so much about what famous people get up to in their private lives, and congratulations to those reading this and smugly thinking, “Well, I don’t”, but celebrity gossip and behind-the-scenes intel has been popular for longer than any of us have been alive.

Sure, the way you get famous has changed in the past few years (imagine explaining TikTok to Audrey Hepburn) but the principle is the same. Some people get a lot more attention than the rest of us, and we want to know what they’re like behind closed doors.

Nowhere is that clearer than in the stories of celebrity gossip account Deuxmoi. Call it cabin fever, but over the the first lockdown in 2020, hundreds of thousands of people, myself included, started following the page and sending in celebrity encounters ranging from the truly shocking (Armie Hammer) to the entirely mundane (Nicole Kidman’s coffee order is a bone-dry cappuccino).

A podcast, a book deal and several merchandise drops later, the anonymous woman behind the account is likely doing very well for herself.

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It’s not all blind items and sandwich orders, though. Some of my favourite posts are, not surprisingly, devoted to the beauty routines of the rich and famous. Many readers seem shocked by assertions that they all get Botox, but I can assure you, they do.

If you ever run into a celebrity over the age of 25 and think they look amazing without makeup, you’re really complimenting their cosmetic injector.

The same goes for those famous women who seem to change their hair colour every 25 minutes and never lose any length or volume. Their hair isn’t bulletproof or immune to the damaging effects of bleach: they just have very, very good extensions.

What I mean is that while having money and a professional obligation to be hot wouldn’t change your bone structure, it would change your hair, your skin, and the number of professionals you have on hand to help you deal with both. As the (pretty ruthless) saying goes: you’re not ugly, you’re just poor.

Celebrities get weekly facials, they have dermatologists, and they have nutritionists. I would hate being famous – it’s a genuine no, thank you – but there are definitely perks. You and I can eat right and look after our skin, but it’s unlikely to get to that level.

We can get some of their favourite products, though. According to a Q&A on Deuxmoi, Taylor Swift is a fan of the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, $134 for 50ml. I’ve never used this, so I can’t speak to whether it’s worth the price, but it is full of Vitamins C and E, along with aloe vera, shea butter, and camellia oil. That’s all very good stuff, so sample at your own risk. You may wind up loving it.

According to the same series of posts, Jennifer Aniston is a devotee of Biologique Recherche P50, a product so gorgeous it can only be bought in New Zealand in-store at the Sofitel Spa in Auckland. It’s $50 (for 50ml) for an acid toner devoted to improving skin clarity, texture and tone.

This is the OG of chemical exfoliants – they call it a facial in a bottle. Aniston is by no means the only celebrity who allegedly buys it in bulk.

One final recommendation from Deuxmoi comes via Victoria Beckham, formerly known as Posh Spice, and currently in possession of a decidedly thrifty favourite.

Apparently, she loves Weleda Skin Food, a rich, emollient moisturiser that sells for only $25. If you have dry skin and still love the Spice Girls, this is a must.