From the runways of Paris and Milan to the cover of Playboy, and then on to “Celebrity Apprentice”, stunning 2010 Playmate of the Year, Hope Dworaczyk has been considered by fashion insiders as one of the most beautiful people in the world. An advocate of Best Buddies, an organization that creates one-to-one friendships and employment for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, Hope faced off in the boardroom on the 4th season of Donald Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” on NBC, against a cast of 15 other celebrities including: La Toya Jackson, Star Jones, NeNe Leaks, Lisa Rinna, Gary Busey, Lil Jon and Meat Loaf, to raise money for Best Buddies. Hope led the women’s team into victory against the men’s team, in a challenge for Omaha Steaks winning $20,000 for her charity. Hope continues to support Best Buddies, and she talks about the organization with enthusiasm and genuine excitement.

As a model, Hope has been seen on the runways of top fashion designers such as Balenciaga, Robert Rodriguez, Lana Fuchs, Leila Rose, Abaete, Joanna Mastroianni, Rosa Cha, XOXO and Miss Sixty. Hope also joined with Versace on an international world tour to Tokyo, Milan, London and New York. In April 2009, Hope was chosen as Playboy’s Playmate of the Month after test shooting for the 55th Anniversary Playmate search. Due to the overwhelming success of her appearance on the cover of Playboy with actor Seth Rogan, Hugh Hefner awarded Hope with the honor of being named the 2010 Playmate of the Year. This appearance on the June, 2010 cover gave her the historic distinction of being Playboy’s first 3-D centerfold. Of course, I had to ask her a little bit about that.

Hope was a treat to chat with and she had some awesome beauty tips to share with me, among other things. Enjoy!

I was just checking out your Playmate of the Year cover of Playboy and I’m thinking that I might be the only person that’s going to start an interview with you by asking…what bra were you wearing on that cover?? I love it! I want one.

I’ve actually had guys write to my website asking for the maker of that bra because they want to buy it for their wives. It’s funny. I loved that bra, so I was so happy that they ended up using that one for the cover.

Is there any pressure that comes along with being on the cover of Playboy, much less being Playmate of the Year?

When I meet new people or go to dinner with somebody that I don’t necessarily know, I never remember that they might be thinking that they want to know what I look like in person, or anything like that. I always forget about that, to tell you the truth.

I’m guessing that’s probably a good thing.

Yeah, I completely forget about it. It doesn’t even cross my mind. But I totally get where people would be curious. There would be pressure if I thought about it, maybe.

Aside from Playboy, your bio even begins with “From the runways of Paris and Milan”, etc….If not pressure, is that something that’s hard to keep up?

It’s definitely a lot of maintenance because you never want to show up for your next photo shoot and hear them say “she looks nothing like her photos”. So, it’s definitely a bunch of maintenance. I put a lot of time into working out and getting my hair colored and done and…it just sort of comes with your job. Other people sit down and look at numbers all day or go home and make predictions about businesses they’re investing in. For me, my body is my business.

What was the Playboy experience like for you? Was it exciting, was it scary, did you have any reservations?

When I was first going to pose, I had already walked a lot of runways and had done a lot of work like that, so I did think for a second “will I work again” or if it was going to be a stereotype that I would carry with me. So that was a little pressure. But, to tell you the truth, the first time I posed for Playboy the only thing I cared about is if I was going to embarrass my family or if they were going to hate me for doing it. Once I got the go ahead from them, I never really thought about it. I’m sure the night before, you’re grooming yourself really well and you want to look tanned and all that kind of stuff, but my life didn’t revolve around that future shoot that I had coming up in two months or two weeks. I just don’t really think about that stuff.

That’s probably the very thing that makes you successful in what you do. The fact that you don’t get nervous or put a crazy amount of thought into it.

Yeah, I don’t think about it. I just do it, ya know.

So, let’s get into skin care. What are your favorite skin care products?

Sure! I was excited to get this interview because I never talk about skin. Nobody’s ever cared what I thought about skin. And then I remembered, I have my esthetics license, so I do know about skin. I just forgot about it because I’ve been working as a model for eight years.

Oh wow, this is a first! You have your license in esthetics?

Yeah, it’s just something that I wanted to do. I’ve always really liked skin and loved going to the dermatologist and knowing all of that stuff. So I took four months out of my life, when I was walking runways actually, and spent a whole summer in Texas going through this program while I was home. I wasn’t even eighteen yet. But when I took the state board test I was a little bit older, so I’m qualified to do that stuff in Texas. And I got trained on how to do the lasers, laser hair removal and laser vein removal…all that kind of stuff. So I did get trained in it, but I wouldn’t do it now because it’s been so long that I would never go and do laser hair removal without doing refresher courses. But when it comes to that, I’m good in the beauty department.

That’s awesome! Being a model with your background, I’m surprised to hear that you’ve never been asked about skin.

