Gabrielle Union couldn’t have a more perfect name. The actor understands that the most important part of her job is not the glitz and glam (though she’s pretty incredible at that part too), but the power of unity. Throughout her career, she’s made it a point to uplift others—especially other Black women—through charity work, her production company I’ll Have Another, and using her platform to speak out against racism in the industry.

Union’s latest project is a panel she’s co-hosting with Taraji P. Henson and Sally Beauty on February 22. The roundtable will not only feature the two celebrity brand owners, but the Black female founders of smaller hair brands including The Doux, True + Pure Texture, and Mielle Organics. It may seem strange that these women who are technically competitors are coming together, but according to Union, at the end of the day, it’s bigger than selling shampoo and edge control. 

“When I started my hair line, one of the first people to reach out was Taraji,” Union tells Glamour. “She was like, ‘Send me products. I’ll promote it.’ And always in the back of your mind, you’re like, “But you have a hair line. Are you sure?'” But then Henson reminded Union that she was one of the very first people to post Henson’s line when it launched. “That’s what we do because there’s enough space for all of us. And so we’re like, ‘Okay, how do we take what we do for each other, and expand that?’ And so, at Taraji’s behest, we created this round table of founders.”

“You just wish that you could have done things sooner to make sure that everyone got included in these kinds of projects,” Union continues. “But what I love about how Taraji and I have always moved through Hollywood and the world, is this world is big enough for all of us to thrive. And sometimes when we put ourselves or we get put in little boxes, we can’t always see what the others are doing, or what they’ve demanded and gotten, or what worked, or why something didn’t work. And sharing those resources, sharing that information, being mentors… It just wasn’t always encouraged. But the way it’s always worked with us is we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. And if I have information, you have information. And if I have a platform, you have a platform. How can we expand that? And that’s what we’ve come up with with the founder’s round table.” 

“It’s easy to support people as they’re winning an Oscar or winning the Super Bowl or whatever,” she says. “It’s easier to be a fan and support them. But when people are at their darkest moment, who really shows up? And when it’s time for real solidarity, who really shows up? And, luckily we walk the walk, and that we talk. So hopefully it inspires more people to do the same.”

It’s no coincidence Tabitha Brown rose to fame during the worst of the pandemic. During a time where people were starved for joy, millions flocked to the actor and host’s TikTok for easy vegan recipes, but stayed for the pure warmth she radiates, even through a screen. She quickly fulfilled her goal of being “America’s Mom,” someone everyone could turn to for a little extra self-love and life advice, delivered in her soothing Southern lilt. 

While Brown currently oozes self-love, she says that wasn’t always the case, especially when it comes to her hair. That’s why she’s partnered with Dove for the brand’s new As Early As Five campaign. The campaign is the latest chapter of the brand’s continuing support of The Crown Act, and aims to highlight the alarming rate at which young Black girls experience hair discrimination in school. Per a new study from Dove, 53% of Black mothers say their daughters have experience hair discrimination as early as five years old, and 86% of Black teens that have experience hair discrimination have endured it by 12 years old.

“When I first learned about this, I was in shock,” Brown tells Glamour. “I had no idea that it was okay in some states for this to happen. I think out about my own personal journey, and different instances where this has been my story more times than I can count. A lot of times when you’re going through those things, it becomes so normalized to you that you don’t think anything else of it. We’ve all been so programmed that this is just the way it is, that you don’t think anything else about it, right? Even though we know it’s wrong.” 

In addition to a short film highlighting real cases of discrimination, Dove has tapped Brown to encourage her followers to raise awareness for The Crown Act, a cause she’s been supporting for years. “When I found out about the Crown Act, I was like, oh my God, you mean to tell me I can actually fight for this?” she says. “I can actually get an act passed so that these are not anyone else’s stories, or my children’s stories.”

We caught up with Brown to talk about her own personal hair journey, how she takes a moment for herself, and why her mom will always be her hero. Read on as she answers Glamour‘s Big Beauty Questions. 

Glamour: What was your relationship like with your hair growing up? 

