“The Elizabeth
Arden retinol
capsules are part
of my nighttime
routine now.
When I use them,
I feel like I’m
really taking
care of myself.”“I like
Beautycounter
shampoo
and conditioner
because it’s
a clean brand.”Elizabeth Arden
Retinol Ceramide
Capsules Line
Erasing Night Serum,
$84 for 60 pieces;
elizabetharden.comElizabeth Arden
White Tea Vanilla
Orchid Eau de
Toilette Spray, $56
for 3.3 ounces;
elizabetharden.comBeautycounter
Daily Shampoo and
Conditioner, $26 each;
beautycounter.comCetaphil Gentle
Skin Cleanser, $11;
drugstoresRevlon Eyelash
Curler, $6; ulta.comFor a lot of women,
beauty is a bonding
experience. Is
that true for you?
A: Absolutely. Every Tuesday
I used to go with my
grandma when she’d get
her hair done by Mr. Ray
in Nashville, and I would listen
to the women gossip and
talk about what made them feel
beautiful. It was empowering.
They would have these
conversations and feel ready
to face the world.The actor and face of Elizabeth Arden
shares the treatment she and her friends love,
the message she wants to send to
young women, and her favorite skincare tip.Reese
Witherspoon
BEAUTY TALK
Q: What are the products or
treatments that your inner circle
is buzzing about right now?
A: Facials. Microcurrent facials,
cryofacials—they’ve been
a big part of our conversations
lately. I did a cryofacial
[which uses below-freezing
temperatures to help
stimulate collagen production]
with [New York City celebrity
aesthetician] Georgia Louise,
and it was amazing. My skin
looked fabulous for seven days.Q: What’s the best beauty tip
anyone’s ever shared with you?
A: When I was 18 years old,
a makeup artist on a movie I
was doing told me to apply
sunscreen twice a day. She said,
“You’re going to be on camera
for the rest of your life, so you
have to take care of your skin.”
Also, the more you sleep, the
better you look. It might seem
like fun to be out all night,
but you’ll look prettier if you
stay home and go to bed.Q: For so long, beauty has
been about making a woman
look more alluring to a man.
Does that notion need an update
in our #MeToo era?
A: I like to think of makeup as
a self-confidence tool that allows
you to put yourself together in
a way that you find aesthetically
pleasing. I’ve never really
worn makeup to attract people.
I think beauty is self-expression.
It’s like painting. My daughter
is an artist and makes beautiful
paintings, and she has similar
feelings about makeup.Q: Speaking of your daughter,
what do you think the
message of beauty should be
for girls today?
A: For so many years, we’ve
seen one standard of beauty
reflected in the media, and I’m
so glad my daughter’s growing
up in a moment when different
women are expressing that
they want to see themselves
represented. And I think brands
understand. Women are
the ones buying the products,
and we want to see all bodytypes, all skin tones, and
the entire spec trum of the
female experience.Q: Do you have any favorite
budget beauty finds in skincare
or makeup?
A: Cetaphil face wash is very
gentle and really great. I always
travel with it. And the Revlon
eyelash curler is fantastic.Q: Which beauty products best
express who you are today?
A: I’m loving the new Elizabeth
Arden White Tea collection of
fragrances. The Vanilla Orchid is
one of my favorites. It makes
me feel very grown-up.Q: Do you think there’s still
an unfair amount of pressure
put on women to appear
a certain way as they age?
A: Look, when I started in this
business, I was told that
after 40 I wouldn’t be working
very much. Now I’m 43 and
working more than I ever
have. So I think the standards
are changing. People have
more options [with streaming
platforms] and can choose
what they want to see. And
they’re saying “Those are the
types of women I want to
see.” Data is democratizing.
—BRIAN UNDERWOOD62 SEPTEMBER^2019 OPRAHMAG.COM
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