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Mindy Kalinghas always invested in skin care.
Robert Smith/Getty Images
This interview was conducted prior to the strike.
Why Lion Pose, and why now?
Mindy Kaling:I hear what youre saying.
Kaling, seen here, says applying Lion Pose Unspotted 4X daily has “kept a lot of hyperpigmentation at bay.”
I love this product so much I’m investing my own money in it.
I use it every day.
I feel incredibly lucky that I’m someone who’s celebrated for my dark brown skin.
And I did not want to change that.
And so this is something that just really works for me.
So that’s why I came on as an investor, not just as an ambassador or whatever.
And I just selfishly wanted in on their success and I was lucky that they found room for me.
What has that journey involved for you?
MK:Well, if you havemelanated skin, you have to be so careful about lasers.
Kaling, seen here, says applying Lion Pose Unspotted 4X daily has “kept a lot of hyperpigmentation at bay.”
I loved that when I talked to Nisha and Madhu, they already knew about all these issues.
Allure:What do your beauty rituals look like today?
MK:I’m really worried about being really boring right now.
So tell me if you’re like, “Hey, you’re getting too granular.”
Allure:This isAllure go for it.
MK:Okay, good.
Kaling, seen here, says applying Lion Pose Unspotted 4X daily has “kept a lot of hyperpigmentation at bay.”
Then I’ll do some kind of an oil-basedmakeup removing balm.
The one that I’ve been using these days is theDrunk Elephant Slaai.
I also really like theAugustinus Bader cleansing balm.
So every stitch of makeup is off my skin.
I often forget eye cream and then go to bed.
So I was using the serum in the morning as well and then using a ton of sunscreen.
Normally a tinted moisturizer is very chalky on my skin and it looks absurd.
But with Sente, they have two different shades and the darker one blends in beautifully.
And then the other one I love, it’s becoming a classic right now, is theSupergoop!
Its a super primer for makeup too.
Sente
Sente Invisible Shield Full Physical SPF 52 Tinted
DermStore
Supergoop!
Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40
Allure:Has motherhood changed your relationship to beauty?
I don’t spend a lot of time doing it, even if I have seven steps.
Because what I just outlined is a lot of steps, but I can just do it quickly now.
I think my skin has gotten better as I’ve had kids.
I don’t know why.
Maybe just because I know about more kinds of things and little tricks that I didn’t before.
Allure:Did you pick up beauty tips from working in front of the camera?
MK:Oh, my god, so many.
I did 117 episodes ofThe Mindy Project.
We would shoot in July, August, and September, which are the hottest months of the year.
She would leave my eye makeup on because that takes a long time [to apply].
But she always let my skin breathe for that hour.
And I’m telling you, it really saved my skin.
I didn’t do that duringThe Officeand I broke out so much more.
Allure:Has beauty helped you get into character over the years?
MK:Oh, absolutely.
And she was always wearing statementpurple eyeshadowand tons of blush and lots of mascara.
She expressed herself with a lot of statement makeup.
And I think that is what was so endearing about that character for me.
Also because I was in my mid-thirties.
But Mindy Lahiri did great hair trends.
She was doingbalayageand all kinds of big headbands…. Allure:I want to talk a little about wellness.
Do beauty and wellness go hand in hand for you?
MK:I think my definition of wellness and beauty has evolved over time.
And, also, a fun self-expression tool for myself.
But there is no beauty without wellness for me now, at my age.
I think they’re very interrelated now.
And that’s meant a lot to a lot of people.
Obviously you’ve undergone this wellness journey and some people feel like they’ve lost an ally.
What would you say to them?
MK:It’s not super exciting for me to talk about my body and how it’s analyzed.
It’s not from any outside sources.
She loves beauty and makeup.
And it’s out of pure love.
It’s painting her face literally painting her face is what she thinks of it as.
It’s not for the gaze of other people; she thinks it looks fabulous.
For her birthday she was like, “Can I paint my face with your makeup?”
And I’m like, “Okay, sure.
it’s possible for you to do that on your birthday.”
She plays with makeup at home sometimes.
She’ll play with makeup and we will just wipe her face off before we go out.
But I just love how much she loves it.
And I really relate to that and I really have a go at emulate that.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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