Tabitha Brown: Growing up, honey, I loved my hair! I wore a lot of braids and plaits, and I had a lot of hair. My mom would be like, “Girl, this hair’s like two big pom poms,” when I did poufs. But I went through all of the things, especially being from the South, that a lot of us went through. As a little girl wearing all the barrettes and the ponytails and things like that. And then went through the whole Jheri curl phase. Before getting to that, my great, great aunt who was like the town cosmetologist, she would press our hair and then on Sunday mornings, if I didn’t sweat it out, it would be okay. But if I sweat it out a little bit, my grandma would hit that hot comb on the stove before church and get them bangs back straight. 

And then of course got into the “creamy crack,” as we call it—the perm—and started perming my own hair and wearing different styles. The Salt n’ Pepa era came with a high-low on one side, and all the fun. It was the freedom to wear my hair however. I do also remember a time where we would get a little frowned at by certain people, like teachers, for those different looks. But it didn’t matter because you’re so young, you don’t think about it until later in life. As a child, I was more free than before I allowed the world to condition me to believe that I wasn’t.

What’s your relationship with your hair like now? Do you still feel that freedom? 

The word “icon” gets tossed around a lot these days, but if there’s someone truly worthy of the title, it’s Cher. The legendary singer and actor has been one of our premier entertainers since the ’60s, and has been considered a beauty icon for just as long. There’s no denying her signature jet black hair and glittering eye makeup are just as influential as her pioneering use of autotune. 

We currently appreciate Cher’s beauty looks for her boldness and glamour, but that hasn’t always been the case. According to Cher, her makeup and outfits were misunderstood for years, and people looked at her like she was crazy. The one place where she always felt understood was the MAC makeup counter.

“I’ve had a very, very long relationship with MAC,” Cher tells Glamour. “The first time I ever saw MAC, I just remember looking at everything because it’s a lot, it’s an eye-full. And I thought, this is like a candy store for makeup. I was fascinated, too, by the range of colors because it was very difficult to find at the time. I mean, I remember in the ’60s, I was making eye makeup on a double boiler. So, I guess for people who were into makeup, it was like paint by the numbers.”

It only makes sense that she’s partnered with the brand for a new campaign, alongside Gen Z icon, Saweetie.  In honor of the campaign, we caught up with Cher for a round of Glamour’s Big Beauty Questions. Read on for her must-have products, thoughts on beauty standards, and why her mom will always be her biggest inspiration. 

Glamour: What’s one beauty rule you swear by?

Cher: I don’t swear by any rules, because think that it cuts down on the creativity. When I started, everyone thought that my makeup was crazy. And I thought it was beautiful. I think that you just limit yourself when you think about rules. I don’t think girls do today, because there’s such a wide range of what we now think of this beauty. Limitations don’t seem to go anymore.

Is there a beauty rule that you think is B.S.?

I think all of them are. You know why? Because there should not be… When you’re trying to be creative, if you’re writing a song or you’re acting, or whatever, you don’t put rules on creativity. It doesn’t work.

What is the best beauty advice you’ve ever gotten? 

I didn’t get advice. I lived in a house full of women who were models and all I did was watch them. I watched my mother and her friends put on makeup every day. They each had a mirror, they all had a spot in the dining room, which had no table. Everyone would put their mirror up, so they were facing the light and put their makeup on. That’s basically how I started. And then, I did this thing that I thought was beautiful, which was not accepted at the time. But, sometimes you’re ahead of it. When I started, people were nervous about following certain rules. Like, if you were a certain age, you had to cut your hair and pick cotton leather shoes. A bunch of bullshit rules that I never understood.

How did you get the confidence to break those rules?

I didn’t know how not to. I didn’t think of them. What I thought was, these things don’t apply to me. Because dressing differently, Sonny and I looked crazy to a lot of people. They didn’t like us. They had a visceral reaction because we looked so different. You have to go back and look at our early pictures because no one looked like us.

I’ve seen them. They’re iconic. Well, now you’re on every mood board. So, it just goes to show that you always knew.

Well, I didn’t always know. I always tried.

