Tessa Thompson is booked and busy. Coming off of promoting her latest movie Creed III, the star admits that carving out a moment for herself while on the road means relying on her arsenal of beauty tools. However, just because prioritizing her routine is something she is accustomed to now, that was not always the case. “I think my approach to beauty has changed greatly. So much about our relationship to self changes with age, but it’s the same with our skin,” she says. “As the years have gone on, and also just as the beauty industry has changed, I think I'm much more focused on taking care of my skin and really being able to listen to it, touch it, and understand what it needs.”
Between wearing makeup on set, getting glam for red carpets, and prepping for photo shoots, Thompson’s skin sees a lot of product. But if there is one thing we know, it’s that she is not one to shy away from serving a head-to-toe look. “I am a big collector of references. I feel really lucky that I work with folks that wanna play with me,” she says. “For the recent Creed III [press] tour, I wore a lot of vintage Vivienne Westwood suits. When she passed, I was thinking about her legacy and what it meant to me, so I really wanted to celebrate her. Then the beauty sort of comes from there. It is inspired by a feeling.”
You might be asking, but what does Thompson reach for behind the scenes? “If someone says you have to try this thing, I kind of want to try it instantly,” she confesses. Below, learn what has made it into her beauty bag and the expert tricks that are now part of her regular routine.
Luminous Silk Hydrating Makeup Primer
“I never understood the big deal with primer [was] until becoming an ambassador for Armani Beauty. I didn't think about how everything you put on your skin before makeup is important to how the product actually sits, looks, and feels on your skin. I started using this primer because it was around and wow, it’s so good. I find such a difference in how smooth everything goes on and how much cleaner the finished product looks — especially when I am applying it myself and [it’s] not being done up by a makeup artist.”
Faceshot Electric Microneedling Device + Vitamin Ampoules
“Maybe this comes with getting older, but I'm much more interested in gadgets than I used to be. I find taking the time to sit in front of an LED light for 20 minutes very meditative. Those moments [double as time to] check in with yourself and also take care of my skin. I really cherish [that part of my routine] and I've become fairly diligent about it. It’s been a great thing to add to my practice.
“I have hit a saturation point where I arguably have too many tools [laughs], but I think I’m really interested in the aesthetics of them. If I find one that’s a cool shape and it looks like it has functionality, I’ll try it.There are a couple that I really love and one is the FaceGym Faceshot.”
Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask
“I dyed my hair red at the end of last year and have been playing with a bunch of different shades since then. [My hairstylist] Lacy [Redway] and I love to collaborate on what the red is going to be depending on what we're trying to say throughout a tour. I went red again after having to go back to black when we were doing Creed reshoots. So it's just been a lot of wear and tear on my hair.
“I discovered K18 through Lacy and my colorist Aura [Friedman] and it has really changed my hair. What tends to happen with curly hair is sometimes if you have damage you'll have bits that go really straight, which happens to me because my hair is really fine. So K18 has been a godsend. What's so nice about it is, if you have textured [hair], it’s basically like a leave-in conditioner and treatment for your hair. I use it just like a cream.”
Luminous Silk Foundation
“I’ve gotten into doing my own foundation more. I’ve always used Luminous Silk and I've introduced so many of my friends and family to it, from my mom to my stepmom to my sisters. Something that I've started to do that makes it look even more natural [why you apply] is spritzing rose water on your face before and after you set with powder. I learned it from a makeup artist and it really makes a huge difference. Especially if you're wearing a bit more coverage, it really helps to just keep it fresh.”
The Blow Dryer
“I'm a big Pattern Beauty fan. The whole line is amazing and keeps my hair defined. Recently I've gotten really into the Blow Dryer. I bought it just as a consumer myself. I was like I have to buy this blow dryer because it's so beautiful. I am a curly [haired] person who never got the diffuser thing so this has become a more recent obsession.”
Prive Rose Alexandrie Eau de Toilette
“With fragrance, I’m all over the place. My favorite thing is to find fragrances when I'm traveling. There's so many small brands that you can discover that way. I think that's why I love rose water so much. It's sort of a favorite go-to scent [for me.]”
Masque Pigm 400 Sheet Masks
“I just love putting sheet masks on even if it’s just a placebo. I just like the way they feel and they are especially good if you put them in the refrigerator or the freezer for a couple of minutes. They get cold and help depuff. [That is my trick] especially if you are tired.”