Hyperpigmentation is the excess production of melanin, usually caused by sun damage, inflammation or other skin injuries. Murad’s Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum, is ideal for all ages and ethnicities and rapidly diminishes unwanted discoloration, prevents against sun damage and is clinically proven to restore clarity and even skin tone by reducing the appearance of sun spots and age spots by 33% in 1 week.

Product info: Hydroquinone fades dark spots, age spots and freckles, evening skin tone to reveal a clearer, brighter complexion. Glycolic Acid exfoliates to remove dead skin cells, helping the active ingredient penetrate quickly for faster results.

Requirements for participation:
-       Must be Southern California residents
-       Women ages 30-60
-       Hyperpigmentation
-       Visible sun damage
-       Age spots
-       Must be available to take a Before & After photo at Murad, Inc. in El Segundo, CA

Participants will receive FREE Murad Product for their participation. Those interested in participating in a FREE 1 week study, please contact healthyskin@murad.com for more information.

Related reviews:

1. Murad Sleep Reform Serum And a Chat With Dr. Murad about Sleep Reform
2. Murad Vitamin C Infusion Home Facial Kit
3. Dr. Howard Murad: An Interview and an Experience at Murad

Related reviews:

1. Celebrity Skin Interview: Sarah Hyland
2. Celebrity Skin Interview: Christian Serratos
3. Celebrity Skin Interview: Sarah Drew

I recently had a chat with Christian. Check it out!

Is there anything that the fans of the “Twilight” franchise might not know about your experience making these films?

The fans are so dedicated to following this franchise. So, everything you wouldn’t even expect them to know, they know. For example, my character Angela wears glasses in the film and in the book she didn’t wear glasses. But I auditioned with them, thinking that as an actor that might give me an edge and I ended up using them for the entire film. I didn’t think a lot of people knew about that, but they do. We filmed in Canada in crazy weather conditions and the first time we shot was in Portland and it was very cold. But a lot of fans know that. The fans are so dedicated that I really don’t think there’s anything I can tell them that they don’t know already.

Tell me about your favorite skin care products.

I’m a skin care fiend. I love getting new products but I really only use a few. For face wash, I use the Neutrogena Grapefruit Scrub. I refuse to go to bed with my makeup on, like a lot of my girlfriends do. So, I’m an addict to my makeup wipes. I use the MAC Makeup Remover Wipes.

Makeup faves?

I’m the girl who has an abundance of makeup so all my girlfriends come over so I can do their makeup before parties and things. For myself, I strictly use Georgio Armani Foundation and Bobbi Brown Concealer. I’m a powder fiend, so I use MAC Blotting Powder and Make Up For Ever Loose Powder. I always have powder with me at all times.

What do you use on your eyes?

For my eyes, I usually don’t go all out unless I’m going to be photographed or I’m going to an event. But on a day to day basis I just usually put on mascara, if I get that far.

Do you have any lip faves?

I always have to have Chapstick with me.  I use Aquaphor. I usually completely nude out my lips with a really beige lipstick or a peach lip gloss, or I will do bright red. I have a favorite I just found, it’s Stila, and it’s a long lasting lipstick but it’s like a lip gloss. I love it so much.

What’s your “must have” product?

It changes day to day. But I feel like it’s typically always a powder and a peach MAC lip gloss. Right now my favorite powder is probably Glow.

What do you carry in your purse?

I usually don’t carry a purse. I’ll put my phone in my jeans with my wallet attached in my pocket but when I do use a purse I always carry my powder and my gloss. Sometimes if I’m going to an event, I’ll carry a mini hair spray with me.

Do you have a favorite spa?

I’m obsessed with steam rooms! I love to just sit in a steam room and relax. I usually just go to my dermatologist for facials. I get my nails done religiously at Eco-Spa in Burbank. I won’t go anywhere else.

What makes you feel especially beautiful?

When I’m getting ready to go out and I want to feel beautiful and sexy, I always feel my best when I’m in a classic length dress, a tight dress that’s at least knee length. And when I have my hair blown out and it’s just clean and not styled, I think that’s when I feel best.