Let’s say you can only use three beauty products for the rest of your life, what are they and why?

Well, that’s not going to happen. I need four, okay? If we’re going to continue this relationship, you need to give me four.

I will bend the rules for you.

So, I need eyebrow pencil. Oh God, I could have used so many more. All right, I need an eyebrow pencil, I need blush, I need lipstick, and an eyelash curler. Because I think that, first of all, you have to frame your face with your eyebrows. And my mom always said, “If you were on a desert island, make sure you have an eyelash curler.” I mean, lipstick I think, is a necessity. Even if you blot your lipstick, so it’s faint, you still need that color.

What’s your favorite way to take a moment for yourself?

I have very few moments. I like listening to audio books, and I like doing my meditation. But, I like hanging down and just listening to these books. And I used to read like crazy, but I enjoy being read to. The best book I’ve listened to lately is a book about Clementine Churchill. And it just shows that without her, we probably would all be speaking German.

If you could change one thing about beauty standards, what would you want to change?

I don’t feel there should be beauty standards. I just don’t like it. I remember when there were really harsh ones. Richard Alleman [the actor] who I love, told me, “You’ll never be on the cover of Vogue,” And I said, “Well, why?” He said, “Because you have to have blonde hair and blue eyes. Blonde hair and brown eyes. Dark hair and blue eyes. If you have black hair and brown eyes, you’ll never be on the cover.” And then one day, I was. It was by accident.

Who are the women who are inspiring you the most right now? 

Well, I’m OG. My mom still inspires me because she’s 95, and she’s still really beautiful. All my girlfriends hate her because she has this perfect skin and a mane of hair. My mom has a mane and it’s ridiculous. We all just look at her. She’s my go-to. And you know what? I do think Saweetie’s beautiful. I was so fascinated by her fingernails. But, she is absolutely beautiful, and a positive young girl. I think she would be an inspiration to me.

This interview has been edited and condescend for clarity. 

Bella Cacciatore is the beauty writer at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.

Sunscreen, for sure. Brow pencil because I don’t have a lot of brows. I could actually go without makeup as long as my brows are done and look great. This is a hard one. Last product…I would probably say some sort of matte lip product because I could also double it up as blush. A nice rosy color so I could use it for both.

What’s your go-to getting-ready music?

There’s this French artist, Angèle. She’s fantastic. There’s also this new artist I found and love. Her name is PinkPantheress. She’s super new and underground. She’s from the UK. She’s what I imagine Doja Cat could have sounded like if Doja Cat just stayed on SoundCloud. I was listening to Doja Cat back in 2013. I haven’t heard a sound like hers in a while. She’s my favorite person to get ready to right now.

What is your favorite way to take a moment for yourself?

Taking a bath or showering. Because no one can bother me. That’s really my only me time because I’m very much involved in a lot of projects. There’s a lot of people who have direct access to me. Being in a shower and taking a bath is a way for me to disconnect from the world. There’s something about the heat and water. I love water. I feel water is an emotional element, where I feel I’m very in tune with my emotions whenever I’m in water.

What’s your power perfume and why?

Baccarat Rouge 540. That’s my favorite fragrance. It has a beautiful brown sugar top note and the bottom notes are musky. As its fading it has the most beautiful lingering scent. When people smell me they know that’s my signature scent.

What’s the last Instagram or TikTok rabbit hole you went down?

I just went down a crazy rabbit hole of psychiatrists, where they’re talking about empaths and narcissists. How empaths attract people who tend to have narcissistic personalities and traits. That’s why it’s this dark fairytale type of situation, where empaths are givers; on the other side, the narcissists suck all their energy. That’s why you tend to see a lot of empaths in a relationship or in friendships that are with people who have narcissistic traits. 

If you could change one thing about beauty perceptions, either on social media or in the industry, what would that be?

Everyone has skin texture. Everyone has pores. No one”s perfect. No one actually looks like a beauty filter in real life with no makeup. Even then, very rarely do you have makeup that gives you that perfect, flawless look. Don’t hate yourself because you have pores because you need them. They’re there for a reason. I think people are developing face dysmorphia because they think skin is supposed to look like Facetune, when it’s not a reflection of the reality you see in front of your face.

