The incredible Tessa Virtue is one half of ice dancing's gold-medal winning duo (with partner Scott Moir) and has recently been named NIVEA's first-ever Canadian brand ambassador. Here, we chat with this Canadian "it" girl about skincare, working out, soothing achy muscles and how she finds precious me-time. 

Beauty and empowerment
"To me, beauty is all about how you feel in your skin and how you present yourself to the world.  That stems from confidence, as well as knowing who you are and what you stand for.  Beings sure about what you want – and going after it fearlessly – is all intermingled with skincare, beauty, and fashion."

Travel must-haves
"When I travel, I take all my makeup off to ensure my skin can breathe.  NIVEA's MicellAIR is perfect, as you don't need additional water and it leaves no product residue.  I also always bring a favourite travel candle to have a familiar scent in my hotel room.  Having some comforting items from home is grounding when I'm on the road so much!

Training days
"Leading into the Olympics, Scott [Moir] and I typically skated for four hours a day, and would then spend two hours in the gym doing various workouts including cycling, Pilates, strength circuits, and sometimes even ballroom dancing!"

Image: Alvaro Goveia | Styling: Julia McEwen

Soothing sore muscles
"As an older athlete, the balance of work and recovery has become more important.  Much of a training day is devoted to treatment – we work with a massage therapist, an osteopath, and a physiotherapist.  There is a lot of mental prep work, as well, so Scott and I work with a sport psychologist.  We have a bit of an entourage, but all of those facets of our preparation are so important and set us up for key moments on the ice when it all comes down to a three or four minute performance."

Self care
"The first thing I do every morning is have a glass of hot water with lemon for its alkalinity and detox effects.  My skincare and beauty regime is quite minimal.  I drink a lot of water, sleep as much as I can, and moisturize."

Recovery rituals
"I love lighting candles, putting Epsom salts in the bathtub, putting on a "chill" playlist and soaking – it's a great way to decompress, unwind, and let my mind calm down.  I also like to do a digital detox.  We are all so accessible on our devices all the time, it's important to take moments to be present and mindful."

Gym bag essentials

• NIVEA Care Nourishing Cream
• NIVEA MicellAIR Micellar Water
• Headphones 
• NIVEA Essential Lip Balm
• Water bottle 
• Hand warmers 
• Granola bars

Moderation
"My diet isn't too strict, instead I focus on eating healthfully. I have such a sweet tooth, and I've learned not to deprive myself, but rather practice moderation. I'm not a big cook, but I'll make poached eggs, smoothies and overnight oats."