Rita Ora And Cara Delevingne On Why They Don’t Read The Comments Anymore

STELLAR Staff Writer Cara Croke alongside Cara Delevingne and Rita Ora.

This week, Rimmel London launched a global campaign to stand up against cyberbullying, after discovering 115 million images were deleted from social media because of negative comments or abuse based on a person’s appearance.

The campaign, titled ‘I Will Not Be Deleted’ showcases real stories and shows that bullying happens in all walks of life. Beauty influencers, models, celebrities and all social media users can be subject to cyberbullying.

Two people who have been on the receiving end of this are Rita Ora and Cara Delevingne – we sat down to chat with the ladies about handling criticism while constantly in the public eye and find out what makeup means to them.

No stranger to hate comments, Rita and Cara say they try their best to ignore nasty comments online and surround themselves with positive people to distract them from the negative aspects that come along with their job.

“I think in the beginning I used to read my comments a lot more,” Cara says. “It’s hard to miss them because they’re right there and when you’re having a bad day the worst thing you do is go onto your comments and try to read things that make you feel worse about yourself.

“Now when I feel bad I surround myself with people who love me and are going to make me feel better, and try to not dig myself into that cycle of self hate.”

“I really am a person about family and friends and my sister works really close with me,” Rita says. “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have that sense of – I guess support, and realness around me all the time.

“It takes time and mental energy to react to somebody who is not a nice person obviously, but then you can’t judge a book by its cover, and today the cover is the internet.”

With their line of work, it’s understandably hard for Rita and Cara to switch off and leave their phone down sometimes.

“I’m not going to lie and say I don’t check my phone every day,” Rita admits. “But at night I’ve made it a thing to not look at my phone.”

“I try and have a day a week without my phone if I’m not working,” Cara says.

Photo by David M. Benett

The ‘I Will Not Be Deleted’ Campaign is focused on making women feel empowered through the power of makeup, so I asked the gals what product makes them feel most confident and empowered.

“I’ve had red lipstick on since the start of my career. It makes me feel like I have makeup on,” Rita says. For Cara, it’s her fierce brows that make her feel ready to seize the day.

Rita revealed that childhood bullies are one of the reasons she is trying to be more bare in her shoots and music videos.

“I’ve started to do shoots with less makeup and kind of be more bare, i.e naked, so I find it really liberating.

“For me in my life right now, I think it’s so cool that I get to do that sort of thing. It’s a total FU to the people in my class who were like ‘why do you have tits and a bum?’

“I was one of those people who grew up fast and developed first. I was completely embarrassed and wearing baggy clothes all the time.”

The stars of the ‘I Will Not Be Deleted’ Campaign. Photo by David M. Benett

Skincare is also a way Rita and Cara embrace their inner beauty, however it can be hard for them to keep up routines with their busy lifestyles.

“It’s so hard to keep routines but I always wash my face,” Rita says. “No matter what time it is at night, if I’ve been out, or I’m a bit intoxicated, I always make it a mission to wash my face. I can’t sleep in my makeup.”

Cara admits that she can be a bit lazy when it comes to skincare. “With my skin, I would take everything off, but if you have a lot of makeup on your eyes it takes so long and then you put on makeup the next day… so sometimes I just leave it on.”

Being constantly on the go and travelling, the girls have mastered the art of minimising their makeup bags to their essentials. 

Cara’s makeup bag consists of: “Rimmel brow gel, Rimmel Scandaleyes Wow Wings mascara, Lucas PaPaw, concealer and a tweezers.”

Rita always needs “Rimmel Scandaleyes Wow Wings mascara, my Rimmel Rita red lipstick, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, a bronzer and eyebrow pencil.”

If you or someone you know is a victim of beauty cyberbullying or any sort of online bullying, or perhaps just want more information on the issue visit the Cybersmile help center here.

• cara delevingne
• Rimmel
• rita ora