What Shiri Appleby Can’t Live Without

I feel like a mask is a really feminine, nice moment, and taking a few minutes to recharge really helps me look my best. This is a thick mud that makes my skin feel so fresh — the pores really get cleaned out and it leaves my face so hydrated. I would do it every day if I could, but I don’t have the time. On those days I can find it, though, I’ll put the kids to bed, draw a bath, and wear this for 15 minutes. It’s what I do to recharge.

I love coffee, and I tried making it with a French press, but I could never get exactly what I wanted. Figuring out how much water with how much coffee and how long to leave it for was just too much, and it never worked. I got a Nespresso, and it is perfect every time. It just takes two minutes and it makes the perfect cup of coffee. I like the two and three capsules because I don’t need that much caffeine.

I don’t know if you’ve ever used this olive oil, but it’s the best in the world. I love pasta with sautéed vegetables and some salt, and I’ll just finish it with Frankie’s because it’s got so much flavor and is so rich. I only cook with it as a dressing because it’s more of a finishing rather than vegetable oil. It has such a unique taste and feels so high-end.

So I am making a move behind the camera — I’ve directed three shorts and two episodes of UnREAL — and now I really want to learn about that transition. I have both of these volumes (the first and second one) sitting on my coffee table, and they’re great because they’re directors talking about shooting and directing and releasing their first films — it’s nice to hear they’re all standing exactly where I am today. It’s everyone from Amy Acker to Neil Jordan to Richard Kelly to Sam Mendes — really major directors. For someone aspiring to be in that role, it’s inspiring to hear that if they can do it, I can do it.

I have a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old and every single bag I carry has a huge tube of this sunscreen. There’s so much sun in L.A., and I’m just slathering it on them and myself all the time. It’s easy and lightweight and doesn’t leave a residue so you don’t have to spend a bunch of time rubbing it in. The kids don’t want to stand and have their sunscreen put on, so that’s a huge bonus.

It’s a moisturizer and serum in one, which I love because any way to cut down on the number of products I use in the morning is a plus. I love getting facials with Kate Somerville so it’s nice to be able to indulge in this at home. It feels fantastic and goes on so easily. It doesn’t leave any stickiness — my skin just soaks it up and feels hydrated.

Okay, so I’m married to Jon Shook, but I love it so much because my mom taught me how to cook from it, before I even got together with Jon, from that exact cookbook. I love that there’s a photo for every recipe. I’m a mom cook, so some visual guidance really helps — I use it to make roast chicken, hamburgers, Bolognese, dessert for the kids.

My mom used to ask me questions and write down what I said when I was a kid, so I’ve had journals of my life since I was in elementary school. I pretty much have my whole life in journals. My good friend Katie Zorn gave me one of these T. Anthony journals for my birthday and it was engraved with my name on it, and it became a touch of fancy in my life. I have two or three dozen of them now. I tape all my ticket stubs and photos and pictures from magazines that I find inspiring in them.