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Kristin Cavallari's personal life has captivated fans since she first rose to fame in 2004's MTV series Laguna Beach, but now, some 17 years later, the question she's asked more than anything has nothing to do with whom she's dating or what she's working on. “It's always been what is my skin-care routine,” Cavallari says from her home in Nashville. “It's the number one question.”
The answer lies in Cavallari's newest creation, Uncommon Beauty, a cruelty-free, minimalistic five-product skin-care line, which she started when she realized some of the products she was using in the past weren't as clean as she thought. “You can essentially say you're a clean skin-care brand and you're really not at the end of the day,” she says. “So I felt like there was a need to launch one that was, in fact, clean.”
Clean and multipurpose—because as the mom of three knows, she doesn't have time for a 20-product routine. For example, there's the Pineapple Peptide Nectar serum, which Cavallari loves because “it's essentially a two-in-one with peptides and vitamin C, so it helps brighten and hydrate. It's everything you want in a product.”
But even with her foray into skin care, Cavallari isn't giving up on what catapulted her into the entertainment industry in the first place. Last month she teased a potential new TV show to her more than 4 million Instagram followers. While she can't say much yet, she confirms she was filming a pilot for a possible series. “It's not centered on my life, because I would never just do another reality show about my life, but there are reality aspects to this show,” she says.
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Until then, she'll be celebrating the holiday season with her kids (“I love baking everything pumpkin and entertaining”), preparing new launches with her accessories and apparel line, Uncommon James, and working on a new cookbook. Busy yes, but also “a lot of fun,” she says.
So for Glamour's latest Big Beauty Questions, we asked the 34-year-old to tell us her hero makeup products, how she relaxes at home, and what she wishes she could change about beauty perceptions.
Glamour: What is one beauty trend you’re obsessed with right now, and one beauty rule you swear by?
Kristin Cavallari: I love the no-makeup makeup look because I love a natural fresh [face]. And the beauty rule I swear by is drinking water all the time. I really do think that makes all the difference because hydration is everything.
What is one beauty rule you think is B.S.?
The beauty blender face sponges…obviously we're supposed to wash those frequently, but I don't really wash mine that often because I actually think that when it's not clean, it helps blend better. Maybe that's disgusting, but.… [Laughs.]
What is the best beauty advice your mom ever gave you?
When I was in middle school, she told me that you're never too young to start moisturizing.
Fill in the blank. I love my hair when...
I wash it after I haven't for two to three days and I do a proper blowout and a nice wave.
When you travel, what city or country gives you the greatest beauty inspiration?
Two of my favorite places are Greece and Italy, particularly the Amalfi Coast. Everyone looks so natural and sun-kissed. I really think less is more when it comes to makeup, so maybe just a little bit of highlighter or having that perfect little sun-kissed glow on your face is always so beautiful.
You can use only three products for the rest of your life. What are they and why?
Uncommon Beauty Pineapple Peptide Nectar, because it really does everything—hydrating, brighten, and antiaging—and it smells really good. The Armani Lashes to Kill Mascara because even if I wear no other makeup, I usually will have mascara on. I've been using that product for over 10 years. I really like the Charlotte Tilbury Brow Lift Eyebrow Pencil in taupe, which I recently discovered. It blends easily with the brush that's on there and is the perfect color for me.
What colors are you loving on your nails right now?
I either do Ballet Slippers by Essie or Wicked by Essie. I very rarely go anywhere outside of the box.
What’s your getting-ready music?
I have an upbeat playlist on my phone and it's a mix, but there's all kinds of stuff on there from Dua Lipa to Kygo to The Weeknd…pretty much anything upbeat like that or top 40.
How much time do you spend getting ready?
If I'm going to do the full works—wash my hair, blow-dry it, style it, really go all out with my makeup—I give myself an hour. But for the office, I can get ready in 20 minutes if I need to. I actually really love doing my makeup, but I hate doing my hair. And if I'm getting my hair and makeup done for an event, I allow two hours for that.
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! Okay, 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 @jessicaradloff14.