Interviewing Kate Hudson is similar to hanging out with your best gal pal, dishing over makeup and boys. She’s really just like us. You’d think an A-lister who’s starred in movies with Matthew McConaughey, dates rockstars, is the face of ALMAY and Anne Taylor, would be smug or snobby, but that is quite the opposite with Kate. She was more than happy to share her beauty and fitness secrets with us.
29Secrets: You have incredible skin. What is your skin secret?
Kate Hudson: The trick for me was finding out what didn't work. I have super sensitive skin. And I'm the kind of person that loves products. I try anything, serums, etc. About five years ago, I realized that my skin was always the best when I had only been cleaning it, I hadn't been moisturizing that much and I hadn't been going to a facialist. I would look at my skin and say, ‘why does, my skin look better?’ I realized that I can't do much to my skin. I'm a soap and water type of person. Less is way more for me. As much as I want to delve into all those amazing serums that are out there, I have to stay away from them. It's boring, but it works.
I also think the happier I am, the better my skin is. Any woman knows when they are over exerting themselves, whether it is emotionally or physically, you can see it on your face.
29: What beauty products can you not live without?
KH: For me it's been fun to [work with] ALMAY, because I get all sorts of free stuff. I am very happy with their new [Color+Care Liquid] lip balm… I go through them like water. I always have some kind of rose water spray. If I'm feeling a little yucky, rose water on my face makes me feel good. But, lip balm is number one. I don't think I ever go anywhere without lip balm in my purse or the back pocket of my jeans.
29: When you're just at home, with your family, what's your beauty routine?
KH: Usually I'll use a moisturizing type of light foundation, like [ALMAY Smart Shade] CC cream, just to even out my skin tone without looking like I'm wearing anything. Plus, a little blush, and some lip balm. Sometimes mascara, sometimes not. It just depends on how I'm feeling.
29: What is the best beauty advice you've ever received?
KH: I think the best advice I ever received is that you do it for yourself and not for anybody else. Someone said that to me when I was a teenager, because I was such an eccentric dresser. I'd get made fun of sometimes, because I would come to school in a hot neon yellow unitard, and a pink mini skirt and cowboy boots. I was pretty out there as a kid. You don't wear stuff for other people; you’ve got to wear it for yourself. And that goes with anything. Whether it is how you like to do your makeup, or how you want to wear your hair.
29: Which movie or television look of your career did you love the best?
KH: I loved my character on Glee, Cassandra July. We had so much fun with those costumes, because I wore a lot of Helmut Lang, and we'd get these great bras. It's also sort of how I grew up in the dance world. When you're a dancer you look at the older girls wearing all these great dancer outfits. There was part of me that was sort of playing out an old dream, from when I was younger.
The truth is when I'm working, it's one thing to love clothes when you go in to a fitting and you're so happy with the way it looks, and the style and you love the aesthetic of it. There's another thing, when you're actually doing it, and you're wearing them for 15 hours a day. So, honestly, my favourite days are when I'm in pyjamas, or I'm in sweats, or I'm in something that's completely comfortable. In Good People, it was so nice, because I literally wore jeans, a grey loose top, and a big old army jacket. It was just so great to not have to worry about clothes.
But I think one of my favourite aesthetic looks is obviously Almost Famous. That coat was so iconic. And that has everything to do with the costume designer, Betsy Heimann, who was just brilliant.
29: So… can we talk about your abs? Is there some trick that we could be doing?
KH: Someone said to me, ‘I heard you work out six hours a day.’ And I'm like, that's the craziest thing I've ever heard. No woman needs to work out like that. What we need to do as women is just do something, and do it every day. And I always say, it's really getting started, motivating yourself is the hardest part. When my girlfriend is like ‘I don't want to do it,’ I tell her to just put on the clothes, at least go put on a sports bra, and then you're one step away from doing something.
29: That’s true!
KH: When I'm working it's really hard to work out. I decided I would take my jump rope on set, and just start with that. And I would start with not pushing myself and doing 100 jumps. And in the last six months something happened where I didn't pressure myself and lately I've just loved working out. I don't do it very often. Some days I do 20 minutes. I think you have to mix it up.
Also I have a 9 year old who is insanely into sports right now. And I have a 2 year old who I have to watch like a hawk. He's so independent; he just runs everywhere, without anybody. So, I am literally running after my kids. It’s important to just do little things, but you have to do it.