Thanks Christian!

Related reviews:

1. Celebrity Skin Interview: Taryn Manning
2. Celebrity Skin Interview: Sarah Hyland
3. Celebrity Skin Interview: Odette Annable

Not only does Fresh never disappoint, but I have to say that I get so excited every year when I know that the Fresh gift sets are on their way to me. Always beautifully packaged, always the best products, and always a great assortment to choose from. I truly love every Fresh gift set this year, but I’ve picked a handful of my favorites to tell you about. The Skin Savers Set, the Sake and Seaberry Spa Retreat, and the Fresh Icons.

The Fresh Skin Savers Set is AWESOME! The moment I saw it, I reached for my skin care princess tiara. Such an amazing gift set, with five of Fresh’s greatest products. It comes with the Lotus Eye Gel, the Soy Face Cleanser, the Rose Face Mask, the Soy Moisturizing Cream Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 20, and the Sugar Lip Treatment Advanced Therapy. You absolutely cannot go wrong with gifting the Skin Savers Set to anyone. It’s skin care decadence! $60

The Fresh Sake and Seaberry Spa Retreat is my Fresh favorite this year for body care. Also, being a huge fan of Fresh candles, I love this set because it comes with a Sake Petite Candle. Bonus! The Sake and Seaberry Spa Retreat includes Fresh’s Seaberry Restorative Body Cream, Sake Bath, Seaberry Exfoliating Soap and the Sake Petite Candle. This is the gift set to give that will make any bathroom feel like a skin care haven. Love it! $75

I’ve written more about Fresh’s Sugar Lip Treatments than almost any other product and I’ve also raved about the Soy Face Cleanser, so the Fresh Icons is my pick out of the smaller Fresh gift sets this holiday season. The Fresh Icons set comes with a full size Soy Face Cleanser and a mini Sugar Lip Treatment. It’s small enough to be a stocking stuffer, but big enough to be a lovely little gift for someone. I can definitely say that I would be thrilled to unwrap the Fresh Icons set for myself or find it in my stocking this year. $18.50

While I’ve chosen a few favorites to write about, I’ve seen all of Fresh’s gift sets this year and I genuinely love them all. From the bigger sets to the smallest stocking stuffer’s, all of the Fresh gift sets are so beautiful and they all include amazing products. Indulge for the holidays!

A special thanks to Desiree and Rose at Fresh for their continued support and for always participating in my celebrity gifting, sending the loveliest gifts and amazing products my way. Happy Holidays!

Related reviews:

1. Beautiful Fresh Gifts for the Holidays
2. My Skin Affair Holiday Picks
3. Fresh Sugar Soap

I always love the extra bit of pampering that you get at Planet Salon. You always get an awesome hand massage while you’re getting your cut. Huge bonus! I also got a very relaxing scalp massage, with lavender oil, before my shampoo. So I left Planet Salon with an amazing cut, once again, and I always leave there feeling relaxed. Ginger sent me home with a new product that she thought was a “must have” for me. I have fine hair and I always need a little extra help getting some volume. Ginger gave me Nioxin Diamax HTX, a product that increases the thickness of your hair. It really helps me to get the extra volume that I need. It’s an amazing product. The Nioxin Diamax also gives my hair some nice added texture, which makes it more manageable and works great with my cut.  I love using it!

Big thanks to Ginger for the awesome cut and the amazing product! 
Photography: Robert Lynden

Related reviews:

1. Aveda Concept Salon Review: Planet Salon – Beverly Hills, CA.
2. Spa Review: The Argyle Salon and Spa – West Hollywood, CA.
3. Spa Review: Kate Somerville’s Clinic – Los Angeles, CA. – With Kate Somerville Product Reviews

