Despite her funny-girl persona, Cheryl Hines does not take to watching old episodes of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, which premiered an almost-unbelievable 20-plus years ago, lightly. While Larry David always looks like, well, Larry David, Hines is in what she calls the “interesting situation” of starting the series at 35 and turning 55 during the show’s tenth season.
“It is really strange to see yourself 20 years ago on a show,” she says.“It’s interesting in that I’ve learned a lot of beauty tricks and tips through the years; I watch the old episodes and think, ‘Oh, my hair is better now than it was back then.’ I’ve definitely learned what lip gloss shades look good on me and which ones don’t! And the clothing! Some of it wasn’t so flattering. But you learn what to focus on and what to let go of…after that, it’s all just what I consider ‘interesting’ reminders of the past.”
As for the future, Hines is currently in the process of adding product formulator to her resume in the new year, as she puts the finishing touches on a hair-care launch with her teenage daughter.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best hair and makeup artists in the world, so I’ve gotten to try a lot of things. Last year, I was at my mom’s house taking a shower, and she had labeled all of her shampoos and conditioners in her bathroom with a Sharpie. And she’s not alone! We have to write it out right on the bottles because you just can’t see it anymore. I don’t know why, but through the years, other words have become more important than the actual word shampoo. We’ve overcomplicated something that should be simple. Between that and wanting to start a company with my daughter and realizing there’s a need for good, easy-to-use products—that’s all part of the allure of this line.”
I always say, ‘I do the best I can with what I’ve got.’
Adding to the allure is a life-long, almost-inherent interest in the beauty world. “I actually got my cosmetology license before I went to college. Beauty is just something I’ve always loved. My daughter and I have fun talking about beauty products and trying beauty products, and now it’s a business for us. She’s 16, so it’s pretty empowering to work on something as grown-up as starting a beauty line, especially because we’re both so passionate about it. We’re working on the designs and the formulas, and figuring out the business plan and how we’re going to market this.”
Beyond the business, Hines says, is imparting the message to her daughter that beauty is uplifting—something that should make you feel good about yourself. “Of course, at the same time, beauty comes from within, so I stress eating the right things, exercising when you can and laughing a lot. That’s what keeps you feeling young. It’s about accepting who you are. And that takes time.”
“But it’s so important to keep spreading that message: You’re beautiful. Start with that idea and then work on it. I always say, ‘I do the best I can with what I’ve got.’ I think that’s what we should be doing. Don’t try too much to be somebody else. Work with you’ve got, make it your best and feel good about yourself.”
Cheryl’s Beauty Obsessions
Listen, there’s a lot of stuff I like! Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s not the makeup, but how your skin is maintained. For me, that means moisture, and a lot of it. It’s all about scrubbing your makeup off at night, then moisturizing all night long, in the morning when you wake up, and then on your lunch break. Just keep dabbing a little more moisture under your eyes. You have to keep hydrated! And sunscreen: I remember when I was 19, I was talking to a girl and her mom on Miami Beach and they both had this very creamy skin. I couldn’t even understand how in the Florida sun, they had skin that was so clear. She said, ‘You have to wear sunscreen all day every day.’ At that time, and this was a while ago, I thought, ‘That’s ridiculous.’ But their skin was so beautiful that I started using sunscreen on my face. I wish I would have done my décolleté as well, because that has a lot of sun damage. I try to keep my face out of the sun as much as possible.”