Who are the women who inspire you the most right now?

I don’t know their names, but honestly, everyday people who are working in restaurants, who are nurses. These are the unsung heroes we take for granted. I try my best to show my appreciation. I’ve been tipping really generously during this month for Postmates and Uber Eats and anyone who’s working in the food industry. It’s a tough industry because of customers and management and the hours and pay. I would say the women who inspire me are the women who are doing the jobs that I don’t do. They’re hard jobs, so they inspire me.

Ariana Yaptangco is the senior beauty editor at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @arianayap. 

It’s only fitting that Gemma Chan got to play a superhero this year. The actor may have flexed her superhuman powers in Marvel’s The Eternals, but Chan has been a big screen hero since starring in 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians, a movie that put Asian and Asian-American actors firmly in the spotlight and catapulted Chan into stardom. 

Chan’s visibility and success is a superpower she has utilized for good. Earlier this year, she used her platform to speak out against an uptick in anti-Asian hate, and she’s now teamed up with L’Oreal Paris for the brand’s Women of Worth campaign, which honors ten everyday women who are tackling society’s most pressing issues through philanthropic efforts and non-profit organizations. During a TV special airing tonight, December 16 on NBC at 8 p.m. EST, Chan will be interviewing Michelle Tran, co-founder of Soar Over Hate, which combats anti-Asian hate and xenophobia, and Briana Daniel, founder of  Street Team Movement, Inc, which provides laundry and remedial aid to people without homes. 

“These ten incredible women have been doing work at a grassroots level in their communities,” Chan tells Glamour. “Briana started a nonprofit that focuses on hygiene and laundry services which seems so simple, but actually it’s intrinsically tied to a person’s sense of self worth and their human dignity. I also spoke to Michelle Tran, who is a co-founder of Soar Over Hate, which was founded in response to the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes that we saw earlier this year and provides grassroots support to the community, personal safety devices, and culturally specific counseling and support.”

With this televised special, Chan hopes viewers will be able to see the beauty in helping others. “It’s kind of an onslaught of bad news these days, and it can be easy to feel a bit hopeless about things. But there are so many people like these amazing women who are trying to help. I find that incredibly uplifting and inspiring.”  

So where else does Chan find beauty inspiration? Read on for her best beauty advice, self-care tips, and the products she can’t live without in another round of Glamour‘s Big Beauty Questions. 

Glamour: What’s one beauty trend you’re obsessed with right now?

Gemma Chan: I work with a couple amazing manicurists. Betina Goldstein in Los Angeles and Michelle Class in London. I’ve become a bit obsessed with nail art recently. We did a recent festive manicure using Swarovski crystals that complimented a look that we were doing. I’m all into that at the moment. My nails at the Met Gala were incredible too. It was a tribute to Anna May Wong; she used to have these pointed talons, but I didn’t want an extension, so we echoed the shape with the jewelry we put on the nail. I loved that. 

What’s one beauty rule you swear by?

Well, my mom always said to me, “Don’t over pluck your eyebrows.” I didn’t listen to her. I over plucked them. Took years to grow back. So I to want to say that my mom is right. Leave your brows alone. Don’t overdo it. And always—well, I don’t always stick to this—but I try to always take off my makeup before I pass out or fall asleep.

I love my hair because I’m blonde and it’s thick. 

You can only use three beauty products for the rest of your life. What are they and why? 

Definitely a hydrating moisturizer, 100%— right now I’m obsessed with the La Mer Moisturizing Cream. Definitely a leave-in conditioner, I use one from Matrix that’s an extension detangler/leave in, it leaves my hair so soft. And then it’s all about hydration, so a body oil. I’m obsessed with this coconut body oil, it comes in a little tube but I wish they made it in a jumbo size. I love it. 

What’s your go-to getting ready music? 

I actually love rock, even screamo, I’m so obsessed. But also on the same note, I love Avril Lavigne or Ariana Grande. I’m kind of all over. 