They ask what’s in my bag but I’ve never remembered to tell them that I actually know a little bit about skin. I never remember to mention that part. I’m kind of a beauty junkie. I love trying new products. I believe in good products. So, my choice in products changes all of the time. I have two favorite cleansers right now. One is made by Avalon Organics, the Vitamin C Renewal - Refreshing Cleansing Gel. I always like gels better than I do creams. I just like the texture of a gel better. And when I feel like my skin really needs exfoliating I start using DermaQuest, which is 15% glycolic acid. And I put it on dry so that it’s a little stronger on my fingertips. Dry fingertips and dry face, massage it in, and then rinse it really well.

That is such a great tip. I love that.

When you put it on dry, it does so much more than being diluted with water. DermaQuest completely changed my skin’s texture when I started using it. It completely clears out blackheads. Their glycolic cleanser is so great with blackheads. I had it sent to my grandmother because she’s always complaining about blackheads.

You had it sent to your grandmother? (you’ve gotta love her for that)

Yeah! It totally changes the texture of your skin. It makes it so smooth. My grandmother likes anything hardcore. I also sent her a stronger glycolic mask. I make her promise me that she’s going to follow the directions because it’s kind of strong. I make her promise because she thinks that if it’s painful, it means that it’s working.

I love that your grandmother is so into skin care products.

She always wants to know what she should be using.

It sounds like maybe you get it from her, the model in you?

She’s the one who I asked if I should pose for Playboy. And she was like “if I was your age and I had the opportunity, I’d go for it”. And after that I was like “okay, I’ll do it”.

Well, with Grandma’s blessing, you’ve gotta do it. Any more skin care faves?

What I use as a toner, and I’m addicted to it…I don’t think I’ll ever switch to anything else, is Santa Maria Novella’s Rosewater, Acqua Di Rose. It’s so good. It comes in a glass bottle and it lasts forever. You can change the bottle out to make it a spray, so you can spray your face with it. It smells good and it feels good. And it’s a beautiful bottle. I can’t live without the La Mer Moisturizing Gel Cream. I don’t like anything really heavy. I do have the Creme de la Mer for when my skin is really dry. But the gel is lighter, spreads easier, and goes on quicker.

I keep a little jar of Creme de la Mer in my purse, and I dab a little bit under my eyes throughout the day for a little pick me up.

I should start using that as an eye cream. The only eye cream I have in my cabinet right now is Pevonia Evolutive Eye Gel. I also love, love, love a product line called CellCeuticals. It’s made by a surgeon, Dr. Garth Fisher. His stuff is so good. He has a great serum, it’s called Interactive Moisture Serum. It’s so great. And he has something called a Barrier Repair. It’s unlike anything else. And he makes my absolute favorite exfoliant, as far as a physical exfoliant that has beads in it, it’s the best skin resurfacer that I’ve ever used. It’s called NeoCell Micro-Resurfacing Skin Treatment. It’s so good.

Tell me about your makeup faves.

My favorite thing in my makeup bag and what I wear on a daily basis, because I don’t wear a lot of makeup when I’m not working, is Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer.

That’s a very popular one. I think it’s the most mentioned Tinted Moisturizer by actresses on my site.

I know, it’s so popular. It’s just the best. What I set every single look with, before I do any kind of photo shoot or anytime I don’t want to have any kind of shine, is the Make Up For Ever HD Powder. It’s really great. It has the best photo finish. It just makes everything flawless. Oh, this is like a funny product…the bronzer that I love is made by Too Faced and it’s smells like chocolate. I use it for contouring my nose. It’s Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder and it’s got real cocoa in it. It’s just lovely. Because I contour my nose, I always do the shadows on the sides like I’ve learned from makeup artists. And it just smells good when you’re doing that daily.

That’s a great tip, that you’re using your bronzer for your contouring. I always have makeup artists do contouring on my nose when I work, but I’m nervous to do it myself.

It’s so quick to do it on your own. I just started doing it and then I became addicted. The other day I was actually having lunch with two successful makeup artist friends that I’ve worked with, Joyce Simonelli and Joey Maalouf. It was like 11am and they went out the night before and were hungover and I wasn’t hungover, and Joey looked at me (we were sitting outside) and he goes “Did you contour your nose?”. Only a makeup artist would have been able to tell me that. It was funny. I’m like “Yeah, you taught me!”

That’s hilarious. I’m a little nervous to do it myself because I’m afraid that it would be noticeable. Maybe I don’t trust my skills enough, but I’m afraid that you would be able to see the makeup lines, and see the contouring that I did.

Maybe start light.

You’ve inspired me. I’m going to start trying to do contouring on my nose. And I’ll just use a bronzer, like you do. That’s a great suggestion.

Another product that I love in my makeup bag is an eyeliner by Tarte. And I don’t want to just say “eyeliner”, because I do so much with it. It’s called Emphaseyes, and it’s a nude colored eyeliner. People say to look more awake you should put white on the inner rims of your eyes, but it just looks like white to me. So I use a nude color instead and you can’t really tell that it’s there. It’s just really pretty and makes you look more awake. And I also go right underneath my eyebrows, to almost give my eyebrows a lift. I use that nude color underneath the arch, and it just brings your eyes up and makes them pop even more. I love that one. For mascara, I go to Maybelline. I’ve probably been using the Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara for a year. I just love it! I’ve tried switching from it and I always go back to it. I buy it so often.

