Salma Hayek is Totally Over the Pressure of Hollywood

Yahoo Beauty Editor in Chief Bobbi Brown speaks with Salma Hayek. (Photo: Instagram)

I’m usually the one applying makeup on celebrities, but when I interviewed Salma Hayek about her Nuance beauty line, she decided to turn the tables. A few minutes into our sit-down, Salma grabbed my arm and brought me into the bathroom of her hotel suite and applied Nuance foundation onto my bare skin, explaining, “It’s better to show than to talk!”  The beauty makeover didn’t stop there. Salma also gave me a mini-skin consultation, and to demonstrate the hydrating properties of her facial oil and anti-aging cream, she gave me a hand massage too.  While I tried to get the most out of our 15-minute chat, it was definitely not your typical celebrity interview

Of course, Salma isn’t a typical celebrity, which is what makes her so captivating. She has an unconventional passion and energy that make her a star at everything she does. And at 48, she has extended her star far beyond acting. Salma is a respected producer including the 2002 Oscar-nominated film Frida, and the new animated film The Prophet inspired by Lebanese philosopher Kahlil Gibran. Salma is also an activist, cofounding Chime for Change, a global initiative supporting health and education for women and children in need. She’s  an entrepreneur, having co-founded the Cooler Cleanse in 2008 at the start of the new juice trend.

Her latest passion-project however is the beauty company Nuance. Inspired by her grandmother, the line combines the latest science in skincare with traditional Mexican remedies. “My dream was to take all these things I knew and create the best cream that could possibly exist on the market and make it affordable for every woman,” explains Salma. It’s just another reason to love her.

Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo, photographed by Annie Leibowitz. (Photo: Instagram)

Bobbi Brown: You always say in interviews how petite you are, but you are so much taller than I am!

Salma Hayek [laughing]: Not so much, probably two inches!

Two inches is a lot! That’s my dream in life to be 5’2.

You’re making me feel good. I’m so excited to meet you.

I am too. One of the things I am so impressed by is how many things you are doing in your life. You are this amazing mother, actress, producer, philanthropist, and beauty entrepreneur. What drives you? Who taught you to be like this?

Life! Life told me. There are so many great things in life you can do if you’re just willing to discover it.

Was there anyone who guided you? Your grandparents? Your parents?

I’m going to take credit for it. I’m going to take credit for choosing my parents.

You cannot take credit for that. I didn’t choose my parents.

Yes you can. I think you did.

I chose my husband and my children, but not my parents. 

I think that maybe when you were a spirit…Do you really want to talk about this Bobbi?

Yes, definitely.

OK, I believe in the evolution of the soul. It’s a philosophy thing. I believe that you learn a lot of things in a lifetime, and then you don’t learn a lot of things. In order for the soul to evolve, you are born in the challenges and the struggles of the last one, of the things you didn’t conquer.

OK I’ve got it. You are meant to be where you are. In this case, you are in beauty mode. Tell me about Nuance, it’s beauty from the inside right?

Yes! Thank you for saying that. Nuance is my dream, because I knew of ingredients and things that nobody was exploiting. So my dream was to take all these things I knew and create the best cream that could possibly exist on the market and make it affordable for every woman. There are a lot of creams that are not expensive to make, but they make them very expensive.

What’s your best ingredient?

It’s called Tepezcohuite. They use it in Mexico to regenerate the skin, and they have been using it for many years now in hospitals and it really does work. It’s a miracle plant. They use it for a lot of things in Mexico, if you go at the market they sell for burns and stuff. They even say that it grows hair.

That’s incredible, tell me about the makeup. 

Let me show you what I do with my makeup base. The way I test the creams is I put them at the beginning of the flight to Paris. If my skin is dry when I arrive, it’s not good. I have my special technique. If I don’t reapply and my skin stays in good shape, then it’s ready to go to the market.

That’s a good way to test it. 

Let me show you how to make the ultimate cream. You put the serum and mix it with this [she mixes her serum, cream and face oil together]. I go off it for two weeks and I see a difference. The turkey begins to show (laughs). Give me your hand.

I have been traveling so my skin is very dry. I was in London with Kate Upton, she massaged my feet, and now Salma Hayek is massaging my hands! [Laughs]

So that’s my special concoction, with the three serums. Now I want to try this, because you are the expert. [Salma shakes a bottle of foundation] I wish you had, like, sunspots so that I could show you! It’s better to show than to talk! Can I put it on your face?

At this point Salma takes me into the bathroom of her suite and begins applying her foundation.

It looks very natural!

You are in really good shape! It covers but it looks super natural.

You know what women always talk to me when I am applying their makeup. It’s such a bonding time. OK, so tell me about the pressures in Hollywood right now.

That’s why I live in Europe.

So you don’t feel the pressure? 

Not anymore, I’m done with it.

How did you get to that place?

I married a fantastic man that makes me feel like I don’t care if things get worse in my life because he is so wonderful.

How many years have you been married?

Married for six years, but we have been together for nine.

That’s wonderful. Salma, it has been an experience. I loved talking, trying on makeup, the whole thing.

Same here, it was so nice to meet you too, Bobbi.

Nuance is available exclusively at CVS.

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