What’s your favorite way to take a moment for yourself? 

Doing my makeup, it’s like my therapy. 

What’s your power perfume? 

I’m such a Viktor & Rolf Flower Bomb girl through and through. That’s my signature scent. It just makes me feel beautiful. 

What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever received? 

The best beauty advice I’ve ever received is that it comes from within. As much as we put on our face and dress up and stuff, you can look the worst ever, but if you have good energy and good confidence, I think that really resonates with people. I guess just to not take it too seriously. Just smile!

What’s the last Instagram or TikTok rabbit hole you went down? 

Oh god, it’s this girl called Trailer Trash Tammy. She’s a comedian, and I didn’t know she was an actual comedian. I thought she was just an internet girl, but she is so funny and she’s so vulgar and I watched maybe like 50 of her videos last night. She’s hilarious. I don’t even know if she’s going to make it in the magazine cause she’s X-rated, but she’s so funny. 

You have $20 in your pocket and you’re let loose in the drug store. What are you buying? 

Probably chocolate, makeup wipes, since I could always use more of those, lashes, and a leave-in conditioner. 

If you could change anything about beauty perceptions in Hollywood or the industry, what would you want to change? 

I think I would just want to change traditional beauty, because I have so many friends that are so beautiful and I feel like the world is opening up to a lot of them. I have a friend Gottmik, and he is so unconventionally beautiful. His kind of drag is shaking the world and I feel like people are really opening up. I wish that that was more normal and overflowing in Hollywood. 

Who are the women who are inspiring you the most right now?

Well my fellow bride Paris Hilton, I’m obsessed with her. I’m so happy that she got married and is living her life.  And Lady Gaga, always. House of Gucci was epic, I went to the premiere. It’s so good and she’s so funny. She’s very inspiring to me. 

Bella Cacciatore is the beauty writer at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.

Chances are you know Michelle Pfeiffer from her long list of iconic roles (perhaps Scarface rings a bell?). Her newest movie, French Exit, was released earlier this year, but these days she’s just as busy offscreen. The actor launched her fragrance brand, Henry Rose, a few months before the pandemic hit, and hasn’t slowed down since. 

With Henry Rose—named after her daughter Claudia Rose and her son John Henry—Pfeiffer hoped to fill a major market void: clean fine fragrance. Like many parents, she became aware of what was in her products when her kids were young. “I started looking at the ingredients and the safety of those ingredients and my frustration as a consumer was I couldn’t find products that performed and that were also safe,” she tells Glamour. “And then decades went by and I finally said, ‘The technology is there and the consumer is there. The demand is there. So why is this not happening?’” Since then, the market caught up to demand, and she was able to replace her entire routine with “cleaner” counterparts—except when it came to fragrance. In response, she created a sophisticated, gender-neutral line of perfume and body products she could feel good about. 

The brand is largely inspired by Pfeiffer’s scent memories, particularly the newest launch, Flora Carnivora. She says the fragrance, which is the brand’s first floral and took nearly three years to formulate, was inspired by a specific childhood memory of sneaking into her elderly neighbors’ back garden, and being enraptured by the smell of the flowers. “It sort of reminds me of a movie,” she says. “They were this elderly couple, I actually had never even laid eyes on them, but I’m sure they were peeking out at me wondering what this bare-legged, barefoot, stringy blonde-haired girl was doing in their flower garden.”

“One day I got up the nerve to steal a bunch, and I ran back to my house and threw them in a Tupperware and used something to mash them,” she continues. “And that was my first foray into perfumery. Smelling flora carnivores brings me back to that time.”

In honor of the launch, we caught up with Pfeiffer to chat her love of fragrance, her beauty essentials, and the women who inspire her. Read on for the latest round of Glamour‘s Big Beauty Questions. 

Gamour: What’s one beauty rule you swear by? 

Michelle Pfeiffer: That there are no rules. Beauty is such a personal thing to everyone. Depending on what your facial features are, what kind of skin you have, what kind of hair you have, not everything works for everyone. That also applies to fragrance; it’s such a personal thing. I think the rule would be try not to pay attention to trends.