What about lips? Are you more of a lip balm, lipstick, or lip gloss girl?

I don’t like anything sticky. If someone puts lip gloss on me in a photo shoot, it’s the first thing I wipe off. I won’t even shoot in it. I don’t like it. My hair blows and sticks to it. Actually La Mer makes a lip balm, The Lip Balm, that I really love and it smells and tastes yummy, like spearmint. Their lip balm is really, really great. I just use stains or light lipsticks. If I do a red, then that’s fine. But really, I’m kind of a no maintenance lip person, I don’t really do a lot with them. The lip stain that I’ve used forever, it looks like nail polish, it’s the Benefit Posietint. I just much prefer a stain than something that can smear or get on your teeth or something your hair would stick to.

Any favorite body products?

Anytime that I’m going to be in a dress I order this cream by True Blue Spa. I order like three at a time online. It’s a really thick cream called Lay It On Thick. It’s the thickest moisturizer and it makes your legs so reflective. Not reflective like an oil, but just like the healthiest skin. It makes your skin look beautiful. It would make a great hand cream, because it’s just such a thick cream. I also like Bio-Oil. I think you can just get it from the drug store. It’s really good. I use it on my neck and chest sometimes at night. It’s just a really deep moisturizer. I’m all about good drug store stuff because you can get it anywhere.

What’s the one product that you can’t live without?

I can’t live without the Gel de la Mer. I have to have that. I can tell a difference in my skin when I’m not using it.

Do you have any favorite spas?

If it’s for skin care, for the most part, I don’t believe in getting facials at a spa. I can cleanse my own face and exfoliate my own face. When it comes time to actually going deeper and getting a peel and things like that, I go to a facial place or a dermatologist. The only thing I believe in getting at a spa are massages, body treatments and nails. I don’t really do any of the skin care at spas. Anytime I’m traveling or working, I’ll always try to check out the spa. I was at the spa at The Four Seasons in Bora Bora recently. That one was just gorgeous because you see the ocean and you hear the waves the entire time, during your body treatments. It was the craziest spa and it was so beautiful. And nothing was air conditioned, it was all just the pure air and a breeze and the ocean. Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley has a great spa. I like that spa a lot. I normally don’t do spas, I do massages at home if I’m in LA. I have a girl that comes to my house if I want a massage and I love her. I like really deep pressure, and I’m just addicted to her. If she worked at a spa, I’d probably follow her there.

What makes you feel especially sexy or beautiful?

When I’m working out regularly and sweating, and detoxing. When I’m eating really clean and not putting junk in my body that just slows me down. And when I have clean hair. When you have as much hair as I do, it takes like an hour to blow dry, so I normally skip two days, at least one day, when I’m shampooing. So that’s another thing. I have a ton of hair! I can’t use elastics unless my hair is flat ironed because it won’t wrap around more than than twice. So I would say….having clean hair, exercising, and eating really clean. When you feel good about what you’re doing and what you’re putting in your body, there’s just nothing better.

What do you keep in your purse?

You know, you just made me think of something. I told you that I’m minimal on my lips but my whole bag is full of lip products. I have (counting) sixteen lip products in this little beauty bag in my purse. Sorry, seventeen! (she laughs) This just shows me that I need to clean it out because I never pull lip products out of this bag ever. I always have eye drops because they just kind of wake you up. I have a nail cuticle conditioner. I carry a file, a compact mirror, one eyeliner, bobby pins, and a Jo Malone fragrance.

I love Jo Malone. What do you like from Jo Malone?

Oh my god…I love, love, love mixing Jo Malone. I’m addicted to it. I think I have their entire display in my closet. I’m not kidding. I have all the different sprays because I love mixing them, minus probably five that they have, and they have like sixteen. I have a ton in there.

You’re like the perfect example of what I love with your La Mer and Jo Malone…

Jo Malone is the best! I would say my custom, every day kind of fragrance, would be the Orange Blossom mixed with Vintage Gardenia. It’s a nice blend. And then I also do the Wild Bluebell with their Wild Fig & Cassis.

And they’ve got beautiful moisturizers as well. I love the Jo Malone scents and, to me, it’s just such a beautiful line. Isn’t it just so beautifully packaged?

It is! And I love that I can mix them. I’m always trying new combinations. I’m always mixing and creating. I believe in smelling good and always changing it up.

It’s funny, I have to say, I ask a lot of women that I interview if they have any favorite beauty tips or skin care advice and you gave me two great ones without even being asked. I love your tip to contour with a bronzer and I love your tip to use a cleanser dry (applying without water).

I also pile on tons of mascara. I go through tubes of mascara so often. I just believe in wearing tons of mascara. I’d much rather make my eyes pop than anything else.

- Well, whenever you see a picture of Hope, her eyes definitely pop! Hope is currently studying acting with a private coach and she’s loving it.

Thanks Hope!

