A Proud Leo, Viola Davis’ Beauty Essentials Include Laughter and This Perfect Red Lipstick

When we connected via video chat on a Sunday, EGOT-winning actor Viola Davis was preparing to walk in the L’Oréal Paris Le Défilé Walk Your Worth show during Paris Fashion Week, but she wasn’t nervous about hitting the Parisian runway. “You know what? There’s no stress to it,” she shared. “No one’s telling you what to do, how to walk, how to be. They are literally on the sidelines like cheerleaders, just encouraging you to be you.” 

That’s the heart of the L’Oréal Paris mission: empowering people to celebrate themselves through the power of beauty. It’s a message that resonates with the star, who became a face of L’Oréal Paris in 2019. (Her fellow ambassadors include Andie MacDowell, Kendall Jenner, Eva Longoria, Aja Naomi King, and Jane Fonda, many of whom also walked the runway at the show.) “I think that all the L’Oréal ambassadors represent every age, every ethnicity, every size, and then their moniker of ‘I’m worth it’ really brings it over the top,” she explained. “I think L’Oréal understands the value of the woman and the beauty of the woman. It’s a beauty brand that sees us.” 

In honor of the occasion, we chatted all things beauty and wellness. Ahead, Viola Davis shares the morning and evening ritual she never misses, and the reason you’ll always find a tube of red lipstick in her bag.

The One Thing She Always Does Before Stepping on a Red Carpet

“Besides pray… One thing I always do when I wake up in the morning, I always get in the jacuzzi. I sit in there with my husband and sometimes I’ll just do steam. And the reason why I do that is because it catapults me into relaxation—because I do get a little anxious when I’m on the red carpet. I don’t think that people understand how overwhelming the red carpet can be.”

The One Product She Can’t Live Without

“There’s a couple—I love the [L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Bright Reveal Brightening Peel Pads], but I haven’t used them in a minute. So I would have to say the Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Hydrating Serum, because that’s the product I consistently use.”

The One Thing That’s Inspiring Her Right Now

“I’m finding inspiration in people who are living their truth. I turned 59 and I feel like I have more time behind me than I have ahead of me.

“You’re always looking for that guy, that person like the Stevie Wonder song says, ‘Show me how to do what you do. Show me how to do it.’ I’m looking for those women who know how to do this part of life. I love Brené Brown. I feel like she lives her life based on her studies and what she believes. I believe that she’s the real deal.”

The One Thing That Always Makes Her Happy

“There’s a few things besides my massage chair. My husband always makes me laugh. I’m not gonna lie, even when he’s making me mad, he makes me laugh, and when I say laugh, I mean rolling-on-the-floor laughter. I mean holding-my-belly laughing. He’s a funny man and he imitates his mom, which is the absolute best. We laugh in bed. We laugh in the tub.”

The One Thing She Does Every Night Before Bed

“I get in the tub [for an] Epsom salt bath every single night with my husband. I dump a bunch of Dr. Teal’s in a bathtub, and I wash my face with Shu Uemura oil cleanser—I let my husband use my facial wash too. And we put on the [L’Oréal] Midnight Serum and the cream. And that’s what we do. Every night… every night.”

The Product That’s Been In Her Routine the Longest

“Probably that Shu Uemura oil cleanser. Possibly those acid peel pads that I’m gonna acquire before I leave Paris.”

The One Piece of Beauty Advice She Wishes Everyone Knew

“I wish everybody knew something I’ve been using ad nauseam all afternoon, which is, ‘You are the love of your life.’ It’s just you. If anyone is going to save you in your life, it’s always going to be you.”

The One Time She Feels Most Like Herself

“At home. No makeup. My headwrap. My robe. With my husband, laughing. Watching a movie, eating something really good. That’s when I feel most myself.”

The One Item of Clothing She’s Had Forever

“This is a good chance for me to mention my daughter, who said, ‘If you don’t burn that black dress…’ At one point, I think I threw it away and my housekeeper took it out of the trash and hung it back up again. 

“I think I got it from Target. I love it and then I finally threw it away and now I’m trying to buy another dress like that. It was $9.99 and I’m trying to find another dress and I can’t find one. Just a black sheath dress, that’s all it was.”

The One Product Always In Her Bag

“Definitely lipstick. I always have [the Color Riche Intense Volume Matte Lipstick in 203] in my bag because it’s the easiest thing. I put on my sunshades and lipstick and especially if it’s really red, I’m just gonna admit it: people see me. They see the lips and I like being seen! I’m a Leo.”