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ABC3's new fresh face Melissa Howard spends up to fourteen hours a day rehearsing and shooting AFI nominated children's drama Dead Gorgeous and shares with us her on and off set fashion and beauty secrets.

You're twenty two years and old and play a fourteen year old, what is your secret to looking almost ten years younger on set?

Well the first thing they (make up department) did to me was cut my hair. Short hair instantly made me look a lot younger. There is very minimal make up used for my character, no colour on the eyes or eyeliner is used- which is quite ironic as most fourteen year olds pack on as much make up as they can! I actually play a ghost who lived in the 1800s who comes back to live and pose as a student  in the present time, so my make up is simple and angelic to match that of the era I came from. Most lipsticks are too harsh against my fair skin so I usually wear a Korres red lip tint, from KIT makeup. My hair is also very styled with curls held tightly in place. They also put soft highlights in my hair to give me a young and fresh look.

Being an actress and always wearing make up on set, what is your every day beauty routine to keep your skin looking so flawless?

I never break the only rule I have for myself and that's to wash my make up off before bed! I generally don't wear make up off set as I prefer to let my skin breath but when I do I use an oil free make up remover and then a face wash afterwards. I've exfoliated my skin with St Ives Scrub since I was thirteen years old and swear by it. I also moisturise every day and keep free of blemishes and spots by using either bio oil or tea tree oil.

Tell us a bit about the fashion on 'Dead Gorgeous'..you got to dress up in costumes from the 1800s...

The wardrobe on set was so much fun to dive into. I was lucky that my character was very outgoing and tried to make bold fashion statements all the time- she got caught up with whatever looked fashionable in order to fit in with her peers. My favourite costumes were those that I wore to represent the 1800s. Thankfully there were no corsets involved, although there was boning in the dresses.

How would you describe your personal style and has dressing up in costumes from the 1800s impacted your current fashion choices?

I love certain aspects of the fashion from that era. I love tailored dresses and I have really come to appreciate the structure and the craftsmanship that go into making the dresses I wear on the show. It is why I shop sparingly and save for expensive designer wear because I know that I am buying beautifully made and excellent quality designs. The fabrics used are also divine, there was one nightgown I wore early on in the season that I fell in love with- I could definitely wear it as a day dress today! There is a shop in Richmond, Melbourne, called Hobo that I love to shop at, they have classic dresses with prints and similar tailoring to that of the 1800s. On set, I also learnt about the fashion statements people made back then using different designs. For instance, different length sleeves sent different messages and there were rules against wearing red in the morning- it being too seductive of course! It was so subtle but definitely understood- very different to today where we are bold enough to write large slogans on t-shirts to say what we want.

What's your number one beauty item that you never leave the house without?

Lucas’ Papaw and a hair tie. Simple but necessary!

There is pressure on all actresses to keep a certain size and stay healthy, what is your exercise and diet plan?

I drink lots of water and go for long walks whenever I can. I live right by Albert Park Lake and I jump at any chance I get to go for a walk and get fresh air. I think if you look after yourself on the outside you'll start to feel beautiful on the inside and vice versa. I also practice Bikram Yoga twice a week for that reason- it gives me a chance to re-energise my mind and body and keeps my skin glowing!