Viola Davis' Afro "Brings Out the Leo" In Her

Beauty routines are integral to getting In The Mood—not for any other person, but for you. Here, get a glimpse into the products, habits, and mantras that help powerhouse women slip into the sexiest version of themselves.

Viola Davis is a beauty girl at heart. Case in point, the EGOT-anointed star sees her long-running partnership with L’Oreal as more than a business move—it’s her way of continuing to expand the narrative surrounding who gets to be perceived as beautiful. “What attracted me to L’Oreal is the different shapes, sizes, ages, and colors of the women they partner with,” Davis tells me over Zoom from Cannes. “I don’t see every beauty brand doing that, even today.”

It's why Davis is now in her sixth year as an international spokesperson for L’Oréal Paris, but this time around, she’s also a judge for the fifth annual Lights on Women of Worth Awards, which delivers a $20,000 grant to philanthropic women making a difference in their communities. “My hope for this initiative is that it shifts the narrative in terms of how we see excellence,” Davis says. “There's a whole slew of people out there who have been on the periphery, and there's some great work out there.” The fact that she’s in a position to give back is not lost on Davis, who says that her favorite part of being a juror in this year’s Lights on Women is the fact that she can get to be a part of someone’s story.

Discussing her empowering work with L'Oréal was just one of many highlights from my chat with the Oscar-winning actress. We talked about everything from her favorite morning mantras to what she's looking forward to as she ages, all while sharing her best go-to beauty practices. And because I am a cosmetics lover at heart, Davis also shared her go-to makeup products, while also getting to the bottom of what makes her feel like her most beautiful and authentic self.

Keep reading for the tips, tricks, and advice that help Viola Davis In The Mood.

I have a shadow figure. Her name is Claire. And Claire says a lot of negative things in the morning, so my morning routine is to tell Claire to be quiet. My latest one is to be in awe and be grateful because sometimes, I still have the negative loop in my brain that tells me "Viola, you've got to do this, you've got to do that, you're not doing this, you're not doing that." So I make it a point to go to some quiet place and say, "I'm just going to be grateful."

Any L’Oreal lipstick—they’re my favorite formulas, I have an entire drawer dedicated just to them. I also love anything that makes me glow, but sometimes I go overboard with it, and my daughter has to step in and say, 'Mama, that's too much.' I don’t care though, I’ll still put it on my cheeks, my nose, my eyes—just everywhere. I also have to say that I love a good lash.

There are a lot of them. My afro makes me feel great. I always feel like it brings out the Leo in me when I walk in the room because it’s so attention-grabbing. I'm like, "I know you're looking at me." Still, I do like my small ‘fro and a good bob too.

I’m a lover of perfume; I have over 30 bottles. My newest scent is something called Safari that I got when I was in Abu Dhabi. A lot of my scents are also essential oils-based, so anything that has that kind of natural scent profile is my vibe. I also really love fragrances from Dior and Clive Christian.

That sort of peace of knowing that I've lived an interesting life. That feeling of being alive and having so much passion for life that I'm not so afraid of death. I'm looking forward to that, and right now, I feel better than I've ever felt. I feel freer and prouder of myself than ever before, so I think I’m on the right track.

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