London - Nigella Lawson has admitted she uses makeup as her "armour" and told how she admires women who leave the house without it.
The TV chef, who will be 60 next week, said: "It takes a braver and more secure person than I am to say 'Don’t put makeup on me and don’t brush my hair'."
Known for her glamorous demeanour, the TV chef and food writer, 59, is hardly ever seen looking low-key in public, despite confessing that she is most often "wearing baggy things, with no makeup" when at home.
She told OK! magazine: "I admire people who are like that. For me, it’s armour."
Mother-of-two Lawson, who has sold £50-million worth of cook books and fronted dozens of TV shows, admitted earlier this year that her No 1 beauty product is a £3.30 (about R60) mascara from budget chain Wilko.
She praised the Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara for providing longer lashes and a dramatic look.
Adding that the cheap product doesn't smudge or flake, she admitted she "wouldn't be without it".
She also told how she maintains her size 12 figure with yoga three times a week, adding: "The older I get the more I realise I have to do lots of stretching."
The twice-wed star, who said roast chicken is her favourite dish, previously voiced disapproval of dieting, saying she preferred to find a balance in what she ate.
She insisted: "No one should be put on this Earth to go on a diet. I have never been on a diet to try to lose weight."