Few storied beauty brands evoke nostalgia like Estée Lauder. For Ana de Armas, the actress recalls a flight back home to Cuba, a little blue jar, and love at first sight. “I was at the airport in Spain in my early twenties, and I knew I had nine hours ahead of me on the plane,” de Armas explains over Zoom. “I went to the duty-free beauty store because I was looking for something to put on my face for those nine hours. And that was the first time I bought the little light blue jar of the Daywear Moisture Creme. That was the beginning.”
The love affair continues as de Armas takes on a new role as Estée Lauder’s Global Brand Ambassador. Starring in her first campaign for the brand’s latest fragrance Beautiful Magnolia, de Armas looks refreshed over Zoom, sporting a new chin-length bob and feathery bangs. It’s the sign of a new beginning.
“I’m very happy with everything we’ve done so far,” De Armas says of the brand. “We’ll start with the fragrance campaign, but we have much more coming, and it feels like a great new project and adventure for this year. And it’s a brand that’s been around for 75 years, and it’s prestige and longevity, I like what it stands for and the way they celebrate women.”
Estee Lauder
Ahead, de Armas shares her beauty and wellness commandments, plus the one thing she can’t wait to do once quarantine is over.
Self-care is essential.
I’ve tried to stay active and healthy and take time for my rituals every morning and night. And to discover what I have, what I like, what I love to do for myself, what looks good on myself. We don’t have spas or facials. We can’t enjoy that, which is something I used to do very often before. So I’ve had to go through my own tutorial class to learn how to take care of myself.
Take the time to meditate or do yoga, stretch in the morning, and have a cup of coffee and things like that. It feels good to even just go for a walk with your dogs and go for a hike in the hills. Sometimes you don’t realize that you’re skipping those bits. And at the end of the week, you feel tired or feel like something’s missing, and I think it is that little self-care.
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Less is more.
Growing up in Cuba was pretty simple. I think the circumstances and the country’s culture were not places where beauty is seen the way we see it here. Or even we don’t have the tools to, even if you want to. So for me, beauty was always to be clean. Like your hair has to be clean and brushed, your face, pluck your eyebrows. You are taking care of your natural beauty. Natural bare skin was the look for pretty much everyone. Especially young girls, like at the age I was living in Cuba. I’ve learned to love that kind of beauty and to feel comfortable in my skin. Just let who you are, and your natural beauty comes out as it is.
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Beauty comes from within.
[Feeling beautiful] is very connected to how you feel. I think I feel beautiful when I’m happy. That, mixed with a week at the beach and a sun-kissed bronze, red cheeks, and natural highlights in my hair.
Estee Lauder
Dare to try a new look.
My directors inspired [my haircut]! I’m about to start shooting this new movie, and they sent me a few inspiration looks, and I sent back my inspiration books, and we met in the middle. My look was what we thought would suit the character better, and it was more comfortable for all the action scenes and all the movement I have to do. So I went for it.
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Make time for a good binge-watch.
Bridgerton [I watched] in like four days! The Sound of Metal, I love that movie. My gosh, I’m blanking because I literally watch something every day. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. I have friends sharing their playlist with me and I go from hip hop, reggae, classics, jazz, a little bit of everything.
Pick up a new hobby.
On my last birthday, a friend sent me a ukulele, and I just started learning independently. And I’m working on that. It’s pretty fun. Now I make Zoom calls with my friends, and I play songs for them and happy birthday songs and things like that.
More hugs and kisses post-lockdown.
I will probably see my friends, like try to get them all together in a place and physically see them and hug them. I think I’m going to start hugging people, everybody. And get physical and make contact with people. It’s strange to me not to start kissing people, especially in Spain where they kiss twice. I’m going to start kissing for ages. I’m going to be kissing everybody.
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This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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