Dakota Johnson Says Her Period Is 'Ruining Her Life' and Honestly, Same
Dakota Johnson might not share her entire life on the Internet, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have plenty to say, or that she’s not prepared to speak out on topics that matter.
For example, in October 2018, the actress partnered with Global Citizen and famously posted her phone number on Instagram (the only photo on her feed), so that women who have experienced sexual harassment, dangerous methods of contraception, or any type of inequality could share their stories on their own accord and without judgment.
And when she hopped on the phone with us to discuss her fragrance partnership with Gucci for the new scent, Gucci Bloom Nettare Di Fiori, she didn’t hesitant to get real about the hormone fluctuations that come with a woman’s period, or the important of reproductive education.
Keep scrolling for her take on fragrance, her thoughts on period side effects, and the haircut mistake that she'll never make again.
Some people have a really personal connection to fragrance. They wear one scent, and they wear that one scent for the rest of their lives. Others are trying something new all the time. What method do you follow when it comes to fragrance?
I stick to the same scents. My olfactory is very strong, so I remember people by the way they smell. Places, people’s homes. It evokes a lot of memories and emotion in me. My mother has always smelled the same, and I find it really beautiful. I find scent a very personal thing. There’s also times where people will wear a certain scent, and I have to leave the room.
There’s a smell that always reminds me of my grandmother, and it wakes me up when I smell it. What’s one particular scent that evokes a strong memory for you?
I think it’s my mother’s perfume. It’s a funny thing, but whenever I see her, she always smells the same, so I kind of feel immediately cozy and safe.
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I went to go see Bad Times at the El Royale with my boyfriend, and he said, ‘I bet you really liked Dakota's bangs.’ And I really do, actually! How do you feel about your bangs? Are you a bangs-for-life type of girl?
I feel like I’m pretty attached to them, but I also have to change for when I work. So, it’s nice that when I’m not working I have a go-to haircut. I cut my own bangs with nail scissors, and it was a total disaster. I finally was like, I need a professional haircut, because I was doing it myself.
Say I handed you $30 to go into a drugstore, what would you buy?
I would probably get hair clips and candy and eye drops. Gum. Bobby pins.
What’s one unanswered question you still have about beauty?
If I’m honest, my hormonal changes during my menstrual cycle are ruining my life. Every month. It’s unbelievable. It’s really fucking amazing. I can’t get a grip on it. I’m like, what? Every time, I’m totally scandalized about what happens to my body and my brain. My boobs are like eight times the size they normally are. It’s really a traumatic thing, and it happens every month. I just can’t get used to it.
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It’s kind of miraculous how much your body can switch and change. You’re like, ‘What’s wrong with me?!’ And then you realize. It’s insane.
It’s really, really insane. It’s also very tricky to figure out what type of birth control you’re meant to be on, and if it’s even healthy. This is something that, again, I’m advocating with Global Citizen: Reproductive education. What it means to have a woman body, and how do you honor it the right way? How do you not jam chemicals into your brain in order to feel good? It’s a remarkable thing. I really would like to understand and be able to manage things a little better, know what’s happening in my body, and know what I’m putting into it.