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Regina is one of the warmest actresses that I’ve interviewed for MySkinAffair. She was so open, friendly, easy, and fun to talk to. What was meant to be a small chat with Regina, ended up being an hour of chatting with someone who felt like a friend by the end of the interview. She’s authentic, funny, sincere, and humble. Chatting with Regina was truly a pleasure. Enjoy!

Congratulations on the NAACP Image Award for “Southland”.

Thank you!

What did winning that award this year mean to you?

Well, obviously I was really surprised. I won last year but honestly, our show is on TNT, and let’s just face it…with cable we don’t have the viewership as regular network TV. So, I just figured that I wouldn’t have won again. So that was really surprising and I guess when you’re genuinely surprised, I think it makes for a more exciting moment.

You starred opposite Jamie Foxx and Cuba Gooding Jr. in roles that they both won Oscars for. Do you see a difference, in the moment, when you’re working opposite an actor who goes on to win an Oscar for that performance (that you were a part of), versus working opposite an actor whose work is never acknowledged in that way? Do you see a huge difference in the quality of work, in the moment of actually shooting, that something special is happening?

Oh, definitely. You definitely see in the moment that something special is happening. But then, like you noted, there are performances that we’ve watched or that I’ve been a part of where something special is happening and unfortunately it does not get recognized. That’s one of the things that I think makes the NAACP Awards so special. It’s the only forum that is respected the most outside of people with color. So it gives us an opportunity to have a moment to be applauded and get that pat on that back. You know, you need to hear that. No matter what anyone says about “awards don’t mean anything to me”…they don’t determine whether you’re going to get your next job or not, but they do serve as confirmations and moments of affirmations for actors.

Is there anyone that you would like to see acknowledged for their work, that hasn’t been?

That’s a hard one. Sometimes I think what happens is you’ll see a movie or a TV show and the show or movie, on the whole, is not the greatest movie but that actors performance is like, oh my god, ridiculous! You know what’s been frustrating over the years, that just came to mind? I don’t know how it’s possible that Phylicia Rashad never won an Emmy for Best Actress. And I don’t even think many white actors would argue with that. She’s amazing! Essence does that luncheon every year where they honor women. Hopefully Essence gets it right next year, and honors Phylicia. She’s amazing to me. But I’m speaking specifically of the Emmys in the years that she put in and was not recognized. Being a woman in my forties, when I was a teenager watching her, that’s the type of woman I wanted to be.

I feel the exact same way. I watched “The Cosby Show” as well and I looked at her, in the role of Clair Huxtable, as the perfect example of a strong mother figure. She was a great role model.

Exactly! You saw that you can be a successful professional woman and a good mother. Phylicia Rashad, as Mrs. Huxtable, I think represented something for all women in the 80’s that we still want to emulate. The few young girls that do watch “The Cosby Show” reruns and not reality shows, I think they see something in her.

Yes, absolutely! I couldn’t agree more. It’s amazing the impact that a great actor with a great character can have on an audience. What I think makes you such a powerful actress is that when I think of your body of work, I actually think about specific scenes you were in, specific moments even that I’ve found to be unforgettable. So many of your performances have been so powerful and fierce that I know they are coming from a place of truth. You have that ability to be emotionally unforgettable, and that’s truly a gift. I’m curious, selfishly as an actress, what your process is for creating a character?

Thank you so much. I totally agree with you, performances have to be rooted in truth for the viewer to look at them as real. For me personally, when I’m reading something, I have to feel a truthful moment at some point within reading it. Because sometimes the dialogue may not necessarily be there, but when you’re reading it you can understand what this character’s journey may have been. Because with a lot of projects, it’s not about seeing the entire journey. Like with “Ray”, you got to see where all of those characters started and where they ended up. But a lot of movies don’t do that. So for the movies that don’t, or even the movies that do, I always try to create a back story. You know like, where this person might have gone to school or what is her sexual identity, what does she relate to sexually, who are her mother and father, did she only have a mother, did she only have a father? I just kind of build a back story and I think when I do that, I have a place to come back to when I feel kind of lost as an actor, with dialogue or direction for a scene. And having a great director makes a difference too. Because sometimes you can have an idea of how you’re going to play a character, and sometimes you get too calculated and then a good director will see that and give you direction that makes you go away from being calculated and being more organic.

I read that you’re producing a documentary, “Story of a Village”. Tell me about that.

It’s about a woman named Tiffany Persons who is a friend of mine that I’ve know for years. About five years ago she traced my mother’s side of DNA, and it went back to West Africa. Specifically, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Nigeria. So maybe about two weeks after I had gotten those results, Tiffany called me and told me that she was raising money to go back to Africa to repair a school in a village that she found, that was dear to her heart, in Sierra Leone. I felt that it needed to be documented. So, long story short, I got my shots and got my son his shots and went and talked to his school and took him out of school for a month and we went to Africa and documented it. Since then, it’s just gotten bigger and bigger and all of things that Tiffany’s done since then. She’s built a whole new structure and she’s got running water there, just so many things. Each year she has done more there, so there’s more being added to the documentary. There is something really intriguing about Tiffany and how she has just dedicated her life to this village, Bungoma. It’s pretty amazing to me. And I feel like that blueprint can be applied to any circumstance where you’re investing your time to improve a situation.

