If you don’t meet Kathryn Newton yet, you probably will. The 23-year-old actress has also appeared in blockbusters like Blockers (alongside John Cena) and portrayed Reese Witherspoon’s angsty teen daughter in Big Little Lies. Today, Kathryn Newton is gracing our screens once more, this time opposite Vince Vaughn in the comedic horror film Freaky. And aside from her acting chops, it turns out Kathryn Newton is just like us—a she’s beauty girl at heart. Over the span of the pandemic, she’s been enjoying time being one with herself (and her curls), experimenting with lipstick, and savoring time at home with her amazing Chanel Beauty line. Ahead, Kathryn Newton reveals what life has looked like since the pandemic, her dream beauty discoveries, and of course some teasers for the best beauty looks from her new film, Freaky.
What has the pandemic been like for you?
Kathryn Newton: Life is really pretty good right now. I’m just loving being at home. I’m never around. I never get to stay just in my house with my dogs. But I’m very thankful for this period I’ve had to enjoy at home and in my bed.
After the onset of the pandemic, I’ve found that I have more flexibility in the morning to appreciate my morning coffee. And I take a lot of pleasure in that moment. Any project I do, whenever I am on site, I still get a little antique teacup as a souvenir. But I’m using one everyday. I Just have more time to do it, more time in general. I’ve been practicing yoga every morning at 9 a.m., I’ve built a little space in my living room with a rug and a cushion. It’s my place.
It’s almost like we were just all ordered to sit for a minute, because I feel like I’ve come to know myself a lot more and I have a better idea about what’s relevant to me. This may sound pretty lame, but I’m at home with my friends, and usually I never get to see them. Yet they’re here, and we’re eating a couple of cookies and watching a lot of classic movies. Many of these black and white films that I might have never seen if I wasn’t trapped in the house with them. So there’s some positive that’s come out of it for me.
Another thing I’ve been forced to do in quarantine is more skincare. I’ve been using Chanel skincare. It’s so sweet. So for instance, the Sublimage eye cream is two measures, so I use [the cream], then I use this gold metal roller and it just feels so nice on your face. And I’m taking the time to make stuff feel good. I’ll do whatever I can to pamper myself. That’s the silver lining—right now I have time to really take care of myself.
Have you pursued some strange or niche beauty products because you’ve been spending more time at home?
Kathryn Newton: “I have several strange stuff that I do. This one is definitely the weirdest. It’s called the AU 25. So here’s what it is: it’s this tiny vessel, and you put your favorite oil in it so it gets heated. So I pour the oil into it, let it get nice and warm, and then rub it on my skin and do a little lymphatic drainage massage. Sadly, I truly don’t know where you can get this because it’s Korean. But if you go to Korea, let me know and I’ll hook you up.
Do you feel like this is the first time you’ve ever had a full-blown skincare regimen or have you always been a makeup girl?
Kathryn Newton: I’ve always been in love with appearance. And I’ve learnt a lot from being on film, about taking care of my face. Because you know what’s funny? I don’t do it all day right now. But I always like to put makeup on, because that’s how much I love makeup. So I’ve realized that makeup is about yourself. It’s not to look beautiful for someone else, it’s about you. But I like to have fun doing it. I’ve learned how to master the cat eye because I have little better to do.
How does your daily makeup look like now that you’re not even making in-person appearances and spending much of your time at home?
Kathryn Newton: Every morning, I always use this Cle de Peau sunscreen. I’ve been using it for five years, and I always have one in my purse and I always have one in my golf bag. I love this formula because it looks so good under makeup. If you look at it on my hand right now, you’d be like—so that’s white, there’s no way it will blend well.
But it blends in and just disappears. It’s lightweight and just protects against the sun, which is what I need. So I use that every morning. And then I don’t like to wear too much makeup, but here’s my routine: I use two different color concealers, a beige and an ivory, both from Cle de Peau, and I’ll cover up my spots. I use that to start and then I just blend it all together. So that’s my day-to-day, my no-makeup makeup look.
