BEAUTY CHAT: MONIQUE SAMUELS
In this new series for CVLUX, we will be chatting with today’s brightest TV and movie stars. First up, it’s our opening Beauty Chat with Bravolebrity Monique Samuels from The Real Housewives of Potomac.
JM: What is one beauty ritual you make sure to do daily?
MS: I wash my face before I go to bed. There was a time when I didn’t think that was a big deal and I’d wake up and wash my face and think that was good enough, but washing my skin before bed has totally changed the way my skin looks and feels. It’s a rare thing if I have an acne breakout because it’s keeping my skin clear. You don’t realize how much the environment and just being outside tears down your skin. If you don’t have makeup on and you’re running around doing errands, you’re like “okay well I didn’t wear makeup today so I don’t need to wash my face before I go to bed,” but in actuality those pollutants and everything that’s in the air can cause just as much if not more damage to your skin.
JM: What are some of your favorite products to use right now?
MS: I love this brand called Ancient Cosmetics. They have a lot of natural skincare creams for the whole body, including your face. I love their natural soaps and face washes. They have this turmeric face wash that I am obsessed with. The fact that it has an expiration date lets me know that the ingredients are natural and pure. It’s not something you can leave on your shelf for a whole year and expect it to still work.
JM: How does your glam change and evolve? What inspires you to try a new look?
MS: I remember when I first started the show, my makeup was heavier. It’s crazy because it actually aged me. My glam has changed because now I actually use less makeup. I’ll go for a dramatic eye or a nice lip, but when it comes to using foundation, I’ve used less and less over the years. I get a lot of compliments from people saying I look like I’m aging backwards and they ask what I’m doing or what’s my trick. I’m using less makeup and going for more of a natural look. I don’t want my makeup to look heavy and I don’t want the makeup to wear me.
JM: What beauty advice do you have for other women on-the-go?
MS: I’d love for people to check out my Not For Lazy Moms website, www.notforlazymoms.com. We have some beauty tips under “Maintaining Mommy” and some lifestyle tips on beauty and just trying to start from the inside and work your way out, when it comes to making changes in your body and skin. A lot of people want to be very topical all the time but they have terrible eating habits, they’re eating greasy food, they’re not drinking enough water. You can do topical all day but your skin is still going to suffer, so we talk a lot about other natural alternatives you can use.
Beauty Editor Jessica McCafferty