Bobbi Brown

I’m all about the Bobbi Brown Extra Face Oil. I can’t get enough of it. The Bobbi Brown Extra Face Oil is such a beautiful product! For me, it’s skin care decadence. It’s a luxurious self-indulgence that I absolutely long for. Warning: I get very passionate about my products! This lightweight Face Oil not only softens my skin, but it has a scent that I beyond adore. Mmmm…perfection! After I apply the Extra Oil to my face, I rub whatever bit of the product is left all over my hands. Using the Oil at night, I go to bed extra happy because I have the scent of the Extra Oil on my face and hands. And truth be told, on these nights, I actually fall asleep with my hands close to my face so that I can bathe as much as possible in that scent as I fade away from my day. If I could, I just might drink it. Not really…but maybe (cheeky girl!). The Extra Face Oil is so soothing to your skin and it truly does have such a calming scent. With the inclusion of lavender (my absolute favorite), neroli, patchouli and sandalwood…I breathe in all of those essential oils and I smile with complete satisfaction. If you have dry skin or even just dry patches, you’ll love this product. And when the winter months come along and your skin is begging for extra hydration, treat yourself to Bobbi Brown’s Extra Face Oil. I love, love, love it! By the way, while I’m at it, the Bobbi Brown Extra Soothing Balm is also an amazing product when you’re looking for extra hydration. I can’t rave about a product from the Bobbi Brown Extra line without mentioning my love for the Extra Soothing Balm. Such beautiful products! Molto bella!!!

Bobbi Brown Extra Face Oil $62

Jurlique

If you are not familiar with Jurlique products, I highly recommend introducing yourself to Jurlique. I love products that make me feel special. Jurlique’s Silk Finishing Powders are so special. I’m currently using the Rose Silk Finishing Powder. With the light scent of rose, it’s the perfect way to finish your makeup application and a sweet surprise for anyone who leans in to kiss your cheek. For something so basic as the application of a face powder, you can actually make that application feel special and smell beautiful. These are very light notes of rose. I don’t want to give the impression that this powder acts like a fragrance for your face. Not at all and nobody wants that! Jurlique offers their Silk Finishing Powder in Lavender and Citrus, as well the Rose that I’m using (all made for different skin types). These powders are all translucent and lightweight, and they are all positively lovely.
Tip: If you don’t feel like a princess at some point during your entire makeup application process, you need to look into investing in some different products. Feel beautiful!

Jurlique Silk Finishing Powder $36

Murad

I’m a huge fan of Murad products. It would be impossible for me to pick a favorite product from Murad. But I have to tell you about one product that’s been amazing for me lately. I’m loving the Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum. I’ve tried other lightening gels/creams that are made by skin care lines that charge an arm and a leg for bottled promises that aren’t kept. This lightening gel actually works on my skin. It truly lightens spots. I also wanted to highlight this particular Murad product because a lot of women that I know have been trying various lightening products and aren’t getting positive results from what they’ve tried. I highly recommend the Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum. Bonus: A little goes a very long way with this lightweight gel. While I’m raving about Murad I have to mention that if you’re in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Howard Murad is my favorite dermatologist and I absolutely love his peels. If you can get an appointment with him, he’s the best at what he does and you couldn’t find a lovelier man. He’s done an amazing job with my skin. I’ve literally watched in the mirror while he’s given me a peel and have seen freckles lighten instantly. When it comes to my skin, Dr. Murad is always on my list of favorites.

Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum $60

Kate Somerville

I have to give my friend Kate Walsh credit for turning me onto Kate Somerville’s ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment (click to read Kate Walsh’s interview). She raved to me about ExfoliKate so much that I had to try it, and I loved it. I keep it in my shower. My skin always thanks me for using ExfoliKate. I love the way the application process of this product feels and how the product feels on my skin while I let it sink in. It’s great for when you need that extra bit of cleansing. It contains salicylic acid, always a bonus, and it smells like cinnamon. Not only does it soften my skin, but my skin looks great after I use it. I always reach for ExfoliKate when I don’t want to wear makeup but still want to have a little rosy glow and have extra fresh feeling skin. Another Kate Somerville product that I love like crazy is the Deep Tissue Repair. Who am I kidding?! The Deep Tissue Repair is probably my absolute favorite Kate Somerville product. I just didn’t want to “go there” because this particular product is a bit pricey. So I didn’t want to do that to you…or me. However, if it’s in your budget, happily indulge! For me, the Deep Tissue Repair is skin care heaven in a small jar that I like to imagine sings “Ave Maria” to me, ever so softly, each time I open the jar. I have to stop! It’s too good!
Check out ExfoliKate. It’s a truly wonderful product that I love!