When do you expect to finish “Story of a Village”?

I’m hoping to have it done by the end of this year.

I wish you great success with that. It’s almost painful for me to switch our chat from this topic to skin care items (we both laugh). But do you mind if we jump into some girlie questions?

No, not at all. My girlfriends and I always say, you know someone’s really your friend when they share their recipes and things like that.

What are your favorite skin care products?

My absolute favorite skin care products are Arcona. If I am out of town for two weeks and in dire need of a facial, I won’t get one. I only let Arcona touch my face. I swear by them. I use their Toner Tea Bar every single morning and I use the Magic White Ice. It’s a moisturizer but it doesn’t have any oil in it. And once a week I use the Cranberry Gommage, a light scrub, and I use the Tea Tree Mask. I also use this product by a company called Adonia Organics. It’s called Stemulift Serum and basically it’s made out of plant stem cells and no matter if it’s hot or cold outside, I just find that it’s the perfect amount of moisture for my face. And I use makeup remover wipes by Koh Gen Do, that are just amazing. Their makeup remover wipes are called Cleansing Water Cloth. And they don’t have any scent whatsoever and it literally feels like you pulled a wipe out of a pack that’s been soaked with water. One wipe will remove all of your makeup, honestly. They’re absolutely amazing! I swear by them. My makeup artist on “Southland” turned me on to them and I’ve been using them for the past couple of years. They’re on the expensive side, but when I tell you they are worth it, oh my gosh!

Makeup fave’s?

I’m a mascara fanatic! I really like MAC False Lashes mascara. That’s kind of my favorite right now. Lip gloss and mascara, those are my things! I have the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment.

The Fresh Sugar Lip treatment is one of my absolute favorites.

Yes! It is absolutely my favorite too. I have that in my purse. (We move on to chatting about what Regina carries in her purse.) I also have the MAC Zoom Lash mascara. It’s really short, like a mini mascara, so it’s doesn’t take up a lot of room. And I always have the Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral sun block. I use that every day too. I have about five lip glosses in my purse. The two that I use the most, are the Fresh Sugar and Kissable Couture. I always put the Sugar on first and then I put on Kissable Couture. I have about five or six different shades of the Kissable Couture and I switch them out all of the time. It depends on the day. I like more sheer lip glosses that have light shades. I always have one of the Kissable Couture lip glosses in my purse. And they also make these mini one’s that come in a travel pack, with about five different colors in a pack. So they’re small. You know how sometimes we just don’t want to bring our purses? You can literally just slip one of these in a small pocket in your pant, that’s how small they are. And then I use a Loreal lip gloss just for more shine. Those are the ones that I use the most.

Do you have any favorite body products?

I don’t know about you, but don’t you like to change it up all of the time?

Always!

Right when I get out of the shower I put on a little oil while I’m still wet. Women of color, we need more moisture on our skin and in our hair. So especially during the winter or colder months I put oil on my body when it’s damp. Right now I’m using Organic Shea Butter Body Oil by a company called Out of Africa and they’re the only people that I know that actually make a shea butter oil. The majority of the oil is shea butter but it’s mixed with almond and avocado oil. It doesn’t have any scent to it and I like that because you can still put on your perfume. Then, in the summer months, being forty one (she laughs a little), I now use Aveeno Positively Ageless Firming Body Lotion that I got in a gift bag. And I wish I had known I was going to love it so much because I would have just like started jacking people for their lotion out of their gift bags (we both crack up). It’s like $9.99 for the tube and it’s never in the drug store. Whenever I see it, if there’s more than one, I have to buy it because you so rarely see it.

What’s your must have product? The one product that you can’t live without.

Oh, you’re gonna be like “no” because it’s not for your body or skin…because (she starts to laugh a little) I feel like I’ll be able to borrow something from somebody. But if I don’t have Mentadent Toothpaste, there’s a problem. My “must have” is Mentadent Advanced Whitening Toothpaste. I’ve never ever whitened my teeth before and I’ve been using this toothpaste for like seventeen years now. And I think that it really works. If I’m going to be gone out of town for like three or four days, okay I’ll bring a little (travel size) toothpaste. But if I’m going to be out of town longer, I will pack my Mentadent.

You are so funny! That is my favorite answer of everyone I’ve ever asked. Because you’re like “I’ll just borrow the other stuff, I’m not gonna miss out on what I need” (we just start cracking up).

No, I need my Mentadent.

Do you have any favorite spas?

I like a spa here, in Pasadena, called Amadeus. It’s a really great spa and it’s low key. I go to Burke Williams because people always seem to give you gift certificates to Burke Williams. But my preference is Amadeus. I don’t know where there’s another one but I just know that I never run into any other celebrities there. Not that that’s a problem, but I think it’s kind of good because then you don’t have people coming to see celebrities. It’s not the celebrities that are the problem, it’s the people that are expecting to see celebrities.

Do you have a favorite treatment at the Amadeus Spa?

