Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photo: John Russo
If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hair spray and the electric toothbrush. We asked actor and singer Kristin Chenoweth — whose new book, I’m No Philosopher, But I’ve Got Thoughts: Mini-Meditations for Saints, Sinners, and the Rest of Us, recently hit shelves — about the healthy treats her dog can’t get enough of, the wrinkle-fighting oil she mixes into her moisturizer, and the throat lozenges she recommended to Ariana Grande.
I think a lot of makeup companies don’t want us to know about Bio-Oil, because it works. It really helps in the wrinkle department. I use this for wrinkles on my face, specifically where I’m not happy, and on the dry skin all over my body, like my elbows, knees, and ankles. Sometimes I mix it with my body lotion, but it doesn’t make you feel oily. And it’s over-the-counter; you can get it at Duane Reade or Walgreens or wherever. I’ve used it for five years and it’s awesome. They have a new product out, a body lotion that has the oil in it. I just got it and I freaking love it. It’s like everything I’ve ever dreamed of, I’m not kidding.
Most of the time I don’t want to wear lipstick. I just don’t, unless I’m working. But sometimes you just want to feel halfway decent, you know? So I’ll curl my lashes and I’ll put this on, and it’s like, Oh, she did something to herself. It makes a statement in a very small way. I think my secret’s out on the Pink Shimmer because they’re always sold out, so if I see them, I buy a whole bunch and I keep them all in a little bin in my closet. There’s a Nivea Pink Shimmer lip balm in every purse I own.
My dog, Thunder, is a cockapoo, and she’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. I’m very careful with my animals and what they eat, but obviously I want them to like it too. I got a little package of these treats to try, I think through my publicist, and I was kind of nervous about it, but she loves them. And they’re easy to travel with because they’re small, so I can just pop them out on a plane or in a hotel room. They’ve got a lot of very good products in them, and they’re healthy for her, so for her to like them and for me to approve the ingredients, I’m really happy about that.
I‘m one of the few people in the world who hates water. But I know it’s important; I know it’s like the one thing we have to have. I have a reusable Starbucks cup, and I just fill that thing with water and put a little Crystal Light in it, like half a packet, and shake it up and take it with me. And before you know it, you’ve had a lot of water throughout the day and it tasted good. If you’re having trouble drinking water, even putting a tiny bit in there is nice.
I just cannot tell you enough about this well-kept secret. As a singer, I find they’re very long-lasting and moisturizing for the throat. I use them before I go onstage or when I’m on a plane. But they’re good for everybody — sometimes my mom will get a jagged cough out of nowhere, and she just pops one of these Fontus and it helps. They’re all natural and gluten-free as well, and they taste good. Everybody has their favorite flavor; mine is green apple. I just have to have them. I keep them in every purse again. I’ve gotten Ariana Grande on them. I’ve gotten a lot of celebrity friends on them, and they’re like, Wait, what? What is this? When people say that, I go, I don’t know. But it works.
[Ariana] has all these wonderful products that I’ve tried, but my favorite is the R.E.M. Beauty Lip Oil. I love the packaging; it’s really nice on the eyes. I have dry lips, as you can tell, and it puts moisture back in my lips. And it’s glossy, so it looks good over your own lipstick. I also like that it has a lip wand, so you don’t have to put your fingers in there. I’m a little bit OCD with COVID; I wash my hands every five minutes, but putting your hand in a lip oil, that’s not a good idea.
I’m of a certain age, so when this first all happened, especially with my own music with Apple, I’m like, What? I don’t get it. But I’m a musician and music lover, obviously, and it makes me happy that there’s something like Apple Music out there. You can find everything on it and discover young artists, all the latest hits. I like the way it categorizes everything for you. I just like to have it on, and sometimes I let them pick what I’m gonna listen to. It’s just fun and a great way for people to listen to music they love and to find new music they love. Lately, I’ve been listening to classical music: Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss. It calms me in the morning or at night before I go to sleep. It’s soothing to have it on when you wake up at 5:30 in the morning to have your hair and makeup done.
I wrote a memoir in 2009, and people really responded to it, but I thought, I won’t be doing that again. That was hard. You’re always having to turn things in. It feels like a book report is always due. So when COVID really became real for all of us and my agent called me about writing another book, I said, No, I can’t do it. He goes, What else are you gonna do? I was like, He’s right. I’m a big journaler, so I thought maybe it can be based on my own journal entries. So every chapter is titled like: Thoughts on Harmony, Thoughts on Discord, Thoughts on Screwing Up, Thoughts on Closure, Thoughts on Anxiety, Thoughts on Depression. I wanted it to be fun and be laughing at myself, but it can also get a little bit deep and dark, too, because I’m human. And now that child is out there in the world for people to hopefully be inspired by and laugh a little bit, at themselves and at me.
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