‘Unreal’ Star Shiri Appleby Uses All the Skin Care She Can Get Her Hands On

Faran Krentcil
Shiri Appleby (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Shiri Appleby (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

For cool girls with binge-watching tendencies, Shiri Appleby is the gift that keeps on giving. From her tour-de-trainwreck performance in Unreal to the Roswell reruns on Netflix, the 38-year-old actress is an onscreen addiction for millions of fans.

This month, she is also a fairy godmother, thanks to Birchbox. The company granted Appleby the power to gift its hit beauty boxes to friends and family, which means along with Unreal Season 3 spoilers, you might get some free lip gloss or skin cream too.

We called Appleby at her home in Los Angeles to talk about her favorite products — and that time she was on Xena: Warrior Princess. (Oh, yes. That happened. Twice.)

Birchbox recruited you because you’re an avid subscriber. What’s a beauty product you discovered from Birchbox deliveries?

I get obsessed with stuff from my Birchbox deliveries all the time. I’m obsessed right now with this stuff from Milk Makeup, and I use it religiously. It’s called Lip + Cheek, and it comes in a little tube. It’s so easy.

On Unreal, your character, Rachel, has a breakdown in nearly every episode. When crying every day is literally your job, how do you protect your skin between takes?

That’s funny! I thought you were going to ask how I make myself cry. This question is way better. Well, I do use a ton of moisturizer. La Prairie — also obsessed with it. It’s been really good for my skin. And then [Unreal co-star] Constance [Zimmer] gave me a Kiehl’s clay mask, which I love. Shiseido has great hydrating masks. I’m one of those women who loves hard clay masks or hydrating masks. They make me feel so good. To be honest, I’ve been doing masks and scrubs religiously ever since I can remember, maybe even in junior high. I also use a ton of eye cream. I do as much [skin care] as I can while I’m working, because people are constantly touching my face and putting makeup on me.

Shiri Appleby as producer Rachel Goldberg on 'Unreal.'
Shiri Appleby as producer Rachel Goldberg on Unreal. (Photo: A + E Studios)

Your daughter Natalie is 3. Does she understand your job?

I think she’s starting to get it. She said to me the other day, “Mommy, you’re a great artist!” But then she said to someone else, “Mommy’s on Unreal.”

That’s hysterical. A 3-year-old talking about Unreal.

She comes to work with me all the time. The kids hang out in hair and makeup. They have their own trailer. I try to make where I work very happy, so they think I’m in this really happy place every day.

Even though the show is about the most damaged people on earth — wait until they’re older and they see what you really do on TV!

Or when they’re finally like, “Oh my God — the real world’s not as fun as Mommy said!”

You directed an episode last season. Are you doing more work behind the camera?

Yes! I am directing another episode, plus I’m directing a Funny Or Die piece next week too. And I just left a meeting with the executive producers of The Fosters, which I think is such an incredible show. So I might get an opportunity to work on one of their episodes too — strictly behind the camera!

What’s the last piece of clothing you bought for yourself?

I love to go to Aritzia! I go in there all the time and buy whole wardrobes. It’s well priced. It’s well made. But the last thing? Hmm … oh, I did just buy shoes. I bought really beautiful flats from the Row.

Before you starred on Roswell, you were on Xena: Warrior Princess. What was that like?

For me, it was such a big deal! It was such a big career bump! I thought I was onto something big. It was my freshman year of college, and they flew me to New Zealand to shoot the show. I was across the world, and it shattered my life. I remember thinking, I can’t believe someone’s paying me and flying me across the world to act. This is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. It definitely made me realize what kind of possibilities existed in the TV world. And I had so much fun.

Did you have a fight scene with Xena?

Yeah, I had fight scenes and dancing scenes. My episode was about a town where people aren’t allowed to dance, and my character was trying to bring dancing back to their lives.

Like Greek mythology Footloose.

Pretty much! And I got to do two episodes, which felt like a huge deal to me. I loved being on the set because everyone was so nice to me. They couldn’t have been sweeter. Lucy [Lawless] was so kind to me, and she was a huge star in my eyes. I was a total fangirl.