Say hello to No Filter, a new beauty series where you get an exclusive look at the casual beauty routines of our favorite celebrities and content creators. They’ll reveal their guilty pleasure beauty practices, the five-minute routine product line they can’t live without, the one great skin tip they’ll always be grateful for, and much more. To complete each conversation, we ask each celebrity to send us a selection of photos taken by themselves, without filters, of their choice to capture the essence of their philosophy of unfiltered beauty.
Next, we will meet the actress and filmmaker Elizabeth Banks. Below, she answers all of our quick questions and shares her favorite products, best-kept beauty secrets, and more. Enjoy!
No7 is such a beloved brand. It has been a resource to so many people for so many years. Can you talk about when you first met it and how it fits in with your beauty routine?
I’m a recent convert, to be honest, but I’m fresh in love. I’m getting older. I am finally paying a lot more attention to everything, and I was quite impressed, quite frankly, with how much retinol is in No7. That’s something your dermatologist always says, “Maybe it’s time,” and I was like, “Wait a minute. There are these amazing products that already contain a lot of retinol.” I was really excited about a retinol nighttime ritual that it doesn’t dry me out because that’s always been my fear of retinol.It’s kind of why I shy away from it.None of these products do that to me.My skin is just softer and I feel like I’m really working to… I really don’t like to say anti aging I’m not anti aging I’m pro aging guys It’s always better than the alternative For me it’s all about managing my skin to feel like myself as I age that’s what I feel No7 Pure does Retinol.
If you could only use one No7 product for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Ok, I’m debating. One is the Night Repair Cream ($40) because it has been a delight. But here’s the thing: you have to have SPF. They have so many great day creams that are fragrance-free and have sunscreen, so I think I’d have to say their SPF 30 Day Cream ($28). You have to protect. That’s number one: protection. Everything after that, the moisturizing and the lifting and the brightening, none of it matters if you haven’t protected your skin first.
Yes, 100%! Sunscreen is very important, and it’s great that it’s something unique.
Yes, everything is in it. You are raising, you are illuminating, you are protecting, [and] you’re toning, everything. I love it.
I love a simplistic routine. Speaking of which, what is your daily skincare routine like? Are you more of a minimalist or a maximalist when it comes to skincare?
I’m pretty minimalist. I have even started not washing my face in the morning if i wash at night. I feel like it’s just a little extra moisture before putting on my makeup. I realize I don’t want to over clean. You know what I mean? For me, I don’t feel the need to cleanse my face more than once every 24 hours unless it’s covered in makeup.
I also really like No7’s Exfoliating Cleanser ($10). I think you can use it every day. I love how it feels. That’s what I use when I feel like I have to get rid of buildup. so sometimes I’ll do that. And just as a reminder, everything you do to your face should be done to your neck. I’ve known this for a while, but I love being reminded of it and I love reminding people of it.
Next, I’ll use Radiance Serum ($25), which is vitamin C. Put that on, put on your day cream/SPF cream, and you’re ready for the races, and you can layer makeup no problem. .
That is my biggest problem with skin care. Do you know when it pills or feel that residue? I can’t stand that.
Yes, or if it’s too white when applied and you’re worried about how it will react with your foundation. I have no problem with that with these products.
How has being an actor, being on set, and spending time in the makeup chair affected your skincare and makeup routines?
Beauty begins with your interior, as internally. Are you eating well? Are you hydrating enough? Are you getting enough sleep? All of that affects your skin, especially as you get older and especially when you work long hours on set like me. That has become my number one. That’s why vitamin C serums feel like health care but for your outer shell. I have come to understand that my exterior is really a reflection of my interior. I have to take care of that first. So hydration and sleep are my number one.
Definitely. How is your daily routine after the set to remove make-up and restore your skin?
No7 has a really great daily cleanser. I keep one in my shower and one in my sink. Again, it’s to keep it simple. It is a wash, a serum and a cream. They also have an eye cream that I put under and over my eyes. I use the cream that I use on my face on my neck. They even have an amazing moisturizing body serum that I will be using too. I’ll be honest. I shower too much, which is bad on every level, but I’ll admit it. Don’t judge me too much, but I love a long hot shower. It is not good for your skin.
It’s not, but I think everyone does. I do.
Same. I guess you just have to have the products to deal with it.
Completely. Could you explain to me your daily makeup routine, if you have one? What is your makeup aesthetic? Has it changed over time like your skincare routine?
I call it the “morning delivery” style, so he’s just getting me out the door. It’s super simple. It’s just foundation, some pink lipstick on my lips and cheeks to highlight my cheeks, and some mascara. It’s like, how do I make my routine as simple as possible while feeling like I’ve been happy? Pink tends to bring out my blue eyes, so again, I’m just trying to bring out some natural features without going overboard. I don’t like to wear a lot of makeup when I’m not at work because I have to wear a lot of makeup when I’m at work.
Understandable. Do you know the name of the pink lipstick and the base?
My God, I couldn’t tell you. I can tell you my mascara is the really old school bright pink tube.
With the green cap?
Yes, Maybelline Great Lash ($6)! I have been using it for 30 years. It never lets me down. And it’s affordable; that’s the other thing. I’m a tall-short person. I don’t care about pharmacy stuff. Everything is fine with me.
Absolutely. That’s a classic. You’ve played so many iconic characters over the years. What was the most fun for you in terms of beauty and fashion?
Of course, Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games. That was it. I had to dye my eyebrows. It was four hours in the makeup chair, and then there were the nails. Everything we did for it was amazing. We used a lot of products that you couldn’t even get in America, like these amazing lashes from beyond. We could do whatever we wanted, there were no restrictions. I loved playing Effie Trinket. I loved her outfits, and she definitely influenced my fashion quite a bit after the fact. I was like, “I can be a little more whimsical and use different shapes and colors.”
the other is sea cake. Playing in that movie, in that time period, I loved it. Judianna Makovsky, who is an amazing costume designer, custom made these amazing costumes for me. It was the 1930’s and looking amazing. I loved the beauty in sea cake.
Wait, how long have you had your eyebrows tinted?
Girl, I had that on and off for two years. The worst part was the growth. It looked like I had blonde tips on my eyebrows.
That’s a lot of fun because bleached forehead is a trend now, so actually, you were a bit ahead of the game.
Yeah, but you really can’t get away with it unless you have, like, the face of Kate Moss. You really have to lean into it if you’re going to do it. He looked like he was sick. He didn’t see me well.
Oh yeah, I would too. That’s a trend I’m never going to touch, but I love it on other people.
Accept. It wasn’t great for real life, I can tell you.
Have you ever used an eyebrow pencil or something like that, or just used it?
Oh no, I covered those babies every day. But even that felt weird because I’m not a big person who fills in my brows. I’m very fair, you know? I don’t have a big brow anyway, but all of a sudden, I had a big brow because it was covering up these bleached brows. It was too much
Did you have a reference product to fill in your eyebrows?
I don’t know if it’s discontinued but… please ask them to send me some if they’re not, it’s called the Vanity Mark. It was my favorite brow collection. They had pencils and a custom brush powder that I loved. I still have some, but it’s hard to come by, and it might be discontinued.
That’s always really scary when you have to stock up on your product because you don’t know if it’s still available. Finally, what is your no-filter beauty philosophy in seven words or less?
Here we go. Age gracefully, whatever that means to you. Everyone has their own relationship with their skin, their face, their routine. There are too many judgments about how we all age, and I would love for us to move to encourage people to age gracefully, whatever that means to them.
Up next: Alexa Chung on Style Regrets, “Indie Sleaze” and Her Iconic Cat Eye.