With her super natural beauty and laidback vibes, it comes as no surprise that Free People enlisted Phoebe Tonkin to be the face of a new collection inspired by Australia. In this RUSSH exclusive, the Sydney-raised actor gives us insight into a few of her hometown heroes.

Living overseas, what do you miss most about Australia?
I wish I could bottle up my family and take them with me. When I was here last I hung out with four of my closest school friends [for] the first time in eight years. I really miss that familiarity and the type of banter I can have with my Aussie friends. We are a lot more self-deprecating and the first one to make the other red with embarrassment wins, really. I think I have definitely romanticised the idea of home as well. Leading up to summer all I can think about is drinking rosé by the beach and living in sunscreen and not much else.

You have 10 minutes to pack for a month long stay in Sydney. What do you take/leave/buy when you get there?
Take: Bikinis, denim shorts, white T-shirts.
Leave: Gym clothes, boots, makeup.
Buy: Coconut oil, local Banana Boat sunscreen, Havaianas.

What is the first thing you do when you get home?
I always, always, go get a latte at the coffee shop, then jump in the ocean at Balmoral beach. Nothing fights jet lag like the ocean.

Where are your go-to spots?
Charlotte Dodson for yoga, and Transform Health for a good outdoor workout. I also love to walk along the cliffs between Bronte and Bondi. I like to go to The Bathers’ Pavilion for dinner, and the Balmoral Boathouse for brunch. And nothing beats packing a picnic and drinking champagne on a grassy hill somewhere in Bondi.

Which Australian film best describes you?
You know I studied Picnic at Hanging Rock in high school. It was such an incredibly inspiring film to me as a teenager. I really loved the costumes and wanted to grow my hair out like the girls in it. I would say I am still a bit of a wanderer like Miranda in the film.

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Published March 3, 2016
by Sabrina Santiago
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