Archive copy by Jenni Baden Howard

According to American Vogue, “Estée Lauder doesn’t just have cover girls, they launch legends”. This legend-in-the-making is determined to keep her feet firmly on the ground. Well, the sand, to be precise.

‘I’m a beach girl at heart,’ insists Murphy, who grew up in Florida - her father’s American Indian ancestry gave her a headstart on the honey-gold skin - and will shortly be moving to California with her husband and their one year old daughter. ‘I’ve spent the last ten years in New York, and I love the city,’ says Murphy. ‘But I think the move will be good for my daughter, and for all of us.’

Becoming “the Estée Lauder girl”, as Murphy puts it - as if she still can’t quite believe it herself - has not changed her priorities. While we talk, she switches between her dual roles of Supermodel and mother with ease, distracting a slightly fractious Dylan with toys. ‘She’s a busy baby, so she really needs her naps,’ says Murphy, matter-of-factly.

Four months have gone by since the announcement of Elizabeth Hurley’s much-speculated-about successor (Hurley will still represent Estée Lauder fragrances, and work with its Breast Cancer Research Foundation), and Murphy already has several stunning campaigns under her belt.

‘It was such an honour that, for a while, I was really overwhelmed and it felt very surreal,’ she admits. ‘But it’s been wonderful. On the shoots, there’s a great chemistry between the whole team, and working with Aerin (Lauder) is amazing. We’re close in age, and she’s very modern and traditional at the same time.’

The feeling is mutual: Lauder, vice president of global advertising and granddaughter of Estée, says of her casting choice: ‘The first time I met Carolyn, she brought her little girl to the shoot. I had just had a child as well, so I could relate to that. Not only is she beautiful, but she really does represent the modern Estée Lauder woman.’

The fact that the chameleon-esque Murphy manages to look so different in the ad campaigns which have already been shot - ‘Carolyn is multidimensional,” remarks Lauder - is impressive.

‘One of the most satisfying things about the job is being able to play different roles,’ says Murphy. ‘You’d think that, with a cosmetics company, that would be limited. But Estée Lauder capitalises on it, so I can really have fun with it. It doesn’t get boring.’

Which role feels most comfortable? ‘The ads are very polished, and I’m more natural in everyday life,’ admits Murphy. ‘The Extremely Spring line (launching in Britain on 11 February) is all about beautiful, clean skin and a strong lip colour, which I wouldn’t normally wear. But the shoot made me think “this is fun, maybe I’ll try doing a fuschia lip myself”.’

Inevitable comparisons have been made between Murphy and former Lauder “faces”, most notably Willow Bay, who represented the brand in the Seventies, and Karen Graham, the Eighties Lauder girl who preceeded Paulina Porizkova.

‘I love looking at the archive pictures, and I don’t mind being compared to Willow or Karen - they are both really beautiful women, and their careers have had real longevity,’ says Murphy (Graham has since made a comeback, as the “face” of the Resilience Lift range).

Coveted contract aside, Murphy remains a working model in her own right. Besides regularly gracing the pages of all the major glossies, she is a familiar face on the international catwalks. When we speak, Murphy is preparing to leave for the Paris couture collections - ‘it will be a lot of fun, I haven’t done couture for a while,’ she says - and anticipates doing ‘one or two’ New York shows.

As you’d expect, Murphy’s bathroom, make-up bag and car glove compartment are now chock-full of company booty. ‘I use everything,’ she says. ‘I’m really into skincare products. If you take good care of your skin, you don’t need to wear so much make-up. I love the Light Source moisturiser and Idealist skin finisher, which is colourless but gives you a glow. I also drink a lot of water - at least a litre a day.

‘The Advanced Night Repair serum for eyes has done wonders for the undereye baggage that we new mothers get from sleepless nights. I also really like the Stress Relief eye masks. I’ve always used cucumber slices or cold spoons - these are definitely more glamorous. On planes, I load up on the Renutrive Ultimate Lifting Crème (arriving here on 11 February). I was addicted to Crème de la Mer, but I like this a little better. I slather it on my face, and even on my hands.’

When it comes to sun protection, Murphy - the quintessential beach babe - is refreshingly honest. ‘I’ve always been a sun worshipper - it’s my birthright,’ she laughs. ‘I love the glow you get from being in the sun, although now that I’m in my late twenties, I am starting to think more about protection. But I think it’s quite healthy to spend some time in the sun, as long as you’re smart about it and use a good sunblock. I also love the Go Bronze tinted self-tanner for the face. I use it if I’m looking a little tired.’

Murphy’s au naturel attitude to beauty is echoed in her ‘jeans and t-shirts’ wardrobe. ‘I’m addicted to APC’s stiff, low-waisted, overwashed jean,’ she says. ‘And I love Marc Jacobs.’

Another reason to like Murphy (while hating her at the same time): ‘I don’t like go to the gym - I don’t care for that,’ she says. ‘I try to eat healthily. But if I exercise, it has to be something I enjoy, like surfing or yoga.’ Legends don't more low-key than that.