And then I’ve been using Maybelline Fantastic Lash Mascara. You can get it basically anywhere—and just look at the packaging, you can’t miss it. It’s easy to put on, it’s hypoallergenic, and it just thickens as you layer it on. My makeup artist actually showed me this on Big Little Lies. My character was a teenager, so they wanted me to use products that teens actually use. They wanted my makeup to reflect an actual 15-year-old doing their makeup. And this is everyone’s first mascara, you know? And now I love this mascara and use this formula almost every day.
I’m not a major beauty girl, but I’ve certainly been messing around with various looks now that I’m lonely at home. What things have you tried playing around with and now love?
Kathryn Newton: I’ve been messing around with this Armani Beauty Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow. It’s so pigmented, shimmery, and almost looks like a clay. You don’t have to use a lot and you can only rub it right onto your skin with your fingertips.
I’m also into things that I can really quickly mix with my fingertips. For Freaky, I thought a lot about my makeup look, and I decided that I needed it to be really approachable and quick to imitate. If anyone wanted to cosplay the butcher, it’s a pretty basic look—I did a blood-red lip and mascara. And while I was on set, I used the Armani Eyes to Destroy collection because I play an assassin. It also helped me dive into my part, beginning with my makeup and then moving down further.
What’s it been like to unleash your film Freaky after a pandemic?
Kathryn Newton: I’m really excited to see this movie come out. It’s been such a rough period for me, and I really feel like Freaky is this incredibly enjoyable movie that’s going to be this relief that everybody wants, It’s absolutely bonkers and it will make you laugh. It’s such a joy to get something new to chat about that I’m proud of—just to take a break from life for a second.
Making this movie was genuinely too much fun. And enjoying this down time, I think about the experience of producing this movie every day. It’s really something I always cherish and focus about daily. Can you catch yourself looking through old pictures on your phone more frequently just to relish in those good times? That’s what I’m doing with Freaky. I feel like I’ll never take it for granted ever again now. I can’t wait to see my mates, and embrace them, and be around them.
This movie is so much fun, but it still feels like it was a struggle to film because you’re not only playing a role. You have to play Vince Vaughn’s take on a character…. inside of someone else’s body. What was it like?
Kathryn Newton: [Vince] and I were always working. And to collaborate with an actor like Vince Vaughn—I’ve seen any film he’s ever made—but to see him and I creating the same role, it’s something I couldn’t have dreamt about in a thousand years. He influenced me so much. Even though he wasn’t in a scene, I would work with him and inquire what he thinks the character would do in those scenarios. And he’s so smart, he’s clearly hilarious and he rocks it as me in the movie after we’ve swapped bodies.
I’m a curly girl too and I have to admit, you have beautiful curls and I’m so glad that they’re gracing the computer in Freaky. What’s your usual curly hair routine?
Kathryn Newton: I’m from Miami, because growing up it was just salt air. And I’ll never forget, when I was younger I always tried to adjust my hair. You never like what you have, right? But now I love it. I’m like this is how I am—I let it go and I let it be crazy. And I’ve noticed that the more dry shampoo I use, the more texture I get. Often I would use an iron at the ends to offer it a bit more of a shiny look.
Obviously these days something is being handled virtually, but previous to the pandemic you’ve had too many incredible red carpet experiences. What’s your favorite beauty look of all time?
Kathryn Newton: It’s such a hard question because I want to have fun. But one of my favorites that immediately that comes to mind is when I wear this Valentino Haute Couture neon orange gown to the SAG awards. Because I love that dress so much.
“Hang on to your weirdness. It’s what makes you special”
I feel like that dress is what Millie from Freaky would choose. Do you agree?
Kathryn Newton: My character Millie is always harassed in school because she doesn’t realize who she is. I was totally bullied in school too. I was really awkward and a little weird and everyone would play off of that. It was just trial and error back then, and I am still really really the same person. So at the SAG awards, I had this opportunity to wear this amazing orange dress and everybody was like, ‘I don’t think you should, you might get worst dressed.
” But I really enjoyed it, because it was all all about how I looked about it. And so everyone liked it because I loved it. But it all reveals, hold on to the weirdness. It’s what makes you unique. And that’s what happens to Millie in Freaky—she becomes someone else actually, and it involves being someone else to see how amazing she is. Everybody has that.
