Profiles

Kindred Spirit: Daphne Oz

The TV host, author, and mom is a savvy wellness expert in her own right. She chatted with us about the link between beauty and gut health, her go-to makeup tricks, and some of her favorite products.

Chatting with Daphne Oz—even if you’ve never met her before—feels like having a catch-up with one of your closest friends. The host of The Dish on Oz and author of The Happy Cook is a wellness goddess (with the skin to match) who is incredibly generous with her knowledge. We sat down with Oz on the set of our Spring/Summer video shoot (which she stars in) to chat about her life as a busy mom, her obsession with food, and, of course, trade beauty tips.

What is the one makeup step you never skip before running out the door?
The thing I rely on the most is mascara and a flick of eyeliner. You can bite your lips if you have to and make them rosy, but it's critical to wear mascara—I think it changes the shape of my eyes. With light hair, you really need that contrast, and it literally makes you look like you had three extra hours of sleep.

You spend a lot of time in a makeup chair...have you learned any life-changing artist tricks?
Oh yeah! All the time. An artist recently took an angled brush and brushed it on a waxy eyeliner pencil on the upper waterline. It made my eye just pop, it was such an amazing difference. It’s a much more diffused look than a hard eyeliner line. Another thing I've just started doing is to use a peachy/nude eyeshadow shade to blur/smudge the outer lip line. You can use it to kind of mute a lip shade, too. To avoid that reverse raccoon effect, I apply my undereye concealer first and then apply foundation all over my face and the concealer. You get that brightening effect without the contrast.

Do you have any “beauty food” secrets to share with us? What foods and why?
Probiotics, probiotics, probiotics! I cannot speak highly enough about eating fermented foods. Real sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt + kefir. I’m a firm believer that skin health, all health, starts in the gut. You can have the best diet in the world, but your skin is a reflection of whether your gut is in balance or not. And water! I drink more water than you’d think any human could possibly drink; hydration is key in keeping your skin beautiful. If I notice that my skin looks really good, it’s because I’ve been really diligent about drinking water. And greens—it’s funny that all these things are so buzzy right now, but really it’s ancient wisdom for health. I really like the formulas from Ultra Flora, Seed, and Klaire, and have used them all at different times for different reasons.

"I make health a priority, not an obsession.”

Do your daughters love to play with your makeup?
My older daughter, Philomena, is obsessed. She thinks that my job is to play with makeup and be on TV—she has this fascination with how fun she thinks work is. She has her own little kit that she goes to town with that’s filled with my cast-offs. More is more for her!

Do you talk about beauty with her?
I think it’s really important to talk about beauty from the perspective of making what’s already good great. There can be so much pressure on us, and we can be so critical of ourselves. It’s important to remember that our children are always listening to us and watching everything. Whenever I have the opportunity, I drive home that makeup is fun and makes me feel beautiful. At its best, beauty is about giving you a boost of confidence and helping you put your best face forward.

Do you have makeup advice that you’ll share with them when they’re older?
Know your colors! And that having a signature look makes things so much easier. If you learn what works for your eye shape, or your face shape, you don’t have to constantly be trying to do something new. All of the Hollywood icons of the past all looked the same every time, but they looked amazing—they knew what worked.

Do you have any regular wellness rituals?
If I don’t have time to sit and eat breakfast, I go for a smoothie. You can pack a lot of really important, vital nutrition into your day easily (with a smoothie). I make mine with minimal fruit, maybe a few sour cherries, a half a banana, then lots of greens: spinach, cucumber, a tablespoon of flaxseeds. I like to use yogurt as a base, and sometimes I’ll open my supplements up directly into the smoothie, maybe add some pearl powder.

"I also love lilacs. And lately I’ve been using a lot of delphiniums in my arrangements.”

How did you discover Chantecaille? When?
A few years ago my lashes had become really dry and brittle after having lash extensions and I was looking for a mascara that would be really hydrating and help them grow back. I was in a Space NK and I’d asked a makeup artist for help and she recommended the Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara. The rose oil makes my eyelashes feel so soft, and it never flakes. It’s really hard to find a formula that adds volume and length. I also bought Future Skin, which I loved because it moves with the skin. It never feels hard or built-up, even if I use it for full coverage.

We are so passionate about flowers, and we know you love them, too. What is your favorite flower?
Gardenia is my favorite smell in the whole world [a gushing conversation about Le Wild ensues]. I also love lilacs. I’ve been insane about delphiniums in arrangements right now.