If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hairspray and the electric toothbrush. We asked actress Camila Mendes — who recently became the face of Urban Decay’s Naked Ultraviolet Eyeshadow Palette — about the gum, fabric face mask, and sunscreen she can’t live without.
I read Zoey Deutch’s What I Can’t Live Without interview where she mentioned that 5 Gum’s spearmint is her flavor of choice, but I will definitely debate her on that. I think Orbit Sweet Mint is the best flavor. I’ve been obsessed with it for so long and someone recently got me a 20-pack of it for my birthday. I chew gum all the time, but unlike Zoey, I don’t drink wine while I chew gum — I always spit it out. When I run out, I panic. When I’m shooting in Vancouver, I can’t get Orbit, because it’s basically unheard of. I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t exist there. So whenever I go to an American airport, I stock up so much that it’s become a joke between me and my friends.
Obviously, everyone has to wear a mask now. I wanted one I could have fun incorporating into my daily style while embracing this new reality. I wear a mask from Collina Strada, which makes a statement. It’s got a very strong pattern on it, but it’s also feminine and soft. And it’s really comfortable: light enough so I can breathe but thick enough that I feel protected. I can wear a white T-shirt and jeans with it and feel like I have a really cool outfit on. I’ve always done that — have one part of my outfit stick out more than the others. Right now, it’s my mask, which is interesting.
Even at home, I’m getting more sun than usual right now because I’m always in my backyard. I love the feel of this sunscreen. The most annoying part about a sunscreen is when it feels thick and oily, but this one is superlight. Now that we’re wearing masks all the time, I don’t want half of my face to be tanner than the rest. Having sunscreen on will definitely help keep it even.
My colorist, Matt Rez, recommended this to me about a year ago as a more long-term way to tame my frizz. I’ve been using it when my hair dries after a shower, and it really seals my hair in a beautiful way. It also absorbs nicely — I don’t feel like my hair has too much product in it or looks too styled or unnatural. Two weeks into quarantine, my hair started drying differently — I had gotten Keratin treatments years ago that I thought should have worn off before then but seemingly did not. Then, all of a sudden, it started drying wavy again, and now I am in a place where I don’t actually need to do anything to it. I just put this in as it’s drying and it stays consistently wavy. I’m like, “Yay! Less effort in the morning!”
When I shower, I blast music super-loud on this. It’s actually my favorite part of the day because the speaker gets so loud — that’s the best part. When I lived in an apartment, my neighbors would always show up at my door after my showers and say, “Please turn it down.” But now I live in a house, so I can listen to it as loud as I want and no one cares. I have a shower playlist called “Drip, Drip,” and it’s all songs that I can sing along to. If I can’t sing along to it, I won’t put it on my shower playlist. The speaker isn’t waterproof, so I don’t bring it in the shower with me — it just sits on the counter.
I buy a lint roller every time I see one, and I’m running low. They are sold everywhere, so I’m not super-particular about my brand of lint roller. Is anyone? I wear a lot of black and just can’t stand when there’s lint on black clothes. It really drives me crazy. I probably wouldn’t wear black if I didn’t own a lint roller. I always give myself a good swipe before I leave the house.
Simon Robbins, the stylist on my shoot for Urban Decay’s Ultraviolet palette, got this nameplate necklace for that and told me I could keep it. I’ve always wanted one, and I literally can’t stop wearing it. I love the font — it’s fun but also kind of classic. At souvenir stores, they’ll have necklaces with Jessica and Rachel and other normal American names. I never in my life have seen a Camila. Having a necklace with my name on it feels special because I know that my name, at least in the U.S., is not very common.
My brows are wild — they go every which way if I’m not checking them every 30 minutes or so. I like to keep them long because I love the full look, but they just get curly and point in so many directions. I don’t really like gels; I can just tell when there is gel on my brows and I don’t like when they feel stiff. I prefer them feeling feathery and doing their thing, which is why I like the look of organic, brushed-up brows. It’s been a while since I bought my brow brush, because the brand has completely faded from the handle, so I’m not sure what it is. I know it wasn’t expensive, though — I probably got it at Sephora.
I don’t use any other bags; I truly have only been wearing this bag for the last several months. I love the way it feels. It sits in a good place. I think it’s medium-sized — I can fit a good amount in there. I also love that it has two compartments. There’s a smaller compartment where I’ll keep my lip balm and keys and a larger one for my wallet and stuff. And there’s something about this that just feels kind of mod? I don’t really know what time period it’s nodding to, but the bag feels equal parts nostalgic and futuristic.
I always like to have something on my eyes and have always been told that purple goes well with my eyes and skin tone. So I gravitate towards violet colors when I go for a bold eyeshadow. Urban Decay is known for being actually well-made: The products are long-lasting and don’t end up all over your face or creasing. They stay put; you’re not going to get home after a day of wearing its products, look in the mirror, and be like, “Did I look like this the entire time?” And the character I play on Riverdale, Veronica Lodge, always wears purple — it’s her signature color. So it all ties together beautifully.
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