Kerry Washington is one superstar who always looks like perfection from head to toe. While she made her way into a lot of people’s hearts as the character Olivia Pope on Scandal, her beautiful face can now be seen on the 2020 miniseries Little Fires Everywhere. Speaking of her beautiful face, we can’t be the only ones wondering how she keeps her skin looking impeccable with and without makeup.
Here’s what we were able to find out about some of Kerry Washington’s makeup, hair, and beauty secrets.
Protecting her hair at all costs
Kerry Washington is a busy woman. You’ll either find her in a makeup chair, in a styling chair, in the gym, at home playing with her children or on set filming all day long. Because of that, her hair can go through a lot, that’s why Kerry has implemented certain measures to ensure she’s protecting her strands. “I try to use a clarifying shampoo every other week because I swim a lot and use a lot of product,” she told Allure.
In addition, she takes a daily fish oil pill to help “benefit” her hair and skin. What’s so great about fish oil? Well, it’s loaded with Omega-3 fatty acid that nourishes your hair follicles. It also helps your hair grow longer. Sounds like a win to us.
Bun life
Wigs and extensions are great protective hairstyles, but it’s important to take a break from them from time to time to allow your hair and scalp to breathe. Kerry also supports giving her hair a rest when she’s away from the spotlight. She told People magazine that first, she applies a “good deep conditioning mask” in her hair. Then, she goes for the same go-to hairstyle. “Off the red carpet, I usually wear my hair the same way every day: up in a bun,” she said.
As long as the bun isn’t pulled too tight, a bun is a great, low-manipulation style. We approve!
She’s all about the double cleanse trend
O Magazine sat down with Kerry Washington to discuss how Korean beauty traditions (like skin-lightening, for example) are becoming more popular in the beauty industry. The actress explained that while she does not endorse skin-lightening, she thinks it’s only fair to implement K-beauty elements that work for you while ignoring the rest.
As for the actress, she’s a huge fan of one K-beauty ritual in particular: double-cleansing. The technique involves using two different cleansers — typically an oil-based followed by a water-based one — to remove makeup, like this combo oil + water product.
She’s a low-maintenance girl
Kerry Washington’s makeup is always on point, thanks to her team of skilled makeup artists. But she told InStyle magazine that on her off days, she takes a simpler approach by keeping her look low-maintenance. After washing, cleansing, and moisturizing her skin, she’ll put on just a bit of mascara, a little concealer, and lip color. Ta-da! That’s all it takes!
Her one makeup rule
Imagine if you were up late and had an early call time. Taking off your makeup would be the furthest thing from your mind, right? However, we all know that falling asleep with makeup on is one of the ultimate no-no’s, sis, and Kerry agrees. “The one rule I have is that I never, ever, go to sleep with makeup on,” she told Net-A-Porter.
Of course, she isn’t perfect. So on those nights when she’s feeling particularly lazy, she makes sure to clean her face with a makeup remover wipe, like this affordable option we found on the web.
Curls like Kerry
There came a point where Kerry Washington’s hairstylist, Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, wanted to get the actress’s hair back to its natural texture. It was a process, though. Takisha told MSN she fell in love with Kerry’s natural curl pattern, so they started things off by doing braid-outs to allow the star’s texture to “come back into the hair.” These days, you can constantly see Kerry rocking her natural curls.
If you’re in the same boat and you want to get your curls to pop, we found this braid-out tutorial on YouTube that just might help!
Zapping away those dark spots
When Kerry Washington was announced as a spokesperson for Neutrogena, she made sure to sit with the research and development team to learn as much as she could. As a result, she told RAEview her go-to product from the brand is their Visibly Even moisturizer.
This isn’t your typical moisturizer, though. The Neutrogena product not only contains SPF 30 to keep your skin protected from harmful sun rays but the product helps to diminish discoloration.
Kerry relies on it as a dark spot corrector and says the product has the ability to fade her spots into oblivion. So not only does it cost less than $20, but it has multiple purposes. BRB, heading to Target!
Battling eczema
Kerry Washington told Elle magazine she has been seeing a dermatologist since she was six-years-old to battle eczema — a condition that causes inflammation of the skin. Through the years, she has also discovered which treatments work best for her. “I really believe in exfoliating and I also use a red light for dealing with bacteria,” she said.
By the way, there has been a great deal of research that suggests LED lights are a good source for treating acne and other wounds on the skin. This LED face mask is looking more and more appealing, isn’t it?
Long lashes, don’t care
While Kerry Washington has access to the best makeup in the world, there’s one accessory her team doesn’t have to worry about investing in. “I have very thick, curly lashes,” Kerry told US magazine.
Kerry added she never wears fake lashes, but she still considers herself a mascara girl. Her weapon of choice? This super-affordable lengthening mascara.
Hydrated skin and flawless makeup
Living in Los Angeles comes with great weather and a very dry climate. Kerry Washington’s makeup artist, Carola Gonzalez, spoke with New Beauty about hydrating the star’s skin with a gel moisturizer that includes hyaluronic acid. This product also helps makeup go on smoother.
Will you be implementing any of Kerry Washington’s makeup and beauty tips into your regimen?
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