(Elle wears an Albertus Swanepoel hat, $225. Photographed by Sasha Eisenman)
"I just had a breakthrough!" exclaims up-and-comer Elle Fanning, referring, rather surprisingly, not to a challenging role in a new film (although she has quite a few of those in the works) but to her recent ballet lesson. "I did three pirouettes in a row. Afterward, I screamed with happiness," explains the Los Angeleno, who straps on her pink pointe shoes for practice five days a week.
("Working with Sofia was like living in a fairy tale, where all your dreams come true," Elle says of her experience on set.)
Twelve-year-old Elle radiates the same effortlessly graceful vibe as her older sister, Dakota, does. She admits her entree into acting at age two was sparked by a typical little-sibling's rationale ("I grew up seeing her do it, so I wanted to try it too!" she recalls), but with a resume that includes parts alongside megastars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, Elle is carving out a career path all her own. She's playing a 1920s girl in the 3-D version of the ballet classic The Nutcracker as well as starring as the daughter of a hard-partying actor in Sofia Coppola's movie Somewhere. And despite being anointed by star-maker Coppola (whose fashion-forward eye has launched many a young actress, from Kirsten Dunst to Scarlett Johansson), Elle is sanguine: "My favorite part of my job is portraying different types of people. As long as I'm drawn to a character, I'll try it."
She admits that she's not quite as fearless when it comes to her beauty regimen, but fresh-faced Elle is better off for it. "I have sensitive skin, so I need to use a face wash that's pure. If it's too perfumy, I break out," she says, noting that her favorite is LancerRX Extremely Pure. In lieu of makeup, she focuses on good skin habits, like wearing sunscreen--that is, unless she's dressing up with her friends. "Then I'll try makeup with crazy sparkles in it!" she confesses. Her blonde locks, which are often twisted into a bun for ballet, get pampered with Kim Vo Moisturizing Conditioner, and she loves soaking in the tub with Lush bath bombs. But neither a megabusy schedule nor an achy body can keep Elle down. "Whether I'm acting or dancing, I always try to be the best that I can," she says.
"Gentle on my hair." Mason Pearson Junior Mixture Hairbrush, $126. cobigelow.com
"I'm pale so I need this." Neutrogena Healthy defense liquid moisturizer spf 50 with helioplex, $15. CVS
"So girly!" Dior Miss Dior Cherie eau de parfum, $75 for 1.7 oz. Macy's.
"Keeps lips moisturized." Nivea A kiss of flavor cherry tinted lip care, $3. Rite Aid.
"Doesn't irritate my sensitive skin." Dove Sensitive skin body wash with nutrium moisture, $4. Walgreens.
"It's really pretty!" Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity shimmer dust, $39. Sephora.
www.teenvogue.com
