As the latest face of the brand, Patton showcases the new Queen Collection products in a series of how-to videos that give consumers an inside glimpse of Patton’s beauty secrets. We caught up with Patton to chat about some of her beauty tips and her favorite makeup products ever.
ESSENCE.com: What has your experience as a new CoverGirl been like?
PAULA PATTON: I’m super excited because this is a dream come true for me. I’ve always wanted to be an actress but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that as a little girl I also fantasized about having a makeup contract. More specifically as I got older, I loved the women that CoverGirl chose to represent their brand because they are not only beautiful but really talented and smart. They have this inner beauty which is most important about them in addition to having an outer beauty as well.
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ESSENCE.com: How did this partnership come about?
PATTON: I had been friends with Queen Latifah for a while and we worked together on the film Just Wright. She’s someone who has been an inspiration for me for so long and the barriers she’s broken have just blown me away. I’ll never forget seeing her first CoverGirl commercial and thinking, “Wow, this is incredible and amazing. She’s done it!” It was like the ultimate cherry on top of all the success she’s had. I always complimented her on it and I was really impressed that she was creating her own brand for the Queen Collection and I had a feeling that she knew it was something that I’d like to do, too. Luckily enough, someone at CoverGirl approached me and I’m glad they called! Of course I jumped at the chance to have any involvement with them.
ESSENCE.com: What are your favorite products from the Queen Collection?
PATTON: My very, very favorite is the LashFanatic mascara. It’s incredible for me because I love wearing fake eyelashes, but I don’t know how to do them myself. This mascara makes me look like I have fake eyelashes on. If I am wearing fake lashes for a red carpet event, and I put the Lash Fanatic on top, then it’s an extra ka-pow! [Laughs] I love the brush and I even love the packaging and how the brush is displayed outside of the mascara tube so you can really see what you’re getting. It doesn’t clump up so you can’t really make a mistake with it. It glides on perfectly and gets every single lash for lots of extra volume which I love.
ESSENCE.com: Lately, we’ve fallen in love with the new Blast Flipsticks. Which shade in the collection is your favorite?
PATTON: I love Cheeky. It’s got this really rosy pink on one end and then this great bright red on the other. For daytime, you can wear the pink, and for night if you want to make your lips pop, you’ve got the red, too. Or if you put the red on and realize that it’s a little too much, you can tone it down with the pink. The colors are crafted to be in-sync with one another and really blend well. I’ve learned along the way as I’ve discovered makeup in my life that being able to blend colors is the best way to make something perfect for you.
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ESSENCE.com: What’s your favorite beauty product of all time?
PATTON: It’s a toss up between mascara and blush. I love blush. Sometimes people say I love it a little bit too much. [Laughs] I like the look of a woman that’s just been dancing all night and looks flushed and alive. I’m a very fiery person and I think that’s why I love blush. It brings the fire that I have on the inside out. When I want to wear a bright lipstick, I have to leave the blush behind and wear a bit of bronzer instead.
ESSENCE.com: What makes you feel beautiful on the inside and out?
PATTON: Seeing my son smile. Making [my husband] Robin laugh. Music is another thing that makes me feel great on the inside and feel beautiful. I also find that if you work on being thankful for what you have and make a real effort to find joy in life you will feel beautiful. We all go through ups and downs, but if you force yourself to get out of the negative and find what’s positive about the life you’re living, that beauty will radiate outward.
Check out Patton demonstrating how she wears her favorite Blast Flipstick in this CoverGirl video tutorial featuring celeb makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff.
