Brunette Ambition (8 page)

DRINK MORE WATER!

I know you’ve heard this a hundred times (water and sunscreen always top lists of beauty must-dos), but I still insist on claiming this as one of the most important weapons in my beauty tool kit. Being a singer, it’s essential that I guzzle water, but the other benefit is that it’s so good for my skin, too. Between juice, soda, coffee … it’s so easy to forget to actually drink old-fashioned water, and whenever I feel especially tired or have a headache, I realize that it’s because I’ve been drinking everything
but
water for the past twenty-four hours. When I’m on set at
Glee
, I’ll bring four huge bottles, and I vow that I won’t leave set that night until I’ve finished all of them. I guzzle water down the same way a frat boy might funnel a six-pack of beer. To make it more interesting, I add fresh mint leaves, cucumbers, lemon, or fresh fruit like strawberries or raspberries.

BATH AND SHOWER ESSENTIALS

Taking the time to take a bath is one of my biggest indulgences—but they really do make me feel and look so much better. I like to concoct different combinations of oils and salts based on what I need, whether it’s to soften my skin, relax after a stressful day, or ease aching muscles. When I don’t have time for a full-on bath, I’ll use essential oils in the shower just to make it a little special. These ingredients are the basis for my bath-time ritual. I soak for at least fifteen minutes. I like to download meditation tracks from iTunes and listen to them while I’m in the tub; they enhance the whole experience and make it even more relaxing.

RELAXATION AND ACHING MUSCLES:
One heaping cup of Epsom salt + a few drops of lavender oil (to your liking)

SKIN SOFTENING:
One scoop of mustard bath (Try Dr. Singha’s Natural Therapeutics Mustard Bath. It’s a mixture of ground mustard seeds and herbs.) + a few drops of tea tree oil (it’s also really good for your scalp if you want to massage a few drops in)

STRAIGHT-UP DETOX AND PH BALANCE:
Half a 1-pound box of baking soda (I’ve built up to an entire box, but use a smaller amount to start!)

MY BIG-TIME NO-NOS

These are the things I will never—under any circumstances—do. Some of these are basic common sense, while others have been drilled into me by the pros I work with routinely.

1. SLEEP WITH MY MAKEUP ON OR SKIP WASHING MY FACE BEFORE BED.
As tired as I sometimes am at the end of the day, I never, ever skip this step. When you leave your makeup on, you’re essentially tucking it into your pores and inviting a pimple over for a slumber party.

2. USE DIRTY BRUSHES OR OLD MAKEUP.
I toss my makeup every three months and wash my brushes even more frequently. I use a spray intended specifically for washing them, but you can also clean brushes with a very gentle shampoo (just make sure to rinse them well). In order to waste as little as possible, I keep my makeup bag nice and streamlined.

3. USE OTHER PEOPLE’S PRODUCTS.
Even if you’re convinced your friends don’t have any communicable diseases, we all have our own unique set of germs, which aren’t great to share (particularly if you have acne-prone skin like me).

4. SHORT MYSELF ON SLEEP.
I really need eight hours.

5. FLY WITH MAKEUP ON.
If I’m having a bad skin day or know that I’ll be encountering the paparazzi at the airport, I’ll put on makeup and then remove it all as soon as I board the plane. I always carry wipes with me. I use this time in the sky to pamper my skin and really let it breathe (see opposite for my crazy rituals).

6. NOT DRINK ENOUGH WATER (ESPECIALLY WHEN FLYING).
As mentioned, I make a conscientious effort to get as much down my throat as possible throughout the day.

7. SLEEP ON DIRTY PILLOWCASES.
I change my sheets every week. During the summer, I’ll swap them out even more frequently.

8. PUT MAKEUP ON AFTER FACIALS.
I book a facial when I can tell my skin really needs to be cleaned out—and during that process, they open up all of your pores. It’s really important to let your skin breathe and heal for as long as possible.

9. TOUCH MY FACE WITH DIRTY HANDS!
In fact, I try not to touch my face at all—and I definitely never pick at it!

10. SKIP SUNSCREEN.
My friend Jonathan Groff never really thought to protect his skin from the sun—after all, he’s not an avid tanner and didn’t think he was at risk. But crazily enough, he went to the doctor and was diagnosed with skin cancer. What’s scarier is that his doctor told him that if it had gone unchecked, he could have been dead within a few months. The cancer was removed and he’s okay now, but he made me promise to have my moles checked. Even though I’m naturally dark and not inclined to burn, thanks to Jonathan I always, always wear sunscreen: I slather SPF 50 on my face and SPF 20 on my body, and go in for mole checks religiously. Even if you don’t live in sunny L.A., protect your skin from the sun!

