Singer Alesha Dixon says she was a tomboy while growing up as she never preferred wearing make-up and instead had a bent towards athletics and gymnastics.

"I didn't wear make-up at school because we weren't allowed to, but I was a tomboy anyway. My daughter certainly won't be wearing it to school, either! My mum never had a problem with me because I was too interested in athletics and gymnastics," Dixon told the Daily Telegraph newspaper, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"I'm still not really a girlie girl. I love playing dress-up and I love that I get to work with brilliant stylists and hairdressers, but I'm not one to fuss when it comes to make-up.

"You would think that working with make-up artists all the time, I'd have picked up lots of tips and tricks, but all it actually means is that I don't do my own make-up very often, so when it comes to doing it, I'm like, 'Right, bit of mascara and off we go!'" she added

The 37-year-old singer says that she takes a much more relaxed approach to make-up when she's not working.

"At home, I don't sit in front of the mirror for a long time, because I spend an hour and a half doing that as a part of my job when I'm on television or doing a photo shoot," the "Knockdown" crooner said.

"When I'm not working, I quite like to do the complete opposite. Who wants to sit in front of a mirror for two hours, anyway?" she added.