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment $85

Fresh

I know, I know…everyone loves it! For lips, I don’t leave home without Fresh’s Sugar Lip Treatment. I actually don’t leave home without a handful of different lip products because I’m completely addicted. But if I had to choose one above all the rest, it would be Fresh’s Sugar. Even when I’m using another product on my lips I often use the Sugar first, before applying the other product, just to give my lips that extra soft and wonderful treatment first. Plus, I think my mind just immediately goes to Fresh now when I think of applying anything to my lips. Fresh’s Sugar Lip Treatment was actually the first product that I featured on MySkinAffair, over three years ago. And since then, I’ve celebrated the expanding Sugar line. I also love the Sugar Rose. I always keep the original Sugar in my purse along with the Sugar Rose. “Sugar, ahhh honey honey. You are my candy girl, and you’ve got me wanting you.”
I have to add that I’ve never tried a product from Fresh that I didn’t love. I’m a huge fan of their Soy Face Cleanser. It’s a fantastic product. I love so many Fresh products, I love their scents, and I adore their beautiful packaging. I’m a very big fan!

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 $22.50


I’ve got so many more faves for you to read about in the future. I love all of the products that I write about. I’m not interested in spending my time writing negative reviews at this point, as MySkinAffair was created to share what I love and to share the beautiful things that I find. So when I find a product or a treatment that I don’t love, I just simply don’t write about it. And, of course, there are certain products that I do love more than others…we all have our faves. My list of faves is miles long! So stay tuned.

Related reviews:

1. Bobbi Brown Extra Face Oil
2. Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil
3. Aveda Outer Peace Foaming Cleanser and Aveda Acne Relief Pads

The Stila Courage & Beauty Travel Palette is also an awesome pink ribbon pick. It contains five eye shadows, which can be worn wet or dry, a Convertible Color for lips and cheeks, a mirror and a face chart. I think this would be a great gift to give someone. The colors are very versatile and the palette is thin and light enough to carry comfortably in your purse. Huge bonus: Stila has made both of these palettes very affordable. For both of these products, with each purchase, $1 of the proceeds will go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Stila Positively Pink Cheek Palette $18

Stila Courage and Beauty Travel Palette $16

Thanks to Stila for sending along a few of the Positively Pink Cheek Palette’s for gifting!

Related reviews:

1. La Mer and Bobbi Brown – Pink Ribbon Products for Your Lips
2. Pink Ribbon Products from Aveda, Clinique, Jo Malone and Smashbox
3. Clinique and Origins – Pink Ribbon Products for Your Face

Weleda recently sent me a beautiful gift basket that was filled with their baby and mommy products for a baby shower that I hosted, along with their Calendula Baby Starter Kits for shower attendees that have babies and Body Oil Starter Kits for all other shower attendees. Weleda also very generously sent along environmentally friendly (reusable) Weleda gift bags for their Starter Kits to be given out in. All of the baby shower attendees were so excited to each take home one of these lovely treats from Weleda, and the new mommy was beyond thrilled with the beautiful gift basket that Weleda sent for her and her new baby. Everyone loves a surprise gift! Having seen so many smiles as all of the women at the baby shower left with their own goodies, I highly recommend the Calendula Baby Starter Kit and Body Oil Starter Kit for perfect baby shower party favors.  

I am amazed by the amount of wonderful baby and mommy products that Weleda has. The focus of Weleda’s Baby Care line is that all of the baby products contain Calendula. Weleda explains on their site that they love using Calendula in their products because it’s gentle, nourishing, healing and it has anti-inflammatory properties. Calendula has even more to boast about than that.

Calendula

Calendula has been used to soothe the skin for centuries. Along with anti-inflammatory properties, Calendula extracts also have anti-viral properties as well. The list of the benefits of Calendula is long, so I’ll just list a few of them for you. Calendula can be used topically for acne, it can aid in controlling bleeding and soothing irritated tissue. There is even some evidence that Calendula cream is effective in treating radiation dermatitis (burns). Traditionally, Calendula has even been used for abdominal cramps and constipation. The many benefits of Calendula certainly explain why Weleda has included Calendula in their products.