What about a beauty rule you think is B.S.?

Oil of Olay moisturizer. Nars Lipstick, red, of course. And last but not least, the Luv Betsey Mascara. I’m really a drugstore girl. I stay in the Olay department.

You’re known for your signature look. How did you settle on it? 

You don’t know you’re doing it, and all of a sudden, one day you can’t stop doing it. You find the makeup that works for you, the hair that works for you. I always hated my hair. So in the late ’60 or early ’70s, I got to London, and I went to a hair salon called Antenna. They were adding hair onto hair, and rockers like Rod Stewart would go there to get their extensions. It was very rock-and-roll. I met [my hairstylist] Andrew, who I’ve been working with for 35 years. 

I love [fake] hair. I always hated my soft, wavy, crummy, thin hair. So I got these hair extensions. They’re plastic. They’re called monofilament, and they’re tight around and set with a hot sealer. They last, unfortunately, for only three or four months, but it’s my look. From that day on, I don’t do anything to my hair. I wake up every day and it looks perfect because it’s imperfect. I usually wear it up and very spritzy. It’s the only way I get recognized. On the days that I’ll wear it down, I get very sad because no one will come over and say hi. 

Would you ever change it up? 

There’s no way I’m changing it. It’s a look that I don’t want to veer from, and I know it works for me. It’s nice to get to that point. I think it takes a long, long, long time to find. It’s discovery of who you are and what you want to look like, and then it becomes who you do look like, because you become it or it becomes you. It feels right. But at my age, my very young 79, which I just turned, I look great! I think I look better than ever, in a weird way. I would never want to look like I did in high school. I would never want to look like I looked in my 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s. 

If you could change one thing about beauty standards either on social media or in fashion, what would that be?

I love to have fun with beauty, just like with my clothes. Keep it light and easy. Never take yourself too seriously. For me, it would be to continue pushing that mindset. Continue pushing the boundaries and remember to take time for self-love!

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

Bella Cacciatore is the beauty writer at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.

What are your go-to products for your hair? What do you swear by to keep it healthy and shiny?

R+Co texture cream is my favorite. It comes in a tube and I take a little bit and rub it between my hands and then go underneath my hair and put it in my scalp for a lot of volume. I have a brightening serum with my best friend, Justin Anderson, which is Kristin Cavallari by dpHUE and that’s the shampoo and conditioner that I use. It’s great, not just for blonde hair, but for anyone with color-treated hair.

What is your favorite way to take a moment for yourself?

I really love going in the sauna and meditating. That’s like my therapy.

Would you rather get a facial or a massage and why?

Massage all day, every day, because I lift weights four to five days a week and I feel like a massage is almost part of the health protocol to help get my body back into place. I try to get one every two weeks.

What’s your go-to perfume and why?

Maison Louis Marie No. 04. It’s an oil that you roll on…a clean perfume, which I love. I love the way it smells and I’ll never wear anything else. People always ask me what I’m wearing, and I don’t often tell people, but I will tell you guys.

Thank you, we appreciate it! OK, let’s play screw, marry, or kill beauty edition. What would you screw, marry, or kill when it comes to lipstick, mascara, and highlighter?

I would marry mascara. I would screw lipstick. And I would kill highlighter.

What’s your favorite lipstick?

There’s a few. I really like Tom Ford’s Sable Smoke. That’s my favorite. I’m a nude girl, so I love any kind of nude lip. It’s very rare that you’ll see me in a red, even a pink or anything. I did just discover these pencils, which are by Morphe. I love those. I’ve had a few different makeup artists overdraw my top lip just a little bit, and it makes a huge difference. My girlfriend asked me if I got my lips injected the other day, I was like, “No, I’m just over drawing my top lip.” 

If you could change one thing about beauty perceptions, either on social media or in Hollywood, what would that be?

I wish that people would show more of their natural selves on Instagram. Having kids too, it really scares me [because] I think it’s hard as it is being a kid and growing up. You’re insecure, you’re self-conscious, and then you throw all this social media on top of it and all of these unrealistic expectations and we’re just setting our children up for failure. It’s a really hard time to be growing up. I’m empathetic to all of the kids right now.

