Chloë Sevigny Will Make New York Smell Better

Chloë Sevigny, the art house queen and fashion muse, has been justly acclaimed for her nuanced and wide-ranging performances — most memorably, perhaps, the contemporary polygamist in “Big Love,” the party girl in “The Last Days of Disco” and the perky secretary in “American Psycho.” Probably it’s no surprise, then, that she is keen on details about her beauty products too, especially the scents. Raised in Darien, Conn., Ms. Sevigny, 44, lives in New York.

Skin Care

Oh God, I have to say I’m pretty lazy about my morning skin-care routine. I go with my natural oils. I take a shower. I have to shave more than I would like if there are interactions with the boyfriend. Kiss My Face is my favorite shaving cream — I’ve used it since high school — but it’s hard to find now. I’ve tried Weleda, Dr. Bronner’s and a few others, but I haven’t found something as good. In a pinch, I’ll use conditioner.

I dry-brush some mornings if I need a wake-up. I also have the Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Scrub. I always use Dr. Bronner’s bar soap. My biggest struggle in beauty is to find things that are not in plastic. That’s why I buy bar soap. I’ve been buying Susanne Kaufmann products because they come in glass. Her products are beautiful, and I’m really into the scent. Actually I’m scared I’m addicted, and they are so expensive.

I go to New York Dermatology, and Dr. David Colbert there makes a face cream with SPF 30. So many of them make my eyes burn, but this one doesn’t. I really hate the chemicals of sunscreen, but they’re the lesser of two evils.

If I’m working and have a really great makeup artist, I have the luxury of an essential oil hot steam at the end of the day. It’s so nice! If I’m at home, I use Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil and Rice Polish scrub. They’re gentle, but also I like the smell. If I’m doing a mask, I like the Chanel Hydra Beauty Masque de Nuit, which is also camellia oil.

Makeup

In the winter I need a lot more help. That’s because if you’re not tan and have olive-toned skin, you just look sickly. Right now I only have on mascara. I’m loyal to Great Lash, the blackest black with the curved brush. It looks wet all day long and doesn’t smudge. Lately I’ve started curling my lashes with the Shu Uemura curler. I need to look awake now that I’m getting up there.

I’m really bad with base, but if I’m not tan, I like the Chanel Les Beiges ones. I find them really easy to apply. I also do a La Bouche Rouge lipstick — I had a custom red color made. I like that the formula is matte yet not dry. It’s more of a stain than the weird crackly look that matte lipsticks sometimes have.

I find a red lip is very effective because it makes the eye go to the lip. It’s a distraction from other terrible things that may be going on with my face. And it gives me some sort of confidence boost — I don’t know why.

I like a MAC cream blush. I like how the pigment is so strong. Sometimes I do a black liquid liner. Charlotte Tilbury makes a really nice one. For my brows, I just brush them up and maybe use the clear Great Lash. I like my brows a little unruly and not too manicured. I always think that when they darken them in the makeup chair, it makes my hair look more fake.

Hair

My real hair is a very dirty blond. Right now it’s cut really short. I’m doing a show with Luca Guadagnino where I play a colonel in the army. Hair and makeup really help me get into character and help the viewer to believe. For this character, I wanted to have this confidence. Not that you can’t have confidence with long hair, but there’s strength to this masculine cut on me.

I had it cut on set, and then I had my hairdresser in New York fix it. He’s my friend and also this super-sexy guy: Joey Silvestera. He owns Blackstones in the East Village. He also has a hair care line called Five Wits. That’s all I use. I do the Moisture shampoo and Hydrate conditioner.

I also have a beautiful Mason Pearson brush that I love. Carol Lim from Opening Ceremony had it engraved with my initials. I’ll take my initials on anything. I’m from Connecticut. What can I say?

Fragrance

I’ve always been drawn to roses — not an old-fashioned rose but a fresh rose. I think there’s something about living in New York and wanting something that smells bright and crispy. The city stinks.

I also think it’s a geographic thing. There are fragrances I’d wear in Los Angeles but I couldn’t wear here. The scent I created with Régime des Fleurs — it’s called Little Flower — smells like a crispy rose with a little bit of black tea.

Other Services

Sometimes I do a steam at the Wall Street baths. I love that place. I do skin treatments with Dr. Colbert. It’s always some expensive procedure, and then I have to abstain for six months before I go again.

Diet and Fitness

I’m hooked on Pilates. I go to Flying Squirrel on Sixth Street. It’s a small studio — the biggest class is five people. For years I tried yoga, but I had a hard time with the whole namaste aspect. I just didn’t want some instructor forcing a philosophy on me if I didn’t necessarily agree. Pilates, you get some of the yoga-type exercise but less namaste.

I was a vegetarian when I was younger, but then I went to the dark side. I do try to eat less meat. I try to eat less dairy. I eat a lot of vegetables, cooked or raw. I struggle with how what I eat makes an impact on the environment.

I’m more of a salty than a sweets person. Show me a bag of potato chips I haven’t liked.