Weleda Baby Care products include: Diaper Care, Bath & Wash, Body Creams, Face Creams, and even Oral Care. The great thing about the Calendula Baby Starter Kit is that it includes: Calendula Shampoo and Body Wash, Calendula Diaper Care, Calendula Baby Cream, Calendula Lotion and Calendula Face Cream. I think it’s a great way to introduce yourself to some of these wonderful products, and for $13 it’s certainly a very affordable gift for a new mom. Although, let’s be honest, the gift of full size products is always the best way to go. Plus, introducing a new mom to a line of products that her baby will benefit from is a huge bonus. When buying skin care products for your baby or for a loved one’s baby, the most important thing to consider are the ingredients in all of the products. We spend so much time thinking about our expensive eye creams and anti-aging serums, but the delicate and vulnerable skin of a newborn baby is a much greater priority, in my opinion. I do want to add that I haven’t seen a Weleda product yet that I didn’t think was very reasonably priced. Huge bonus!

From the Weleda website:

- We believe nature offers everything we need to create effective beauty and wellness products. Look through our list of ingredients and you won’t find one unpronounceable synthetic compound or one toxic chemical. You will find flowers and herbs. Fruit  extracts. Clays. Roots. Minerals. Each one carefully selected to heal, protect and beautify, to work with your body’s own healing systems, and do it all gently and effectively. It’s all about nature supporting people supporting nature.

Isn’t that exactly what you want for your baby care products?

For mom’s: Weleda has a Stretch Mark Massage Oil (I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t want that in their body care collection), Nursing Tea (which supports healthy lactation) and Baby Tummy Oil (which helps to relax your baby’s upset tummy).

Happy baby, happy mommy, happy life!

A very special thanks to my friends at Weleda for sending along such wonderful products and gifts!

Related reviews:

1. Baby Skin: Lavanila – The Healthy Baby Butter
2. Baby Skin: California Baby Calendula Everyday Lotion
3. Baby Skin: Thymes Sweetleaf Baby Instant Hand Cleanser

For my first visit to Alchemie Spa I was treated to The Signature Mani Pedi, the Body Scrub Retreat (a 30 minute full body scrub) and an Esalen Massage. My favorite thing about Alchemie Spa is that it is where you will find the best massage in Los Angeles with a man who is a master of massage therapy, Michael Canvin. I got my Esalen Massage and the Body Scrub Retreat with Michael. I absolutely love body scrubs. If you’ve never done it, I highly recommend getting a body scrub before a massage. Not only will your skin thank you for it, but the body scrub warms up your body for the massage and allows you to get even more out of the massage. Also, Michael incorporates massage into his body scrubs, so you’re getting more than just a basic body scrub. For the Body Scrub Retreat, the actual scrub (organic and made at Alchemie) was made out of sugar, honey, oatmeal powder and had Tranquility and Orange essential oils in it. It smelled lovely and the ingredients, combined with Michael’s approach to a body scrub, made for a wonderful exfoliation and experience. My skin was silky smooth after my scrub and my body was already relaxed before my massage even began. I highly recommend this process for everyone, but getting a body scrub before your massage is something that is especially beneficial to those of you who have a hard time relaxing or letting go at the very beginning of a massage. Some people spend the first half of their massages just trying to relax enough to truly enjoy the massage. Getting a full body scrub, such as the Body Scrub Retreat at Alchemie Spa, would be the perfect way to be relaxed from the moment your massage begins. For my massage, Michael used an oil that had two of my favorite essential oils in it, eucalyptus and peppermint. So relaxing! With each massage that I’ve ever had with Michael, he always surprises me. His movements are never predictable and he has turned massage therapy into an art form. I always leave a massage with Michael by thanking him a million times and raving as if I’ve never had a massage before. And somehow, the next time I see him, I rave and rave as if it’s the first massage that I’ve ever had all over again. As far as treatments go, you can’t have a better treatment than just being in the healing hands of Michael Canvin at Alchemie Spa.

