For much of her decade-long career, though, the 27-year-old has been quietly preparing for a life beyond the cameras. “My absolute dream would be to have a charitable foundation, and run that completely not-for-profit—that would be my ultimate goal, to spend all my time giving back,” she reveals without hesitation. “But in order to do that, I have to build myself up so that I can step back completely and have projects that just run on the side.”
Outside of modelling and multiple ambassadorships, Franklin is well on the way to forging that empire, having just launched her eponymous lifestyle app, a platform that she uses to share everything from workout tips, healthy recipes and podcast recommendations, to interviews with people who inspire her. “Whether we like it or not, you have to have some sort of digital presence, and I want mine to have more meaning than just a page of pretty pictures,” is how she sums it up.
And while the model is not against platforms such as Instagram and their positive power to connect, she is wary of the fact that “people seek a lot of validation from it”. Needless to say, Franklin won’t be contributing to that unhealthy cycle. “I’m never going to be the girl who posts her tits and arse on Instagram,” she says with a laugh. “As much as I’d love to have 10.5 million followers, it’s just not me.”
Franklin’s bankable talents run deeper than that, and with her philanthropic intentions laid out, it’s fitting that she names Princess Diana as her singular style muse. “I just love how classic she was, but she was also not afraid to take fashion risks, which I really, really admire.” In fact, it was the late royal who inspired Franklin’s new shorter ’do, which received a quick trim from hairstylist Alan White on the seaside set of her InStyle shoot.
“I just hadn’t had the chance to get it cut in the past few weeks leading up to the shoot,” admits Franklin, who isn’t one to prioritise professional treatments, instead opting for an easy DIY approach to beauty. Case in point: after partnering with global mega brand Olay three years ago, Franklin has converted to the skincare company’s tried-and-tested products, which take her a fuss-free two minutes to apply every morning and night—an important box to tick for someone who’s always on the go.
As the conversation turns from skincare to self-care, the Sydneysider also shares that her preferred way of winding down when she’s at home is just as relatable. “I love a bath. I get all my candles out, do a mask, even pour myself a glass of wine. And Bud loves a bath, too,” she adds, referring to her husband of almost three years, AFL star, Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin. Pre-empting my next question, she smiles and quickly adds, “Not together! We do not fit in one bath together. I’m nearly six foot, and he’s over six foot. It’s not as romantic as it sounds.” I can’t help but think that at least there’s one downside to being so enviably tall.
Jesinta on...
Skincare: “My everyday skincare regimen is really simple. I only use two products in the morning: a foaming face cleanser from the Olay Total Effects range ($14) and the Gentle Day Cream ($23) with SPF in it. At night, I just do the foaming cleanser again and apply a night cream—[as] you don’t need to put a cream with SPF in it on your face when you’re going to sleep!”
Exercise: “Back in the day, it wouldn’t matter if I’d [only] had two hours’ sleep—I would always try to make time to exercise, and do a really hard session for an hour. Now my approach is more balanced. If I wake
up and I’m really tired, I will just go for a nice walk. Then on the days where I feel like I’ve got lots of energy, I’ll go for a boxing session or a class at Barry’s Bootcamp. What I’ve discovered through my own health journey is that overexercising is just as detrimental to your health as not exercising at all.”
Diet: “For me, it’s about eating as much nutrient-dense food as possible. Monday to Friday, I’ll get up and have eggs and avocado for breakfast, and for lunch I’ll have a great piece of fish with salad and greens, then for dinner I’ll do a really big stir-fry. But then on the weekend I do love a champagne [and] I love chocolate. I think if you deprive yourself, you just go crazy.”
