Diane Lane has been acting since she was a teenager, first in films like “A Little Romance” and “The Outsiders,” and later in ones like “Unfaithful” and “Under the Tuscan Sun.” This fall, you can see her in the final season of “House of Cards” and in the debut season of “The Romanoffs.”
With all that, Ms. Lane, 53, is no stranger to the makeup chair, the facialist’s office and the judgmental beauty gantlet that can be Hollywood. The experience has given her opinions (and solid recommendations) on beauty. Raised in New York, Ms. Lane now lives in Los Angeles.
Skin Care
I get exposed to so much product — swag bags at a soiree, makeup artists on a shoot, on set. And if I’m traveling, I’m supposed to pop up like a Pop-Tart and look fabulous somewhere. I would probably spend more time on other things if I could, but then, I make a living on my face, so there are different criteria when it comes to a beauty regimen.
I don’t use the “A” word, as in anti-aging. I just remove myself from those associations. I’m so fed up with the marketing of fear. What I do now, I create a mantle when I go to sleep. When I wake up, all I do is spray some Lavender Hydrasol by Arcona and go with my own natural facial oils that I generate through the night.
When it comes to choosing which skin-care products I use, I keep going back to the women I actually have a whole lot of respect for. They are facialists who have their own product lines. I throw in some other stuff, too, but in general they are my tried and true.
One of them was Arcona [Devan]. I used to go to her before she passed away. She was based in Los Angeles, and she came to me at the Roosevelt Hotel for the day of my Oscar nomination. She was that person in my life who was very kind and generous — a large soul. Now I go to Chanel Jenae there.
Besides the Hydrasol, I love the Arcona Toner Tea Bar, which is an actual bar I use at night. I love the idea of using bars of soap instead of plastic bottles. How many more bottles of plastic do we put in the ocean? I also like their Peptide Hydrating Complex AM/PM.
You can’t be a New Yorker without knowing about Tracie Martyn. I swear by her Amla Purifying Cleanser, which I use with a Foreo. (I go back and forth between that cleanser and the Toner Tea Bar.) I love the Foreo because instead of a scratchy brush, you vibrate the city grime out. I wish I knew to be gentle with my epidermis when I was 20 and had oily skin.
And there is my beloved Verabella on the West Coast. She is Russian and the real deal. She has many products I swear by. I won’t go into all of them because people will realize I have a cosmetics problem, and I don’t want to out myself just yet.
She has this calming rose cream called Bella Rosa that is wonderful. When you’re having your face touched all dang day long for work, it’s wonderful. I wonder what men’s skin would look like if they were getting their eyes poked for 30 years. Verabella also has an amazing sunblock with SPF 45 that has cucumber and aloe in it.
I also have Spa Technologies Regenerative Oil. And there’s Éminence in there, too. I use their Stone Crop Serum, and they’re organic. You’ve got to love that.
Some of Ms. Lane’s favorite beauty products.CreditHeather Sten for The New York Times
Makeup
I really enjoy loving my naked face, because if I fall more in love with the mask, that’s depressing. I want to see me and not feel like I have to apologize by making changes. Also, I want some days off. When you’re constantly required to have a quota of glamour, you just want to put on your bluejeans, no makeup and feel cute. Then you can appreciate the miracle of mascara when you have to be on again.
I do swear by Dr. Bronner’s chapstick. I’m also into big hats — I bring my own shade. I don’t care if I look like a gardener. Right now I probably have eight sun hats mashed up with reusable grocery bags in the back of my car.
Fragrance
I probably need an intervention in this department as well. I keep all of my old perfumes. If I smell one, it’ll take me directly to what it reminds me of. Sometimes it’s a genie in a bottle that should definitely stay in the bottle. I once worked with a very famous actress who used perfume to give each character a reference.
I suppose if there’s one constant for me, it’s any version of vetiver. I’ve always loved the men’s fragrances of the ’80s and ’90s, like Perry Ellis for Men and L’Homme. Back then, I smelled like I had a boyfriend and got all the olfactive endorphins but didn’t actually have to deal with one.
Hair Care
I have great hair. But I also baby my hair. I don’t blow-dry it, and I’ve always cared more about how my hair felt — soft and inviting. I didn’t want it dried out and smelling like products. I never put alcohol on it if I can help it.
Recently I was turned on to Hask hair products. I also really love René Furterer. The shea butter mask is fantastic, and the company is super-evolved in the way they harvest for shea butter. They’re not just grabbing the cheapest shea butter on the planet. I was blown away when I found out that they support the women and culture. It seems to be a very ethical company that goes above and beyond.
Other Services
I’m really enjoying Zoya nail polishes for manicures. I find they help make my nails stronger.
I’ve gone to breath-work workshops. I’m a fan of Max Strom — he’s a breath-work teacher. He’s done TED Talks and traveled all over the world. Breath is all we have. Aspire, respire, perspire — you can’t separate your breath from your experience. If I can dial back to whatever my breath is doing, then I can be more and more present or less and less — whatever I need!
Diet and Fitness
The white flag went up a long time ago: I’m going to eat the bread. I’ll have bacon once in a while, although it tortures me that animals are being tortured. I do believe in eating fewer and fewer animal products. I also believe that skin care truly starts from within. I probably drink olive oil — that’s how much I consume. I also take a daily dose of MSM. I’ve found it really helps my skin, hair, nails.
I’m getting to a quarter century of yoga. It has served me well. I don’t like cardio. I always feel like I’m running from a lion. The endorphins afterward are great, so obviously I’m just in denial about not wanting to get my heart rate up.
I do love hiking. I can go up hills forever.