TRAVELING TIPS

I always keep a travel kit prepped and packed. That way, if I know I’m not going to be sleeping in my own bed that night, I have everything I need on hand. As mentioned, I never, ever use other people’s products or products supplied by hotels—it doesn’t matter if they’re the nicest products around. Coming from a place of having bad skin, I know that I must stick with what works best and avoid stressing my skin out by changing my routine. Some people are blessed to be able to use anything they want—or to skip washing their face entirely—but I am just not that lucky! If I have sample sizes of all my go-tos with me wherever I go, then I never have to stress out about something possibly making me break out. Whole Foods has a great aisle of organic, travel-size beauty products; Kiehl’s is a great resource, too. These are the products that are always with me—with the exception, perhaps, of your razor and hair bands, keeping consistent to your brand of choice is really important:

1. FACE WASH

2. MOISTURIZER

3. PIMPLE CREAM

4. A RAZOR

5. HAIR BANDS

6. SHAMPOO

7. CONDITIONER

MAKING THE MOST OF IN-FLIGHT TIME

I love traveling with my makeup artist, Melanie Inglessis, because we’ve developed all sorts of rituals and routines to pass the time—and do great things for our skin in the process. After we’ve settled in and the plane has taken off, we clean our faces with rosewater-soaked pads and apply a heavy moisturizer to help counteract how dehydrating in-flight air can be on the skin. We also slather on yummy lip balm.

Melanie always packs full-face and collagen eye masques, which she applies to both of us when we’re ready to fall asleep. Everyone looks at us like we’re crazy, but it’s 100 percent worth it. What’s better than landing with gorgeous and refreshed skin?

Once we wake up, we remove the masques, wipe off the extra with cotton pads, and use an astringent toner to close our pores.

Next, we apply a light moisturizer and a little bit of eye cream (tap it on with your ring finger in a circular motion around the socket of the eye). Then we finish our faces with a tinted moisturizer to create a healthy and even glow, a bit of concealer for blemishes, and some powder in the T-zone area, and we’re ready to deplane! Melanie doesn’t wear much makeup, but sometimes I apply a bright red lip, which is my go-to look when the rest of my face is bare.

FULL SPA DAY RITUAL
(IN MY OWN BATHROOM)

When I have the luxury of time and an unscheduled morning or afternoon, I’ll pull out all the stops and focus my energy on pampering rituals. Not only is it a quick ticket to centering and reconnecting with myself, but it absolutely makes my hair and skin—not to mention soul!—look and feel better.

FIRST,
I draw a restorative bath, usually one that eases muscle aches, particularly if I’ve had a very strenuous week on set or workout.

SECOND
, I apply a
restorative hair masque
. Because my hair is being curled and blown out constantly, my ends tend to get dry, so my hair guru, Mark Townsend, taught me this recipe—you can get the ingredients at a health food shop or grocery store like Whole Foods. When I’m really lucky, he whips it up for me and hands me a jar to stash in my shower. The heat from the water liquefies the coconut, which is key—but because the ingredients separate, you’ll want to give it a vigorous shake before you apply. For his clients who have fine hair, Mark instructs them to dilute the mixture with water and store it in the shower in a spray bottle so they can mist it on very lightly. Again, you have to shake it vigorously to re-mix the ingredients before spritzing it on your ends—and then just leave it for a few minutes before washing it out so it doesn’t weigh hair down. He likes me to leave this in my hair for an hour every week (I wrap it up in a shower cap).

Mark’s Hair Masque

1 cup coconut oil (an excellent moisturizer composed of tiny molecules—molecules so tiny, in fact, that they can penetrate the shaft of the hair)

1 tablespoon almond oil (essential fatty acids)

1 tablespoon jojoba oil (moisturizer)

1 teaspoon vitamin E oil (lubricant)

1 teaspoon carrot oil (only use a drop or two if you’re blond, since it can stain hair)

THIRD,
I drain the tub and stay seated while I exfoliate my entire body with a scrub.
For an intense, hard scrub
, I’ll take a bowl and mix two scoops of Epsom salt with five tablespoons of olive oil until it’s the right consistency (make sure the olive oil is thoroughly mixed).
For a medium-intense scrub
, I’ll take a bowl and mix two scoops of brown sugar with about two tablespoons of either honey or agave (agave is not as thick). Again, you want to make sure that the honey or agave is blended with the brown sugar, though it should still feel coarse.
For a light scrub
, I’ll mix two scoops of coconut oil (microwave it if it’s too difficult to stir) with twice as much sugar and a bit of fresh lime or lemon peel. Alternately, there are loads of great premade organic scrubs at Whole Foods.