Halle Berry ''hardly ever'' wears make-up.

The 45-year-old actress prefers to go for a natural look and give her skin ''a break'' when she is out and about, and counts a good ''lip balm'' as beauty must-have.

She said: ''I hardly ever wear make-up. I like to give my skin a break - let it breathe.''

Despite going make-up free on regular occasions, Halle admits to being a big fan of using Kinara Spa skincare products and sunscreen, as well as snubbing smoking and excessive drinking to keep her skin healthy.

She explained to PEOPLE: ''It's cleansing your skin, watching what you eat, no smoking, not too much drinking, no sugar - just simple. And using sunscreen! If you don't have a good base, then it doesn't matter what you put on it - it's not going to look as great as it could.''

Halle - who has four-year-old daughter Nahla - recently opted for a curly hairstyle for her latest film, 'The Hive', and she sees her new-look locks as a fashion accessory ''like a handbag or pair of shoes''.

She added: ''I actually did it for work. But I also look at hair as an accessory, just like a handbag or a pair of shoes. It's something you can put on, play with for awhile and then take it off and try something different.''

''When you have short hair, sometimes you have to play with it a little to make it look good. This [pointing to her hair] is what you call wash-and-wear beach hair. It's ready to go!''