“My acting career sort of began with Selena Gomez. I was a big fan of hers and I wanted to do what she did. That feeling solidified when I started watching One Tree Hill. Something clicked when I realized these characters could unlock so much depth inside of you and help you empathize with different situations. I mean, Brooke was crying and telling Lucas how much she missed him. Meanwhile, I was 13 years old and hadn’t even held hands with a boy yet. [Laughs] It may sound silly, but that always stuck with me—this idea that art can open up people’s hearts in a way. Honestly, if I didn’t feel that way, I’m not sure I would’ve continued in this industry.
I moved from Canada to LA when I was around 22 and, throughout my twenties, I fell into playing the sensitive daughter and granddaughter role. I feel really lucky for those opportunities. I mean, I had the chance to act alongside Owen Wilson, Jason Momoa, and Danny Glover. But by the time I finished filming See, I was close to 30 and still playing a teenager. I felt ready to take on roles that matched where I was in my life. Dope Thief has given me that opportunity. I play Michelle, who is written as strong and fierce—everything you want in a lawyer—but also incredibly tender, sensitive, quirky, and a little bit strange at the same time. In general, the show is deeply human. You get to see the complexities within the characters, including the criminals, and you’re always wondering what everyone’s angle is, which makes the show so cool and unique.
As for my skin, it’s pretty tough and can handle almost anything. I can use Drunk Elephant’s Babyfacial and be totally fine, even though my friend, makeup artist Emily Cheng, tried to warn me not to use it if I have work the next day. Generally, I like to exfoliate one day, use retinol the next, and then take a break on the third day. Drunk Elephant’s Framboos night serum is my go-to for exfoliation—it has glycolic acid. I also love Shani Darden’s Retinol Reform. Sometimes I use Summer Fridays’ R+R mask for 20 minutes before work, but I especially like using it when I take a long bath, so it can really penetrate my skin. It leaves me glowy and dewy, and it smells so beautiful, like roses. But my ride-or-die is Chanel’s Le Lift sleeping mask. I’ve been using it for six years, and my skin always looks so plump afterwards.
I don’t usually cleanse in the mornings, but at night, I love double cleansing with Clé De Peau’s cleansing oil and Bioderma foaming gel. The Bioderma is great for sensitive skin, which makes me feel like I can use a lot of it without stripping my face.
When it comes to my eyes, I’m obsessed with Typology’s L40 eye cream. It’s 2% caffeine and really makes my eyes look awake. But overall I’m really into Typology right now. It’s a French vegan brand and every product I’ve tried has felt so good on my skin.
After eye cream I move on to hydration. Dieux’s Instant Angel moisturizer was a TikTok buy. It’s a really great ‘basic’ option—not too thick, not too light. If I need more moisture, I’ll mix in a bit of Skin Food to thicken it up. Sometimes I’ll use Prada’s Augmented serum after my moisturizer, especially on days when I’m putting on makeup. It acts as a great primer. I love Clarins’ Double Serum on makeup days, too. The goal really is to hydrate my skin as much as possible since Los Angeles is so dry. And I am very intense about my sunscreen. I wear it always—even when I’m inside the studio all day—and I try to wear hats when I’m outside. My favorite is Supergoop! Play SPF 50. For my body, I just stick to good ol’ Sun Bum SPF 50 spray because it’s easy to apply and smells good.
I deal with body acne because I work out and sweat a lot. Of course, once the acne heals, I’m left with hyperpigmentation, which I think every Black girl can relate to. I’ve had to get pretty specific with my body products to combat that. I use my Topicals Faded Body Bar with an African net sponge, which I’ve used for years. It’s so much better than a loofah; I cannot recommend it enough. I’ve tried a lot of salicylic acid body washes, but Nécessaire’s is the best. If you're on a budget, Naturium’s Perfector is a good alternative. I like to follow it up with my L’Occitane almond shower oil to lock in moisture, which also replaces my post-shower lotion—a huge plus.
I don't normally like to wear makeup—except for blush. It just wakes up my face. But if I’m doing more, I like Typology’s tinted serum in Medium. It has vitamin C, squalane, and aloe vera, and it feels really nice on the skin. I like to mix it with Tower 28's tinted sunscreen in Point Dume. And instead of an actual concealer, I use Ilia’s Rewind stick in Limba under my eyes and any dark spots.
