Eva Longoria has never needed a mirror to tell her who she is, thanks to a strong sense of self that developed early on. We talked with the actress, producer, director and longtime L’Oréal Paris ambassador ahead of the brand’s iconic Le Défilé fashion show in Paris, which she walked alongside fellow brand ambassadors such as Andie MacDowell, Cara Delevingne and newcomer Kristen Bell.
Here, Longoria reflects on how her mother shaped her self-worth, her experience directing her longtime friend Kim Kardashian in a new movie and the serum-heavy skin prep she loves.
Beauty and self-worth are often entangled for women. How do you personally separate how you look from how you value yourself?
“Well, luckily, I grew up in a family of a lot of strong women who really put my worth in other things. My mom was always like, ‘Make sure you’re educated. Make sure you’re independent. Make sure you’re grounded.’
I also grew up as the ugly duckling, so I didn’t define myself as like ‘the pretty one.’ I didn’t have a relationship with beauty until later in life, and by that time I was already so solid in who I was as a person. So I was really lucky to be raised with a mom who didn’t put so much focus on outer appearance, so I had a really solid hold of my values.”
You’ve been vocal about representation for Latina women in media and beauty. What does meaningful representation actually look like to you today, versus ten years ago?
“Well, I think if you look specifically at L’Oréal, the diverse array of ambassadors that we have all over the world is pretty amazing, and they were really one of the first to do that, to really understand that the definition of beauty could be different skin tones, different ages, different hair colors and they’ve always had a really diverse group of women representing that beauty all over the world. It’s really an honor to be part of a brand that recognizes that the definition of beauty is very diverse.
Then within our industry, you know, in Hollywood, it’s so important in the media to have representation because it really educates our own communities about ourselves, not just other people, not just for other people to see us in a different light, but for our own community to see us in a positive portrayal is really important.”
Has your relationship with beauty and confidence changed as you’ve gotten older?
“I love aging; it’s a part of life, and it’s also a privilege to be aging. It means you’ve been here and you’ve learned some stuff. But I remember being so young, like turning 30, and freaking out. I was like, ‘Oh my God, 30!’ And looking back, I’m like, ‘Oh, what are you talking about?’ These are going to be the best years of your life, and it just keeps getting better.
Also, because I became a mom later in life, I feel like there’s this whole new world that’s opened up that I didn’t even know existed. So always reinventing myself has been a really fun journey.”
What does being part of Le Défilé mean to you personally?
“I love Le Défilé. This is our ninth edition of it, and we usually do it in some iconic place in Paris that’s amazing, under the Eiffel Tower, or the Champs-Élysées, or the Seine, or the Opera House. It’s just always a really fun time, and it’s really this merging of fashion and beauty, and how each one really intersects, and it’s a beautiful runway of diversity of what beauty is, and so bringing all the ambassadors from all over the world, and all ages and all walks of life on one runway is pretty amazing and fascinating and just so much fun.”
What are some of your must-have skin-care products?
“I’m very much into my skin prep, so before the makeup goes on, I want to make sure my skin is glowy and hydrated, so I’m obsessed with the Revitalift line. Obviously, the Hyaluronic Acid Serum ($36). There’s a Triple Power Rich Night Moisturizer ($30) with vitamin C and glycolic acid. It does everything, and the texture is perfect. It’s not greasy, but it’s heavy enough that you feel moisturized, and it absorbs flawlessly into your skin. All the serums, the Glycolic Acid Face Serum ($36), the Derm Intense Night Serum ($40), the Hyaluronic Acid and Caffeine Eye Serum ($36). I’m a serum girl.”
How has the experience of producing four talented yet different women in your new Netflix comedy The Fifth Wheel been?
“So fun. This is the first time I worked with an all-female team. It was female writers, female producers, female actresses and a female director. And our executive at Netflix was a woman, so it was like women from head to toe, and it was the most amazing experience working with amazing comedians like Nikki Glaser, Fortune Feimster, Brenda Song. I've known Kim [Kardashian] for 25 years, so she's always been very funny in my life, but I think people are going to be excited to see her comedic abilities in this movie, and so it was a really fun time. It was such a fun ride.”
What does producing bring out in you that acting doesn’t?
“When you’re producing and directing, it’s a lot of collaboration—way more than when you’re an actor. When you’re an actor, you come in, say your lines and go. When you’re producing and directing, you really have an entire team that is working hard to execute your vision, and so my philosophy on that is that the best idea wins, and it doesn’t have to be my idea. Let’s just all figure this shot out, figure this scene out, and it’s a really fun experience.”