Oh gosh, they have this scrub that I like. And you go into a room afterwards and there’s this shower that goes over your body. And sometimes I get wraps. And I get massages, of course. For facials, I only go to The Arcona Studio. No one else touches my face but Arcona. It’s a really beautiful facility in Santa Monica.

What makes you feel especially sexy or beautiful?

The way my man looks at me. That’s the first thought that came to my head. I’m sure that there are more things, but sometimes he’ll look at me a certain way and you know, you just feel like “Aww, he loves me. Let me go over here and give him a kiss”.

Can I tell you, when I’m alone and I’ve just gotten out of the shower or I’m figuring out what to wear and I’m still naked, I’ll just throw on a pair of heels for no reason and that always seems to make me feel sexy. Or it serves as a reminder that I’m sexy.

I definitely do the heels naked! Whenever I get a brand new pair of shoes, I do try them on naked in the mirror.

And it works, doesn’t it?

Definitely! (we laugh)

It’s truly been a pleasure chatting with you, Regina. Thank you so much!

- Not only do I hope to end up on a set with Regina at some point, but she has a permanent lunch invite from me as well. Thanks Regina!

Follow me on Twitter @myskinaffair to get updates on new celebrity interviews.

Photo credits:
Photographer: Kirstin Knufmann
Hair: Yvette Shelton
Makeup: Ann Masterson
Wardrobe Stylist: Tod Hallman

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Special thanks to Dr. Murad and the Murad staff, for letting us play for the day. Also, big thanks to Dan Glaser for shooting this for me.

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In early 2011 Meital caught the attention of mega hip-hop producer Che Pope (Lauren Hill, Eminem, Dr. Dre) and they began to record her debut album “I’m In Hate With Love”. Other key players in the music industry have since come on board to support her music. With the release of her first single,Yummy Boyz, in June, 2011, the official music video quickly went viral and reached over 1,000,000 views and the song has circulated in clubs and radio stations nationwide. Meital is launching the second phase of her first single with the new remix YUMMY produced by Rami Afuni (LMFAO). Meanwhile this smokin’ hot actress/singer/performer continues her ascendancy across a range of media with an ongoing stream of videos and select live appearances coming soon.

I caught up with Meital last week in Los Angeles. We had a chat about what she’s working on and all things girlie. Enjoy!

Meital, tell me about your favorite skin care products.

Right at the moment, I’m using Mario Badescu. I use their Orange Cleansing Soap, Dermonectin Eye Cream, and a moisturizer of theirs with SPF 30. For a night cream, I use Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream. I’m also using a very high-end sunscreen, it’s called La Roche-Posay. It’s the Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid. It’s really nice and thin on your skin.

What do you like about the Mario Badescu products that you’re using?

I started using it a little while ago, because it’s not too oily and it makes your skin look fresh.

What are your makeup fave’s?

For mascara and eyeliner, I really like Mac. And for powder and base, I like the Chanel products. Make Up For Ever has really nice eye shadows. For lipstick, I usually get Mac. I don’t really put a lot of makeup up on. I usually just put on eyeliner and mascara and then my makeup artist does my makeup if I have a shoot or if I go to an event. Sometimes I just put lipstick on at home just for fun, even if I’m in my pajamas. Because it makes you feel special.

Do you have any favorite body products?

I like Swisa Beauty Dead Sea Salt Souffle.

What is you “must have” product?

The La Roche-Posay. That’s the most important product for me to use. And lip gloss. I wear lip gloss all the time because you want to keep your lips moisturized.

I’m right with you there. I’m completely addicted to lip gloss. Do you have a favorite spa?

I go to an Aveda Spa and I go to Surya Spa for Ayurvedic treatments. And I do house calls for massages.

What do you keep in your purse?

Usually I have an eyeliner, just in case you meet a good looking guy. And lipstick, in case you want to feel more special. And sunscreen in case you’re going out. Guys don’t like lipstick. See-through lip gloss is more useful. I like Mac lip gloss. I have to admit, if you go out just anywhere and you don’t have lip gloss, it’s a stressful situation, I’d say. I also carry L’Occitane Hand Cream.

What makes you feel especially sexy or beautiful?

I mean, I think it’s really about how you feel about yourself. If you sit at home and feel bad and have bad thoughts in your mind, it’s hard to feel sexy. But if you are in good spirits and you feel like life is shining to you and you love yourself, it makes you feel sexy.

You’re a singer, an actress, and you also write. Do you have one passion that you love above everything else?

I’ve definitely always been in acting, my whole life. So I can say that I really love acting. Music is a brand new passion that just kind of took me by surprise and basically took over my life in the past three years. And it’s been a lot of fun and a really magical process. So, I really love singing too. Basically it’s all different forms of performing and communicating with the audience and writing is really more about expressing myself and helping deliver messages or stuff that I want to talk about.

What are you working on right now?

There is a TV series in development that I’m working on. For music, I have a lot of shows coming up. Almost every weekend, in the next two months. My performances are a bit theatrical, so I prepare for that on many levels, more than just coming in and just standing on stage and singing. We always have a concept and we always have a story and I’m always trying to look for the humor within the performance too.

