The holidays call for glamour and there’s no one more glamorous than Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox. So we were excited to sit down with the actress and activist at the Verizon Connected Home for the Holidays event on Thursday, November 2, to talk selfies, wigs, foundation, going vegan and what ‘s making her feel festive this season. Read on for all the fabulous scoop!
Stylish: Since you’ve partnered with a phone company this holiday season, we have to talk about selfies. As a tall woman, do you have any great tips for statuesque types?
Laverne Cox: I’m not super tall — I’m 5’11. It’s when I’m in heels I look like an Amazon! I have a Samsung phone, which of course you can get through Verizon. I like to get photos from above but from below can work, too, if you get the right lighting for you. For full body, if you have long legs a low angle will make them look great! Make sure your face is in the light, though, so you don’t get bunch of chins.
I think whether you’re tall, whether you’re short, you have to know the angles of your face and how to put life into your face so there’s a light behind your eyes. That means you’re smizing, to paraphrase Tyra. You must smize!
Stylish: You’ve worn so many great wigs. Any tips to share?
Cox: Oh, girl, I can talk about wigs all day! The fun thing about wigs is that you can change your look really really quickly. It’s the about the quality of the hair. If you’re doing human hair like I would do you need to go for the best, virgin hair whenever possible. If it’s dyed make sure it’s not overly processed in the dying because it’s going to fry the hair.
For root realness, I like a dark root. I went darker earlier this year. It was a brown color and the colorist I work with was like “Let me just put a little dark root in it” and it made a huge difference!
Stylish: We hear you use baby shampoo on your face, is that true?
Cox: I do – after all these years! If it’s gentle enough for a baby, it’s gentle enough for your face! I’ll use a wipe to take my makeup off and then I’ll use baby shampoo to wash and then moisturize.
Stylish: Any foundation wisdom to share?
Cox: Take care of your skin. Makeup can only cover color, it can’t cover texture! Deja, my makeup artist, mixes a lot of colors together to customize. We always do at least a couple different shades of foundation either in different parts of the face or mixed together. It’s all about dimension.
Stylish: What are you looking comes to the holidays this year?
Cox: For me the holidays are always about taking time off. Those of us who are workaholics, I often feel guilty taking time off but for the holidays everyone is off! So I get to spend time with my friends and family. The reason I’m partnering with Verizon is they have all this incredible technology to help you stay connected to make all that easier!
I just got the Fitbit Ionic and I usually gain 10 to 15 pounds over the holidays. So this season I want to use my Fitbit to have fun at the parties but be accountable and make sure I’m moving enough. I just went vegan 13 weeks ago and so I’m trying to live a healthier life in general.
And I love the JBL Link 20 speakers, too. When you have friends over, you can get a little party started. And they’re great for blasting music when I’m in the shower, too.
