Yesterday, we spoke one-on-one with Claire Danes in her NYC hotel suite. The two-time Emmy nominee (she recently got a nod for her leading role in the HBO film Temple Grandin) was in town to promote prescription lash-amplifier Latisse. As the newest celebrity spokesmodel for the brand, Danes says her job is easy. "I love the product, which is helpful," she laughs, perched amiably on a couch in an Alberta Ferretti shift. Keep reading for more of Danes' must-haves (she actually let us dig through her personal makeup bag!) and beauty secrets.
How long have you been using Latisse?
I've been using it since the beginning of the year—it takes about 16 weeks for the full effect to occur but you gradually see a difference. I had to exercise patience, but it was a great little adventure. I use it at night after washing my face, one wand per lid. I apply it like eyeliner and just let it do its thing!
What other products are part of your bedtime routine?
My skin is a bit sensitive, so Cetaphil is my standby. I also use toner and a light layer of moisturizer—I use a lot of Kiehl's and other natural brands.
Besides using Latisse, how else do you like to play up your eyes?
Metallic shadows like Laura Mercier's Metallic Crème Eye Color in Gold are great. I also use a lash curler and Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lash-Extending Treatment Mascara. The big question is always eyes or lips? I tend to go with the eyes because I've got a lot more material to work with now—and it saves me from reapplying lipstick! I'm a pretty low-maintenance person and it's too excessive to exaggerate both the eyes and lips.
What was the first mascara you ever bought?
That's a good memory—it was that Maybelline mascara in the pink tube called Great Lash. It's a classic and it still works great! A lot of makeup artists use it on set.
Your lashes look great—and so does your hair! What's your secret?
I can't credit Latisse for it! Peter Butler styles my hair and my friend Steven Amendola colors it. It's pretty blond right now—it was naturally this blond when I was 6-years-old.
It's a far cry from the red hair you sported as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life.
In the first episode Angela dyes her hair from blond to red. It was this fire-engine red Manic Panic color and it looked like I'd committed murder every time I took a shower.
Angela's `90s fashions seem to be making a comeback on the fall 2010 runways. How do you feel about that?
Yeah, the layered, grunge look from the `90s is having a big resurgence. That was a good time for me—I don't mind revisiting it. But what's going to happen next? I wonder what the aughts are going to be like when we recycle them.
You have so much going on right now—what's up next?
I don't know. I'm just figuring out what it is to be married [to husband and fellow actor Hugh Dancy]—I'm enjoying that! I bought a country house fairly recently, so I'm settling into our new domestic life. We keep talking about painting the house and I tell him I can do it with my lashes!
