Ree Drummond Makes Pioneering Pretty
Ree Drummond, author of The Pioneer Woman. (Photo: Instagram)
Oklahoma ranch wife, mom of four, and New York Times bestseller Ree Drummond knows her way around the kitchen, the farm, and the web. Drummond’s blog, The Pioneer Woman, which started in 2006, chronicling homeschooling and ranch life, has become a forum and daily read for millions of followers merging farm life with the digital world. Not only did Forbes previously name the Food Network star one of its Top 25 Web Celebrities, Drummond is now venturing into cookware, bakeware, and tableware. It’s appropriately titled The Pioneer Woman Collection, and it just debuted at Walmart.
When the “accidental country girl” isn’t blogging about burgers or teaching tutorials on mini-muffins, she’s cooking up a hearty meal for her family unless she’s getting camera-ready for her TV show. One thing that is constant is her smile. Coincidentally, her favorite beauty tip involves a grin– and you’ll laugh once you read why.
Yahoo Beauty: What foods do you use as beauty tools?
Ree Drummond: My daughter does avocado masks. She read this in a magazine and put one on me once. I was very skeptical, but I was very dewy for many days following. She left it on for about an hour, until it was brown. I always want to eat the avocado, so I have a hard time getting that far.
What other beauty tricks do you partake in, involving food?
I keep spoons in the freezer, and then I take them out two at a time and put them on my eyes when my eyes are swollen.
You live on a ranch. What is your day-to-day?
It’s very unlike New York City. We don’t have to walk to get where we go. We drive trucks. Our days are determined by what is going on at the ranch. If my husband is working cattle with the kids, we wake up at 4 a.m. We try to find everyone’s boots and spurs. He saddle up the horses and the kids go out. My day centers around what I’m going to cook for them when they get home.
How has your beauty regiment changed with the decades?
As you get into your late 30s and 40s – where I am now – femininity is almost a necessity to remind yourself that you’ve still got it. You’re still vibrant.
What makes you feel beautiful?
Confidence and joy. That sounds so cheesy, but if you have contentment and joy, I think you tend to have a bit more of a glowing countenance rather than being beaten down and frowning.
Is there any beauty advice you love sharing?
I smile a lot, and people ask me why I smile so much. I say, “It hides my jowls.” If I don’t smile, my jowls are visible. Smiling is an instant facelift!
What makes you smile, and keeps you happy and upbeat?
Staying engaged in my family and my home. I love the work I do. I love blogging. I love doing my show, developing my products now. If I don’t keep myself centered around my core – my kids and my husband – then I start to get off center. If I put everything through the filter of my family, then I’m good.
Do you have a makeup team for your show or do you do it yourself?
I do my own makeup – probably to my detriment [laughs]. If I had a makeup artist, I would have to start over an hour earlier. This way, I can stay in my house with my kids and do my own makeup.
Is your on-camera look different from that in day-to-day life?
It’s very similar, I think. In day-to-day life, I probably put fewer coats on and fewer applications of eyeliner. I certainly have my days where I’m much more disheveled than I am on the show.
Are there any beauty products you use every day and cannot live without?
Mascara. That’s my desert island item. You can pinch your cheeks. You can bite your lips to get some color, but you cannot fake mascara – especially if you’re a fair skinned red head. And fake lashes!
Is your hair natural?
I’m a natural redhead, but I’m 46, so I definitely get my hair colored now.
What are you most excited about regarding your new collection?
The collection is an extension of my life. When I see it, it makes me happy. I wanted it to reflect my life and what brings me joy. It’s color and a little bit of vintage charm and a little bit of a look into the past.
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