Ever since her breakout role in True Grit at the age of 13, Hailee Steinfeld has had a lot on her plate–but it seems like she prefers it that way. She finds joy in getting lost in her creative work. As a wife and mother (which sit at the top of her priority list), Steinfeld is manifesting slow mornings with her family, space to continue creating, and time to star in campaigns for brands she genuinely endorses—Estée Lauder's Glimmer fragrance, for example. An amber floral fragrance balanced with gourmand notes, Glimmer is all of Steinfeld's moods in a bottle; she says that it transports her back to a time when she admired her mother spritzing herself with perfume as the final step in her beauty routine.
Ahead, we caught up with Steinfeld about Glimmer, manifestation, and how her perfect day has changed since having her daughter.
What three words best describe how you're feeling right now?
"Oh my gosh—those were not the three words. I would say grateful, curious, and present. I feel like I'm in a really full chapter of life right now. There's a lot happening, but I'm really trying to be in it instead of constantly thinking about what's next. I'm focusing on being present and slowing down enough to appreciate this chapter while I'm in it. I'm so excited about what's ahead, but I'm also very, very happy where I'm at right now."
What is your first fragrance memory?
"My mom getting ready. I can still picture being little and watching her get ready. There was always something so fabulous and so feminine about the ritual of watching your mom put on perfume before she leaves the house. I have such distinct memories of it, and I still notice her doing it today."
What's your signature scent?
"I am drawn to everything that Glimmer by Estée Lauder is. It's warm, it's feminine, it's not overpowering. I always gravitate towards that vanilla and ambery sandalwood— they're all notes that want to make you get closer."
Photo: Estée LauderHow would you describe the scent of Glimmer? How does it make you feel?
"I've been saying to my friends who ask me the same thing that I feel like Glimmer is happiness in fragrance form, and it smells like a really good mood. There's a playfulness to it and a sweetness, but it's warm and feminine. There are so many beautiful layers to this fragrance. I love how it makes me feel. It makes me feel confident and a little bit sparkly, fancy, if you will. It covers just about all my moods."
What are the last three things you wrote in your notes app?
"Let's see. There's always a to-do list going, this one consists of laundry and dropping things off at FedEx. I have notes on a very exciting project I'm working on with my newsletter Beau Society, so more on that later. And then I have a note in here that is a little letter to my daughter. I have these moments all day everyday; those I cannot forget this moments. I'll just jot down what tends to not make a whole lot of sense when I read them back a couple days later, but they get a point across that I can somehow put my finger on."
What's been entertaining you lately?
"My little one. Completely. She's at the perfect little stage right now where everything she does feels like the funniest, cutest thing we've ever seen in our entire lives, and I am soaking up every single second of her."
Photo: Estée LauderCan you describe your perfect day?
"A couple months ago, my answer might've started with sleeping in. Now, there is nothing greater in the world right now to me and to my husband—I can speak for the both of us—than getting up before our baby so that we can run into her room and be there as she wakes up. We're on standby waiting for her to wake up so we can go in there and get her out of her little crib and have a day with her. I'm such a homebody. I love when there's nowhere to rush to and having a slow morning with my family. I love a good workout, some sunshine, a really good lunch, and then finishing the day off with a date night. That's my perfect day."
Do you believe in manifestation?
"Absolutely. 1000%. I think there's something really powerful about saying what you want out loud and allowing yourself to dream about it before you know exactly how it's going to happen. I feel like I do that all day, every day."
What are you manifesting for the rest of 2026?
"I am manifesting a really big, beautiful year, but more than anything, I just really want to be present for it. I want to keep building things that I'm incredibly proud of. I want to be the best mom and wife I can be. I want to make time for more creativity. I love what I do, and I lose myself in it all the time. I love that. I want to create even more space for that. I'd like to travel somewhere that inspires me, and take some big swings creatively and professionally. And what else? Maybe just more slow mornings with my family."