I saw in your video for Yummy Boyz that you’re a great dancer. Have you been studying dance, is that something you’ve always done?

You are sweet. I’ve always studied dancing and I’ve always been athletic. Before I was an actor, I used to compete professionally in swimming. I think I’ve always just been active. But for the dancing part, it’s really never enough for me. Dancing is one thing that always stays, kind of like a dream, being a dancer. I wish I was in gymnastic too. But the first lesson I went to for gymnastics I almost did a flip back and then I said “Okay, can I do it with high heels and incorporate it in my shows”, and they said no. I mean, what am I gonna tell the audience, hold one second while I take off my shoes? (she laughs) I want to provide my audience with an experience where they can get excited and laugh and feel free. Right now, I’m finishing my album, working on my next single and putting together these shows.

Because you had been focusing on your acting for so long, were you nervous at all when singing came along and you suddenly had the opportunity to record an album?

I have a great healer, a spiritual guide in Israel, who told me that I had to go back to America to start working on my music career. And it just totally came out of the blue. It wasn’t something I was planning at all. I always sang, but it was not something that I put on my calender, that I’m going to be starting singing. So it really came out of the blue. The next thing I know, I’ve been so busy with the singing that I don’t even have time to go back to visit my family. I’ve been home maybe eight days in three years. So, I started working on the music three years ago. It’s been a big surprise in my life. It’s been amazing.

It sounds like it’s a very exciting time for you and I wish you continued success.

Yes, it’s very exciting. It was fun talking to you!

Thanks Meital.

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Kimono Rose Body Wash   $19.00

Kimono Rose Body Lotion  $25.00

Kimono Rose Bar Soap      $13.00

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Juliette Has a Gun printed the following message on the Marilyn candle and also on the box that the candle comes in:

She wanted to be loved by you…and she was. Marilyn Monroe personified Glamour with her alluring beauty and her voluptuous curves. But Marilyn was more than a 50’s sex goddess. She dominated the age of movie stars to become, without question, the most famous woman of the 20th Century. With it’s powdery lipstick note, this candle is dedicated to her, so that she can live with us a little longer…

Love that! I am absolutely loving Juliette Has a Gun and Marilyn is on my list of their products for you to check out, along with Miss Charming (previously reviewed).

I leave you with the image of Marilyn Monroe in “Some Like It Hot“, singing “I Wanna Be Loved by You”.

I wanna be loved by you

just you and nobody else but you

I wanna be loved by you - alone.

Boo boo bee doo!

Happy Valentine’s Day, beauty’s!

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Juliette Has a Gun  Miss Charming Eau de Parfum
50 ml $85.00 , 100 ml $100.00Main post photo: Kimio Ng

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If you missed my recent interview with Autumn Reeser, she had the most wonderful things to say about Jo Malone.

Autumn Reeser on Jo Malone: “I was never into fragrance. I never had a fragrance until I was getting married, about two and a half years ago, and I wanted a scent to wear. I found Jo Malone. I like that they layer fragrances. I got Lotus Blossom and Water Lily for myself and I also bought bought Jo Malone’s Dark Amber and Ginger Lily Cologne for my husband. So, I like that they matched. When we’re together the scents all compliment each other. So, my husband wears Jo Malone as well. I got these fragrances specifically for the wedding. I wanted a specific scent and totally fell in love with Jo Malone. I never wanted to spend any time looking for a perfume and my wedding prompted me to do that and I’m so glad I did because I like having something special to wear and I like having the scents that I wear every day. I have a small Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne that I use too.”  Check out my interview with Autumn Reeser.

I love the Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia Cologne and I look forward to reviewing as many Jo Malone products as I possibly can. Lovely, lovely, lovely!

Jo Malone English Pear and Freesia Cologne

30ml $55.00

100ml $110.00

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The menu of services at ESP Wellness Center includes: massage, Reiki, nutritional counseling, private sessions in their infrared sauna, guided meditation, breath work and some very fun fitness classes. Their menu for fitness classes includes: pilates, yoga, boxing training, suspension training, trampoline classes, and a class that I’m very excited to attend at some point…Inner Child. The Inner Child class is all about releasing your inner child, while getting a fun workout. This class playfully includes hula hoops, jump ropes, trampolines, hop scotch, parachutes and more. It sounds like a blast! I can’t wait to try it. I think this class would be great for getting a group of your friends together for a super fun activity, while getting a great workout and having a laugh. ESP Wellness Center offers private sessions, two or three person shared sessions, and semi-private group fitness classes. They offer more services than I’m mentioning, and I highly recommend that you visit ESP to check out all they have to offer.

On the day that I visited ESP Wellness Center, I went for the hot stone massage with Michael and Reiki with Parvati. I have had hot stone massages before, but Michael Canvin always takes every massage to a different and higher level. Check out this pic of me on Michael’s massage table with hot stones placed on my body and hot stones in between my toes. There were many more hot stones placed on and under my body than what you can see in this picture.

