Jordana Brewster on Celebrity Beauty: ‘We Do Get a Lot of Help’

Jordana Brewster has teamed up with Zyrtec to talk about combating “allergy face.” (Photo: Zyrtec)

Jordana Brewster is having a major moment. Currently working on or in three winning projects — Season 2 of Secrets and Lies, Fox’s reboot of Lethal Weapon, and The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, in which she plays Denise, the grieving sister of slain Nicole Brown Simpson — she is also having the time of her life parenting her 2-year-old son, Julian. Meanwhile, Brewster, 35, is an allergy sufferer and just signed on to a partnership with Zyrtec to bring anti-puffy-face beauty tips to the masses just as spring pollen begins to explode. We couldn’t wait to hear (achoo!) what she had to say about that — as well as her beauty routine and meditation practice, her look on The People v. O.J. Simpson, and, because we had just heard the devastating news before our interview, her feelings on the loss of Prince.

So what’s your favorite Prince song?

I think “Little Red Corvette” is one of my favorites. I am a huge Prince fan, and it’s very shocking, because it seems like he was so young and such a force. It’s bizarre to lose him so early.

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This is one of those pop-culture moments that will resonate for decades. What do you remember about the actual O.J. Simpson trial?

I remember watching the Bronco chase. I remember it being on in my parents’ room all the time, like they had CNN on and they were constantly watching it. And I remember being at high school, and they literally stopped classes and wheeled the television into the assembly room, and we all watched the verdict. And none of us could believe what it was.

In the role of Denise Brown. (Photo: FX)

What was it like working on the show with director Ryan Murphy?

It was so nice to just be able to completely trust your director 100 percent. He’s done everything, every genre, and he’s so good at everything that I just trusted him completely. He’s a force. I felt very lucky to work with him.

Tell us about your very of-that-moment beauty look in the role of Denise Brown.

Your own personal vanity has to kind of go out the window. Although my sister recently said to me, “I’m sorry, but you’re really doing the poof now — what are you doing?” [Laughing] I’m apparently now putting my hair to the side and having this giant poof that Denise had — in real life. Like, I’ve kind of gotten used to it! Whereas before I was like, “Oh my God, this is so bad.” There were inspiration pictures all over the trailer of the real people … so they were very true to how the characters looked. If Denise was wearing a scrunchie that day, we found a scrunchie. If she wore minimal makeup, we didn’t put lashes on that day. It was cool to kind of put your preferences aside and do what was best for the character. I really enjoyed that.

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So what’s your own real-life beauty routine — skin, hair, makeup?

With my skin, I’ve always believed in washing every morning, every night, and being really diligent about that. I love using oils; I love using serums, as my skin gets really dry. I love getting facials. And hair? I’m a blow-dry-bar junkie — it’s really embarrassing, but I am! I wash my hair maybe two to three times a week so it doesn’t dry it out so much. I also rely on dry shampoo. Jen Atkin, who is a hairstylist I’ve worked with a lot who I love, has a new line called Ouai, and it’s really nice texturizing dry shampoo. I love makeup — I’m a makeup junkie — and my favorites are Charlotte Tilbury and Armani. It’s like an instant confidence boost to be able to add a little color to your face and make yourself feel better. The other thing I think is really important and that I’ve used for years now is the YSL Touche Éclat, add a little bit of lightness under your or nose. It works so well, and it feels so light.

With son Julian. (Photo: Instagram)

What about when you’re having a majorly rushed mom moment, with just five minutes to get ready for going out in public?

That usually happens in the car and has to be mascara and lip balm and blush — cream blush, because it’s easier to put on. I’ve been known to be pretty heavy-handed with my blush. It’s like, did you look in the mirror before you went out? Cream blush I can sometimes apply with a little more subtlety.

So let’s talk about allergy season and combating the redness and puffiness that comes along with it.

Zyrtec makes me feel better for 24 hours, and that’s really good. I take it every day. And makeup artist Jaime Greenberg, who I’ve worked with for so many years and is a good friend and who also suffers from allergies, helps me look good. The repercussions are sometimes having “allergy face,” which is puffy eyes, red nose, puffy face. Jaime gave me tips — things I never considered, that are pretty simple, like switching a waterproof mascara. Because your eyes are watery and running, so if you’re using regular mascara and eyeliner, they’re going to run. And also switching wands, which I never really thought about, but using disposable wands on your mascara in case it’s a really heavy pollen day and your wand is getting dirty. And then contouring with bronzer — I love bronzer — to make your face less puffy, and using a pop of color on your lips so that everyone’s not paying attention to the rest of your face!

Getting help from a makeup artist. (Photo: Instagram)

You’re a big meditator, right? How did you get into it, and what are your tips for staying dedicated?

I’ve been meditating for six years and I got into it because I needed stress release. I needed to quiet my mind, like everyone else. I think it’s really helpful to start with baby steps. I downloaded guided meditations, which are about five to seven minutes long and give you a little bit of help. I tried that for a couple of months and I loved how I felt. Then a friend told me about Vedic meditation, and she was like, “I do it before meetings, in my car.” It’s so possible, you just need 20 minutes twice a day, and the rules are more flexible for moms, which is great — you can just grab 10 minutes, whatever you can get. Like this morning I meditated with Julian in my arms, because that’s what I could grab.

What are some other healthy routines you stick to?

I know it’s cliché, but I love eating as close to farm-to-table as possible. I can taste the difference, especially with eggs and avocados, when I buy at the farmers’ market and it’s locally grown, versus the supermarket. I really like working out. I love running, I love hiking, and I’m old-school: I like weight lifting. I lift with [trainer] Harley Pasternak, who I’ve been working with for several years. I still want to get into yoga, but I have not. I feel like if I did get into yoga, I’d want to complement my meditation practice. Maybe I’ll just learn a couple poses!

Finally, what advice can you offer to tired, hardworking women, particularly moms, who want to do it all and look beautiful in the process?

I really respect so many women who are posting makeup-free selfies, because you know, we do get a lot of help. When I’m out there and I’m pretty on the red carpet it’s because I have hair and makeup [people]. It’s not how I’m going around in daily life. I think it’s important to be easy on yourself and know that a lot of the images out there have gotten a lot of help.

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