Minnie Driver on Her Curly-Hair Must-Haves and an Old-School Skin Trick

by Stephanie Saltzman

COURTESY OF CLARITIN
COURTESY OF CLARITIN

Sure, Minnie Driver is an Oscar nominee and the star of a new TV show (NBC's About a Boy). But that doesn't mean she's above a simple DIY beauty hack. We spoke to the actress recently at an event for Claritin (Driver is a spokeswoman for the brand) about how she cares for her famous curls, her skin-care routine, and the surprising trick she learned from a Hollywood icon.


Have allergies ever affected you on set? "They have. When we were shooting The Riches, we were out in the dry Californian summer. It was brutal. I was playing a crack addict, though, so the weepy eyes kind of worked for the character. But I'm outside with my son a lot, so I have to get control of my allergies. Medication is really the thing that works. Claritin! You've got to take it, and you have to stay on it."

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Given that you're outside so much, what's your skin-care routine like? "I don't sit in the sun at all anymore. I love a scrub and a spray tan. Zinc is really the only thing that's going to work for sun protection. Trying to stay out of the sun doesn't mean you can't be outside; you just have to cover up."


You have such amazing curly hair. What are your favorite products? "My favorite products are Kim Kimble's line [Kimble Beauty] and Ouidad. I've used every curly-hair product on the market. I've used every brand, and those two brands are the ones that work the absolute best. Kim developed the line for African-American hair, but it is amazing on all curly hair. One of my absolute favorite products is Ouidad Moisture Lock Define and Shine Curl Styling Gel-Cream. I put it on my hair when it's wet and let it air-dry."

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Do you have any beauty regrets? "There were a few times--before I had really figured out hair products--when I was in my early 20s, and I really looked like someone stuck my finger in a socket."

What's the best beauty trick you've learned? "I read that Ava Gardner used to stick her head in a bucket of ice water. So I started doing that on particularly early mornings when I'm puffy and tired. I've got to tell you, it's astonishing. Everything contracts, and all of the puffiness is gone. It's like a natural face-lift. It comes from one of the most beautiful women who ever lived, so she was onto something. I heard that she was a heavy drinker as well, but her skin looked great."

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