After my my massage and body scrub, I was treated to The Signature Mani Pedi with Megan in Alchemie’s very cozy nail care section of the spa. The Signature Mani Pedi includes an herbal foot soak, a sugar scrub, cuticle care, a ten minute massage and polish. Quick product mention: I loved the smell of the conditioning polish spray that Megan used on my nails. It was CND’s SolarSpeed Spray and it has an awesome almond scent. I have to get it! My manicure and pedicure were both wonderful. I’m a complete sucker for a good foot scrub and an even bigger sucker for a good foot massage. Aren’t we all?? The Signature was great! At Alchemie Spa, they don’t have the typical mani pedi chairs that you’re used to sitting in at most other spas. They have beautiful, plush, comfy chairs with lovely pillows for extra comfort. I loved them! Major compliments go to Mary, the owner, for her choice of chairs (along with all of her design and color choices for the entire facility). I had a lovely afternoon at Alchemie Spa. My entire visit there was a complete treat and I’d love to go back for some more pampering. While I was there I noticed that Alchemie uses Eminence products in their facials. I love Eminence, so I’ll have to check out one of Alchemie’s facials next time. Happy spa day!

Related reviews:

1. Spa Review: ESP Wellness Center – Santa Monica, CA.
2. Spa Review: Ole Henriksen Face/Body Spa – Los Angeles, CA. – Featuring My Favorite Massage
3. Spa Review: Burke Williams

I recently had a chat with Brittany and found her to be absolutely lovely. She’s so sweet and open, and she has some important things to share. Enjoy our chat!

Looking at your journey with singing, dancing and acting…did you feel like you hit gold when you got “American Dreams” and “Hairspray”, getting to do it all?

I really didn’t think that getting “American Dreams” was going to be possible. Just the whole aspect of getting to sing and dance and work with the people that I worked with and it being in the 60’s, which I already had a fascination with. Then during the show I became pretty much obsessed with the 60’s and now my whole apartment is done in 60’s. But getting to dance and sing is something that I was always doing when I was a kid and something that I love and I’ve been really lucky that I get to do it in these projects and especially because I know that I’m not the best singer or dancer or actress. So, getting to do it all is really special. When I was doing “Pitch Perfect” I think it was really great because I was older and I could appreciate every little thing. And when people would complain about how long rehearsals are and things like that, I would just be like “Guys, we get to put on a musical in a movie, this is awesome.” I never wanted to take it for granted because it’s rare that you get to do all of your passions at the same time.

It’s refreshing to hear you say that, about not taking your work for granted. I’ve met and worked with so many actors that, unfortunately, do take for granted that they make their living doing what they do.

I think when I was on “American Dreams” I was fifteen to eighteen and I knew it was really great and I had so much fun but I definitely didn’t know what I was doing because it was kind of my first thing. And no one could have told me to take it all in every day and don’t get freaked out, don’t get stressed out. And I was so stressed out and not really sure of what I was doing. So it’s important that you step back and you realize how lucky we are to be in this town (doing this for a living) and you can’t really tell that to a fifteen year old.

Tell me about your favorite skin care products.

I had a lot of really bad acne when I was a teenager, when I was on “American Dreams”. So I go to a dermatologist and she’s completely changed my skin around. I use her stuff. It’s really great for my confidence and it’s so nice to not have to wear makeup, because I’m a big fan of that. My every day lotion that I use is Olay Complete because it’s just really simple. I have the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion for zits, and they also have a really great Enzyme Revitalizing Mask that I use. And I use their body wash in the shower and their body lotion. I got gifted Sanctuary Therapists Secret Facial Oil and it’s like my new favorite thing right now. When I started using it I was really kind of worried it was going to break me out, because it’s oil, but it’s really nice and it makes you really glowy and it doesn’t break me at all. It’s very hydrating.

What’s your “must have” product?

Probably the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. That stuff is crazy! If I feel like I’m getting a zit, I’ll put it on there overnight and the zit is gone. And I just think it’s the best thing ever.

