'Going out for me is usually a very relaxed situation. I’ve probably been out to a bar or a club maybe once in the last two years. I know what my alter ego wants to do—she wants to be the girl who pours a glass of wine after aerating it and has her 12 girlfriends at the house for movie night. But mostly, I'll go out to dinner with a couple of girlfriends or take my family out.

I never go out anywhere scene-y and known. I like to go to this little Italian place that is my dad’s favorite place because he loves to order the branzino. Though, to be honest, eating out is a little bit difficult for me because I don’t eat like most—I tend to cook and pack my own lunches and stuff. If I’m getting on an airplane or anywhere really, I have a lunch box and stuff. It’s a running joke with my friends and family—everyone gives me lunch boxes for Christmas.

GETTING READY

I definitely have a set up before I go out. It's a newfound love. First I have to put on my music and shut out the world. I have speakers all over my house because music is such a huge huge part of who I am. When I'm getting ready for a dinner, I'll put something folksy like Johnnyswim, Brett Dennen, Bon Iver, Of Monsters and Men, and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros.

With my skin, I like to start from scratch and really take care of it. I'm all about oils—I use a mixture of five and make my own lotions and things like that. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, so my mom taught me to put oil in water, shake it up, and when I got out of the shower, I would spray it over my entire body. It's the only true beauty ritual I have.

I do my own eyebrows, so I’ll double check that there are no crazy hairs or anything, things like that. If I'm going out for an event, then I'll put on more of a full face—I’ll put on lashes, do my brows, and put on some actual foundation. But on a regular night out that's not for work, I am all about skin oils. I’m really into that process with my skin, I use like five different kinds of oils. I make all my body lotions by just mixing oils. I wash my face with soap and then use olive oil on my face.

MAKEUP

I don’t wear face makeup unless I am going out out. For an event or something like that for work, I'll put on more of a full face—I look at it like a project. I’ll put on lashes, think about symmetry, do my brows myself, and paint on some actual foundation. Actually, I always put on my foundation last before blush so I don't mess up my base while I'm applying everything else. I use Giorgio Armani's Maestro Foundation in 7.5. Then, Tom Ford has these phenomenal Traceless Concealer Sticks, so I use those or sometimes Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer Kit in Sand.

I usually stick to just eyeshadow just on the top of the lid. I do a bit of Laura Mercier Crème Eye Liner along my lash line and smudge it a little above. I try to keep it pretty natural. I use the Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Color stuff or Laura Mercier Matte Eyeshadow on my eyes followed by YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara in High Density Black or Helena Rubinstein Lash Queen Feline Blacks Mascara in Black Brown. The lashes I like are Ardell DuraLash Individuals in Flare Medium Black. I feel like I have perfected that since I’ve been doing my own makeup for so long. It's sort of like a puzzle, you know? Like fitting them in and using different lengths and different sizes—making it all cohesive. I dabble a little bit in contouring—not like Jennifer Lopez contouring. I have a round face, so sometimes it’s nice to put a little shade in there. I’ll use the Benefit Hoola powder or Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar Bronze and Glow. I put stuff on my cheeks, but I don’t feel like they’re blushes—like Make Up For Ever's HD Blush, which is a creamy formula. I like blushes that are not as pink but more brown.

My lips are pretty pink on their own, so I love a lip liner to tone that down to something a little closer to nude. I use the Bobbi Brown Lip Liner Pencil in Beige. I don’t like lip gloss—I prefer to just use lip liner and Chapstick. I line them, put a little bit of color in the middle, and then rub them together.

FRAGRANCE

I don’t wear any fragrance. I don’t like it. I know it sounds really crazy, and if it’s misinterpreted, then people want to say B.O., but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the way that skin smells mixed with a little coconut oil or olive oil on it. It’s really special to me. I feel like human beings cover up their scent with all these different things and products. I feel like we’ve given up our ability to engage with people because we don’t know how people smell anymore. Everywhere you go, everything is so diluted because you’re doused in floral stuff. It’s just so intense. I grew up with a mom who was very into all her natural stuff—she wore amber oil and patchouli. I definitely don’t wear patchouli, but I do feel like the smell of skin mixed with some really nice coconut oil is good.

HAIR

My mom is a beautician, so she colors my hair. It's growing out now, but I don't take anything to make it grow. I know this is going to sound really crazy but if you look at Polynesian people and the Hawaiin culture, where my mom's family lives, they’re known for their hair, skin, and nails. Look at their diet, their mentality, and their approach to food. There are a lot of coconut-based products. Here, I think it stems back to the fact that we’re always trying to fix things—like if our nails don’t grow, we take a pill. If our hair doesn’t grow, we take a pill. We need to look at nutrition. There is so much to be said about the vitamins that are going into your body through what you’re ingesting. I soak raw vegetables in olive oil or eat giant coconuts or coconut products—not stuff that comes in packages. I think that is the key to good nails, hair, and skin growth. Sometimes, I’ll mash up an avocado and put it in my hair or do an egg yolk or mayonnaise and let my hair hang out for two hours and then wash it out.

I do blow out my own hair, almost every time. I have really curly hair, so I have to. I use a salt spray before I blow it out like Bumble and bumble's Surf Spray. I might use a little hair serum or some of my oils after.

END OF THE NIGHT

I usually go to bed at like 10:15pm. I would say I love to unwind and take a bath, but we’re in a water crisis, so I try to keep my water use to a minimum. Now baths are a special occasion thing.

Then I always make sure to take time to get my makeup off. I use the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover, then I wash my face with this stuff called PCA Skin BPO 5 Percent Cleanser that I just get on Amazon, and then I start with the oils again. I’ll spray my face first if I've dried it off too hardcore. I put on a really thick pure rosehip oil. Then on top of that, I put even more rosehip oil mixed with jojoba. I use this seaweed eye stuff that has no label. It’s a green bottle that’s made by this little hippie woman at the corner. Then I moisturize the crap out of my lips with a Laura Mercier Lip Balm.

A couple nights ago, I realized that I don’t know how to turn on my TV because I don’t watch it enough. My mom had to come around—talk about a role reversal—and was like, 'What do you mean you don’t know how to work your technology?' Usually I'm reading a script or something before bed. I also live with a man who eats a lot, so I cook like every single meal—I'm happy to make him a midnight snack all the time. I mostly eat plant based, so give me an avocado or something, even late at night, and I'll be happy. Lately, I've kept myself up with this new hobby of mine. I'm big on crafts—the last few nights I have stayed up until 2, 3, or 4am crafting. I love making things for people. My mom’s birthday is in a week, so I was making a sweet little booklet for her and stayed up cutting out pictures and stuff.”

—as told to ITG.

Nikki Reed photographed by Jane Houle. For more Top Shelf After Dark, click here.