Marisa Tomei Beauty Interview

Photo: Courtesy of Tina Turnbow.

It's a really good time to be Marisa Tomei. Between her stunning Céline ad and a major role in Love Is Strange, a new film directed by Ira Sachs, it seems she's appearing everywhere. And, we can't say we mind: Tomei is the kind of celeb we want more of. Luckily, Refinery29 friend Tina Turnbow happens to be her makeup artist, so we asked her to pick Tomei's brain while doing her makeup. Ahead, Turnbow gets to the bottom of why Tomei is so radiant. (Hint: It involves a portable water filter.)

What was it like shooting your new Céline ad?
"It was the easiest shoot I’ve ever done. I showed up at a beautiful, run-down mansion on the Upper East Side of New York and hung out for just a few hours. The entire atmosphere on the set was very low-key. It was a very small group of creative people. It was surprisingly fast and there was nothing overly precious or frou-frou about it at all. It was really exciting to be in the room with Phoebe Philo and even just having her come over adjust my coat."

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What are your favorite things to wear right now? "I love a jumper. I also love the color persimmon — but not together. I have a newfangled kind of fanny pack in leather that my hula-hooping friend Ana made me. It does border on a handyman's belt, but I get to be hands-free."

Your skin is so luminous. Are there any secrets you can share to help get that glow?
"I always think of my grandmother — I feel lucky to have gotten her genes for good skin. Also, she always had a light in her eyes and smiled so much. I feel that her beauty had to do with keeping that mischievous and happy spark alive well into her later years. I try to remember that, to bring her smile through. Other than that, I use things on my body that I can eat, that are food-grade. I use coconut oil on my skin, all over my body, which makes it so soft and it’s also anti-fungal and very healing."

Are there any all-natural products you like?
"I use products from Persephanie that Persephanie herself makes in small batches in Los Angeles. I also have a filter system on my kitchen sink tap for super-clean water, and I have them in my showers too, so that I protect my skin and my hair. I bring one with me and install it whenever I’m on location to preserve my hair color."

What was it like working on Love Is Strange? "Working on that film was a joy because we shot all over Brooklyn, and because of John Lithgow, Fred Molina, and our great director, Ira Sachs. I also got an excellent pair of Warby Parker glasses out of it."

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