You mentioned that you prefer not to have to wear makeup. So, when you do wear it, what are your favorite products to use?

I think I’m a little antsy and I just like to get out of the house, so I don’t like to spend too much time on my hair and makeup. So, I’m very simple and I pretty much do the same thing every day. I use Georgio Armani Foundation. And if I’m on the road I use the L’Oreal True Match because someone told me that it’s basically the same. The only thing that I swear by that stays on my face when it comes to coverage is Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage. I buy it in bulk. I have to have that because it’s the only thing that stays on my face when I want to cover something up. So I do that and I use just a little bit of bronzer, which I use as blush. I really love the Benefit Hoola Bronzer. For mascara I use Maybelline Great Lash, and I’ve used it my whole life.

I think there’s often this feeling in Hollywood with a lot of actresses that they have to use all of these expensive products when there are plenty of very affordable products that are wonderful. Like your Olay Complete, L’Oreal True Match, Maybelline Great Lash…

Right. I think it was when I was doing “American Dreams”, my makeup artist at the time and her makeup artist friends did an experiment. They used expensive foundation and expensive makeup and used it in the exact same way as they did all drug store bought makeup up. They used it on the exact same person, with the exact same application, and then they asked people which makeup looked better and people really didn’t know the difference. People can’t tell if it’s expensive. And if you use the right application, I think it’s kind of the same thing. I know that people who buy expensive things would hate me for that. But we all think it’s nice to have expensive things and I definitely treat myself to a lot of expensive makeup. But, it doesn’t have to be all the time.

There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself. And I think it’s also relative to who you are, what you do for a living, your finances, etc. Going back to you mentioning application, I think it’s all about really knowing what to do with your makeup and how to apply it (no matter what you’re using).

Tell me about your favorite spas.

When it comes to here in Los Angeles, I go to Kate Somerville for facials. They have some great treatments. I recently went to the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village. They invited me to go there for a weekend and it was unbelievable. That spa was amazing and they treated me amazing. I got all of these different wraps, a facial, a body treatment where I was covered in honey. I spent a whole weekend there and the whole place is amazing.

How do you feel about the pressure that Hollywood puts on actresses to be super thin?

This topic is a huge one for me because I’ve been very vocal about what I believe in and what I stand up for when it comes to this. I recently started a charity and movement about a year and a half ago called Love is Louder, which is basically a self-esteem movement. It spreads awareness and gives hope to anyone who is suffering from feeling out of place or feeling alone or mistreated, or even if they just don’t fit in. I started it because I was bullied all through middle school and high school and then when I came out here (to Hollywood) there was a lot of pressure as well. And my best friend was also bullied and he’s gay, so we came together and we developed Love is Louder because I know this topic very well. It’s hard starting this movement and talking to girls, going to colleges and talking about self-esteem and what I’ve been through and how I got through it. It’s still the hardest thing, because it’s always going to be there…that compulsion to want more and feel good enough. And it’s really sad because outside of Hollywood I think that the compulsion to be thinner is running rampant as well. It’s being put out there that girls have to be a certain thing and look a certain way. And then inside of Hollywood we’re doing it anyway. The pressure is put on us (actresses) and then it’s putting pressure on the girls in the rest of the country and it’s like this cyclical thing that’s just not stopping. And it’s really unfortunate because I think there would be a lot more happy people if it just came to loving yourself and treating yourself right. I think that I definitely put pressure on myself, but when I step back and think about it I know that the life that I have is so much greater than what I put myself through when I was younger.

I think it’s so important for you to be vocal about all of this.

I think that every little bit helps. That’s why my friend and I started Love is Louder. I don’t know anybody who hasn’t gone through something like that and I don’t know any friends of mine, girl wise, that don’t have some sort of body situation. So everyone can relate to it and the more we’re quiet about it, the more we’re putting it out there that it’s okay and that we have to be ashamed of it. So the more vocal we are, the more we can help each other.

You are so lovely. Thank you so much for being so open, Brittany. Keep doing what you’re doing because it’s awesome!

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