I absolutely loved Michael’s placement of the hot stones. It felt so healing and relaxing. Michael explained why and where he placed the hot stones on my body and explained to me that because the stones are earthy, they are very grounding. At the very beginning of my session with Michael, he placed hot stones under my body, for me to lie down on. This may sound like it could be uncomfortable, to lie on top of hot stones, but it was extremely relaxing. The stones that Michael placed between my toes were also very relaxing. Perfect placement!

Michael Canvin: “I placed the chakra stones on the front of your body on chakra areas. And on your back, I made a spinal layout with the stones. The stones run along the spine, not on the spine but next to the spine. It really relaxes the back muscles so that they are prepared for when you turn around and I work on your back. They are warm and soft and it’s a very relaxing feeling to have those stones. (Along with the stones that Michael placed between my toes, he also placed hot stones in my hands) The benefit with hot stones is that they are a warm-up for your body, in a way.”

Massages are never predictable with Michael. We talked a lot about going deeper in a massage and the benefit of slower movement by the massage therapist. Michael explained to me that there are some people who have trouble letting go during a massage, they are resistant. When you completely surrender to a massage, the benefit is much greater. During my massage, when Michael was working deeper with my muscles, he guided me with my breathing through his movements. It was such a powerful massage. In his healing hands, I completely surrender. And, in doing so, the benefits I get from the massage are much greater. While it was an amazing massage, Michael also gave me what felt like a truly healing experience. I will always go back to him. If I could, I would schedule a massage with him every week. Honestly, I’ve yet to find anyone who is on Michael’s level when it comes to massage. He works on a level that is high above anyone else that has ever worked on my body.

Michael Canvin: “I often see the body as an instrument, and I find new tunes every time I work with someone. No massage is the same. I don’t want it to be predictable. I never get tired of learning about the body and how to work on it. So, it’s a constant new flow.”

I can’t recommend booking a massage with Michael enough. I previously wrote on My Skin Affair that Michael is my favorite massage therapist but, I have to say, I think this hot stone massage that I had with Michael was even more impressive than when I first wrote that he was my favorite. He’s that good! If I could, I would treat everyone that I love to a massage with Michael.

When I listened back to the chat I had with Michael after my massage, I had to laugh at myself. In the recoding of our chat, I sounded like I was in a completely different world than I was in before my session with Michael. I was SO relaxed that my voice had lowered a few octaves and I was talking very slowly. My normal pattern of speech can be a bit fast, sometimes too fast. After my massage with Michael, I sounded like I was half asleep, in a state of deep relaxation. His hot stone massage put me in such a relaxed state that I felt like I had let go of tension in my body that I didn’t even realize was there. Michael truly took away my tension and stress and my body felt like it was floating. I felt so much lighter. I could go on for days about how skilled of a massage therapist Michael is and how healing his massages are. Just do yourself a favor, and treat your body to an hour with Michael Canvin if you can. Your body will thank you.

After my session with Michael, I joined Parvati Shallow for a Reiki session. I had never had Reiki before my experience with Parvati. I was very curious about it and really looking forward to a new experience, as I always look forward to new therapies and treatments for my body. I didn’t know much about Reiki, so I asked Parvati to explain to me what Reiki actually is.

Parvati Shallow: “Reiki is a light touch energetic healing process. You are fully clothed when you have a Reiki session, you’re lying down and the therapist works as a channel for energy. The universal energy of healing comes through the therapists body and out through their hands. When I practice Reiki on a client, I’ll feel the points and go through their body (she does this with the light touch of her hands) and I’ll find knee energies, ankle injuries, stomach problems, headache issues (issues that she wasn’t told about by the client prior to their Reiki session) and I feel that in my body. It’s interesting and I really enjoy it because you have this connection with your client and when I sense those areas that need a little bit more energy, a little more healing…I’ll stay on them for a second and send some extra love.”

For the amount of time that I was actually awake for my Reiki session with Parvati, I found it to be very relaxing. I’m not sure if it was the killer combo of Michael’s massage with Parvati’s Reiki, or the fact that I was new to Reiki and, therefore, very affected by it. But I was so relaxed that I briefly fell asleep while Parvati was working on my body. I actually prefer to stay awake during relaxing treatments so that I can be present for how wonderful my body feels. But, on this particular day, I don’t think I had a chance of staying awake. I had reached a state of relaxation that is almost too difficult to describe. After my Reiki session, Parvati shared with me the areas of my body where she felt different types of energy, even telling me where she thinks I might need to do some healing work on myself. That’s when she invited me to one of her breath work classes, thinking that I would benefit from it and that her breath work class could possibly help me to get in touch with certain areas of my body that need a bit more love and healing. It was a great experience.

I completely believe in and support what Erika Shay and Parvati Shallow are doing at ESP Wellness Center. I will most definitely be going back to take Parvati and Erika up on their offer for me to experience their infrared sauna and experience Parvati’s breath work class. I’m also really looking forward to the Inner Child class that they offer. I had a truly great experience at ESP Wellness Center. It was relaxing, healing, inspiring, welcoming and warm.

Thank you so much to Michael Canvin, Parvati Shallow and Erika Shay for a wonderful afternoon. I will see you all again very soon!

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