Aja Naomi King on how she gets her skin so good and why we all need to be taking ice baths
Ever wondered how Aja Naomi King gets her skin looking so good? Us too, which is why when we got the chance to ask the skincare fanatic exactly what her routine is, we jumped at the chance.
Cosmopolitan UK sat down with King ahead of her walk in the L'Oreal Paris Le Defile catwalk show (she's a L’Oreal Paris Global Ambassador) to talk all things beauty, as well as how she's navigated motherhood and why we need to all start jumping in ice baths, pronto.
The actress first blessed our screens when she starred in the binge-able How To Get Away With Murder and is set to star in the much-anticipated Lessons in Chemistry, which lands on AppleTV+ on the 13th of October.
Behind the scenes, Aja is all about prioritising self-care and putting our worries into perspective (seriously, after this interview, she's becoming the new Cosmo beauty team life coach).
The beauty product I never leave the house without...
"I always carry so many things with me but L’Oréal Paris' Infallible 24H Freshwear Foundation in a Powder (£13.45) is always in my bag, it's long-lasting but, you know, sometimes you just need a little touch-up. I also always have the L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Mascara (£11.99). Why carry it around with me? I don't know. It's like a safety blanket, I just like to have it on my being."
I'm always...
"Buying makeup. I am that weird person who goes to the store and buys makeup I like even though I already have it. I just can't see it and not buy it. If there's ever an apocalypse, I'll have everything."
My beauty routine when I'm not on set looks like...
"Since I started working in this industry, the biggest thing for me has become my skin. Everything is like skin, skin, skin. On days off I slap on L'Oreal Paris' Revitalift Filler Hyaluronic Acid Serum (£24.99) and slather that on. It just makes me feel really good about myself, it's so important to hydrate and take care of your skin."
The worst beauty mistake I ever made was...
"Allowing doubt to creep in and questioning my self-worth. We all have our ups and downs, of course, and it's really hard to always feel 100% about ourselves, life can be really taxing but to feel truly beautiful you have to understand how worthy you are."
If I had to pick skincare or makeup...
"I love makeup, but I really love taking care of my skin. To me, that's what makes the makeup look so great. Giving myself a little face massage in the morning is my self-care. I love putting my eye serum in the refrigerator so that it's nice and cool and then slowly rubbing that in – I'm having a great time."
The weirdest beauty treatment I've ever tried was...
"A friend of mine had a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) facial, so I really thought, oh yeah, I'll give that a go but I've got a thing about needles and the whole 'they take your blood' aspect and thought, I like my blood inside my body – I just couldn't do it."
My beauty routine has changed since becoming a mum...
"Before I was a mum, I took for granted the time I would spend on myself and my skin. Becoming a mum you are filled with this overwhelming sense that you have to sacrifice everything about yourself in order to meet the needs of this tiny human that you're doing your best to keep alive. With the help of friends and family, they gently reminded me that I matter and to take the time for myself. My skin routine has become so precious, to take that 15 minutes and not feel guilty for taking that time to massage my face. I deserve it."
The most valuable beauty lesson I've ever learnt is...
"Honouring your worth, to love yourself and be gentle to yourself. It can be hard with social media and staring at other people's lives. Comparison can be negative and positive, it ignites you to try to work harder, or it can be the kind of thing that makes you feel bad about yourself. I think it's crucial to be grounded in your values and to take a break, walk outside or be with nature if it gets too much and don't feel the need to take pictures of everything."
Social media is...
"A time suck. You might go on to your phone to look up something and before you know it, it's been hours and you're like, what was I even looking for in the first place? Being a parent, I don't have time to do that, so it's allowed but at a healthy distance."
A hair product I can't live without...
"L’Oréal Paris' Elvive Hydra Hyaluronic 12% Moisture Plump Serum (£12.99). Years ago, probably at one of the fashion shows, the hair stylist used it on me and I was like, oh this is amazing. It doesn't weigh my hair down at all."
The best beauty tips or tricks I've learnt on set...
"Less is more. We want to see your skin, you know? Let your natural beauty shine through."
My ultimate beauty icon is...
"Naomi Campbell. I mean, she's just...utterly gorgeous. She's magnificent. Her personality, her aura and her overall sense of worth and well-being – I'm obsessed. I just want to take her face haha."
Self-care to me is...
"Meditation, it's such a gift. When I first started it I was like, won't I just fall asleep? But I've gotten really into it. I also find nature very meditative. My son and I go on walks and point things out to each other and make up stories. It's just peaceful and helps me detach from everything else."
I manage stress by...
"Taking ice baths. I do them a couple of times a week, I find them really grounding and help me to manage stress. They help me breathe and think 'You can figure this out'."
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