Who are the women who inspire you the most right now? 

Women that are aging gracefully, who aren’t going the Botox or filler route necessarily, or maybe they are a little bit, but it looks natural. And I do think that there’s a way to do it, where it can look natural. I haven’t started for a few reasons. I feel like once you start doing Botox and everything, you’re not going to stop; you forget what normal is. Everyone starts comparing themselves to not their original normal. So the women who are confident enough to not completely freeze their face are really commendable in a time like today. I have fine lines on my forehead and under my eyes, but they don’t bother me. I mean, we’ll see what I’m saying in 10 years, but yeah, lines don’t bother me!

Jessica Radloff is the Glamour West Coast editor. You can follow her on Instagram at @jessicaradloff14.

On Riverdale, the only rule seems to be that there are no rules (we’re talking about a show that had an entire season revolve around a demented board game). The one constant is Madelaine Petsch’s masterful portrayal of mean girl Cheryl Blossom, whose razor-sharp insults and classic red lipstick have become one of the most iconic parts of the series. 

While she excels at playing the villain onscreen, in real life—or at least over the phone—she couldn’t be sweeter as we discuss self-care, TikTok, and of course, skin care. As someone who’s struggled with acne in the past, Petsch takes her skin care seriously, and her current partnership with Bliss is proof. “I just love Bliss,” she tells Glamour. “They have clean products and they’re very transparent about what’s inside of their products so that you can actually feel comfortable with what you’re putting on your skin.” 

We caught up with Petsch for a round of Big Beauty Questions. Read on for her answers. 

Glamour: Is there a beauty trend you’re obsessed with right now?

Madelaine Petsch: I love always having my nails done, which is hard as an actor, because a lot of roles don’t call for that. I usually do nail art, even on the show. As long as I incorporate red, I’m allowed to have whatever I want. My nail lady and I have come up with some fun stuff. For one of my favorite sets, she did this bright red base with purple squiggly lines on the center. I’m also really enjoying not wearing makeup on my days off, if that’s a trend.

What’s a beauty rule that you swear by?

Washing your face every evening before bed. You will never catch me falling asleep with a full face of makeup on, even at 3 a.m.

Fill in the blank. I love my hair…

When my hairstylist Marc Mena does it.

What do you always have in your bag when you’re on set?

My dog and her dog bag. I have my wallet in case I need some coffee or matcha. I have my skin-care products so that I can wash my face and get my face all ready for bed when I’m done with work. And I have my gua sha.

You can use only three beauty products for the rest of your life. What are they and why?

Okay. One is my gua sha, because it automatically drains my face. I see such a big difference using that every day. Then the Youth Got This Pure Retinol Serum and Youth Got This Pure Retinol Moisturizer. I’m not going to talk about my age, but I think it’s really important to find the ingredients that will work toward what your targets are, and it helps maintain youthful skin, which I think we all want. Retinol is something that I’ve been looking for in all of my products. It protects against signs of aging and prevents the appearance of fine lines, which is very helpful for me. And I actually notice the difference in my skin when I use it, and I feel like that I notice a difference in my pores. I have big pores, so that helps me. Also, I find that when I use products that are meant to work together, like using the serum and the moisturizer together. I see more of a difference than if I try to put together a bunch of products.

What’s your go-to getting ready music?

Probably Still Woozy’s new album.

You and some of the other Riverdale girls have been pretty open about your struggles with acne on social media. What made you decide to share this? 

I mean, I don’t think it should ever feel like lifting up a heavy secret that I used to struggle with acne. It’s such a normal human thing to have skin fluctuation. But I think it’s nice for people who do watch what I do to feel like they’re not alone in that, because it definitely can feel isolating. It made me feel less confident when I had that, so I think when people that you look up to open up about that kind of stuff, it makes you feel like, “Oh, if they can deal with it, I can deal with it.”

What’s your favorite way to take a moment for yourself?