Cinematic Eye Palette in "Smokey Suspense," $17 at CircaBeauty.com Handout
Eva Mendes is the ultimate yummy mummy. Even when she’s wearing men’s sweatpants and running after her 2-year-old daughter, Esmeralda, while caring for her 7-month-old tot, Amada, the actress, model and creative director for Circa Beauty still manages to find a few minutes to apply just a smidge of makeup. Her go-to product? Circa’s Magic Hour Illuminating Concealer. “Because I have two kids,” she tells Alexa. No further explanation needed.
Family comes first for 42-year-old Mendes, who lives in Los Angeles with her partner, Ryan Gosling, and their girls, not far from her mother, Eva, and sisters, Janet and Becky. Her nearest and dearest serve as a focus group for her color collection — and her clothing line for New York & Company.
“I use my family as cosmetic guinea pigs. They love it!” she says. Of course, the Cuban-American star personally vets every formula. “I even test the products that aren’t right for my skin tone,” she says.
Mendes paid special attention to pricing — which hovers around the affordable $10 mark, with nothing over $17 — and the spectrum, introducing her Color Balance Liquid Foundation in 10 shades, from an ivory to a chestnut. “When I started in this business almost 20 years ago it was really difficult to find foundation that worked with my skin tone,” she observes. “As beauty became more diversified in Hollywood, there were more options available for darker skin, but I was always surprised at the lack of shade range out there. Especially at mass [market level]. I’m really proud that Circa offers a variety of shades, and I’m looking forward to adding more!”
Mendes evens her complexion with not one but two foundation shades — 06 and 08 — mixed together and cocktailed with organic coconut oil. “That’s my everyday routine at this point,” she says. “I love coconut oil because I can use it on my lips and even on my hands, and I don’t have to worry about getting it on my babies, since it’s good for them.”
For a more dramatic look, the beauty aficionado accents her almond eyes with Circa Color Saturated Eye Crayon in “Regal Sapphire” and “Chocolate Diamond,” sweeping Circa Picture Perfect Powder Bronzer on her lids with one of her new synthetic brushes. She lines her lips with a Circa “Espresso” eye pencil — which has great staying power — then moisturizes them with coconut oil. Then it’s time to enjoy her little ones.