Beauty Detail
Ashley Benson On The Drugstore Mascara She'll Never Stop Using
The actor reveals her skin care and makeup MVPs.
In Bustle’s Beauty Detail, we dive into the beauty bags of our favorite talents for intel on the rituals that keep them glowing and the MVPs (most valuable products) they can't live without. Here, Ashley Benson tells Bustle about her go-to drugstore mascara and secret for achieving the perfect beach waves.
Despite having had a signature look as Hanna Marin on Pretty Little Liars, Ashley Benson isn’t afraid of a sporadic beauty transformation. The actor has rocked all different hair colors and lengths, seemingly changing it up by the month. “Pink [hair] was my favorite — I actually want to do it again,” she tells me over Zoom. “I actually have to go red [next] for a film. I’ve never done it before and I’m very excited to try it. Then I’ll go back to brunette.”
Benson has a casual approach when it comes to makeup, though. “I don’t really wear a ton of makeup,” she says. “I’m more about emphasizing my natural look. I’ll always do just a tinted lip balm, some eyebrow gel, and maybe a tinted moisturizer.” Instead, the star has learned to focus on keeping her skin healthy with a diligent routine. “I’ve really embraced taking better care of my skin,” says Benson. “If I don’t do my daily routine or my night [regimen], I feel a little bit off.”
While a scroll through the actor’s Instagram feed might give you the impression she spends hours giving her hair those perfect beach waves every single day, Benson swears by a simple hack — and it doesn’t involve any hot tools. “If I wash my hair, I just put it in two braids and eventually take it out and let it air dry,” she tells me. “I try not to put any heat on my hair. I’m also not very good at [styling] hair so I just keep it natural and put a lot of oils in it.”
A key part of Benson’s beauty routine is her daily bath soak, which is something she turns to for a skin and mood boost. “I have anxiety, and taking the time to myself and just pamper myself a bit makes me feel so relaxed,” she tells Bustle. “I use these bath bombs and sit in there for an hour with a face mask on and watch a TV show.” Her self-care show of choice? “Beverly Hills housewives,” she laughs.
The bath bombs are by Hempz, a beauty brand known for its hemp seed oil-based face and body care products. The line recently got into the CBD skin care game, and Benson is the brand’s first ambassador as it undergoes expansion. “I love CBD. All of the Hempz products work really well with my skin,” she says.
Below, Benson shares the skin care, hair, self-care, and makeup essentials she keeps on rotation.
Her Bath Essential
“I have different scents [of these], but rose is the one I use the most. Rose is my favorite scent — if you walk by me, you’ll just smell rose. I also feel like the CBD really helps my muscles and my joints, so it’s nice to [use these] after a workout at night.”
Her Go-To Lip
“The Dior Lip Glow is my absolute favorite tinted balm. It just enhances your natural lip color and makes it a little bit more pigmented. Plus it’s very moisturizing.”
Her Fave Mascara
“It’s so funny — I’ve gotten all sorts of designer makeup, but I just got this mascara from Revlon and I’m so obsessed. I swear by it and I’ll probably only use that one from now on.”
Her Must-Have For Coverage
“I’ve been using the Charlotte Tilbury tinted moisturizer recently and it’s great — it gives you this really nice glow.”
Her MVP Hair Product
“Oribe makes a really good hair oil — everything from them works so well. But I also like to use coconut oil for hair masks.”
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