Emily gave me Westman Atelier’s contour stick in Truffle. It’s so creamy but still so light. The same goes for their Baby Cheeks blush sticks. I go for Bichette, a red berry color. I draw one big line across my cheekbones, apples, and nose, blend it super well, and set it with Armani’s Luminous Silk blush in Ecstasy.
My brows are pretty light right now, so I’ve been coloring them in with auburn shades. I like the Kosas Air Brow gel before filling in any sparse areas with the Brow Pop pencil. Then I set them with Make’s Infinite sculpting gel, which really keeps everything in place.
I still use my Glossier Play Colorslide for eyeliner—I’m so sad it’s discontinued. It’s perfect for the inner corners of my eyes. Otherwise, I like Stila’s liquid liner because it’s waterproof. And then Byredo’s eyeshadow palettes are stunning—they look like oysters. I have the Corporate Colours palette, and it has every color that I use. Speaking of Byredo, I don’t know what magic they put in their mascara, but my lashes love it. It’s a little pricey though, so sometimes I swap it with Ilia’s mascara instead—it gives me volume and length without clumping. And I wear a lot of lipsticks for photos and events, but in my regular life, I'm all about lip oils and glosses. I first overline my lips with Saie’s 101 liner in Twist, a nude mauve, and then follow that with one of Typology’s beautiful lip oils. Plum Purple and Sheer Honey are great for everyday, and I love Black Cherry for a night out.
How my hair looks depends on the project I’m working on. In between projects, though, I love a protective style like braids, which I think suit my personality best. In terms of color, I feel braver now that I’m a more established actor and less worried about freaking out casting directors. That partly explains why I recently box-dyed my hair. I don't know what came over me. Well, actually, I was on Pinterest one day, and I saw a Black girl with beautiful ginger hair and super orange eyebrows. I thought it was her natural hair, but then I creeped her Instagram and realized she had dyed it. It didn’t even cross my mind to go to a salon; I watched a lot of YouTube videos and did a lot of research online instead. [Laughs] I didn’t use any bleach, just a mild developer. I went really slowly and got trims in between dyes. You can definitely tell it’s not perfect if you look closely, but I’m very happy with the way it turned out.
I have to shout out Sunny Isle’s 100% organic Jamaican castor oil. It’s been so good at helping me grow my hair. Since it’s so thick, I like to use it on my edges and scalp the night before wash day. I wash my hair once a week with Davines’ Alchemic Copper shampoo and conditioner. Refig’s lemongrass shampoo and blue tansy conditioner bars are everything to me, though. They’re so good for Black curly hair—and they’re ‘clean,’ which is a big deal because there are few ‘clean’ products formulated specifically for Black hair. Don’t get me wrong: I love my OG Black hair products, but these have really won me over. They smell amazing, and they’re so easy to travel with, too.
On my curly-haired days, I love using Fenty Beauty’s Water Boi leave-in conditioner—I think Rihanna’s whole hair line is insane, from the Controlling Type edge gel to the Comeback Kid treatment—while my hair’s still super wet. I then wrap it up in a T-shirt and follow up with I Create Curl Memory gel from Innersense. I always finish off with Kérastase’ Elixir Ultime oil—it’s so good on both curly and straight hair.
I also started using IGK’s Antisocial Overnight Dry Hair Mask recently, and it really helps keep the ends of my hair clean and together. And then a clay mask is important to me. Your scalp needs love, just the same way your skin does. I really love the one from Innersense. I also like Crown Affair’s scalp scrub. By the way, I’ve owned my Crown Affair No. 001 hairbrush for nearly five years. It’s amazing for a sleek look but still so gentle—and it’s stunning.
I get my nails done at Tinct in Silverlake every two weeks. I get a clear gel coat because my nails grow really fast, so if I don’t get color, I can keep the manicure longer. Nothing drives me crazier than when nails grow and I can see even the tiniest bit of my natural nail. It also helps that people think the clear coat is chic. [Laughs]
I love woody and earthy fragrances; I’m generally drawn to more unisex scents. Right now, I’m obsessed with the Salt & Stone santal and vetiver body mist. I originally found it while searching for clean scents I could wear around my godson, and when I finally smelled it in the store, I literally went, ‘Holy shit.’ Coromandel from Chanel is also a go-to. It’s spicier but still woodsy and so strong. I only spray a little. Because of that, my bottle has lasted for nearly a decade..”
—As told to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Shana Trajanoska in New York on February 24, 2025