“I always have been about pouty beige lips,” says White Lotus actress Jennifer Coolidge. So much so that she teamed up with e.l.f Cosmetics and created her own lipkit she named Dirty Pillows, which includes lipstick, lip liner, and gloss, which quickly sold out this past Tuesday, November 21. (They’ve since restocked.) Her ideal lip look? Swollen. “People always think they need to name a lipstick, you know, like a noun … but I think just adjectives.” It’s a high-shine lip-plumping gloss in baby pink.
We have to say his combination does indeed make her lips look swollen, thanks to the plumping effect. The whole set includes a rosy pink satin lipstick, lip plumping gloss, a neutral brown lip liner, and a gold mirror that says, “Lips are the mirror to your soul.”
On a ten-minute phone call with the Golden Globes winner, I quickly found out that she doesn’t believe in any rules when it comes to beauty. She also shared her best party tricks and holiday hangover cures, plus a very relatable dating rule.
What’s your No. 1 rule for date night? That he leaves a big tip.
What’s your No.1 rule for gift giving? I know a lot of people do it, but don’t ever re-gift anything. I always feel like that’s a weird thing. And I’ve never done well with guessing. I think you have to give people what they want. I never take a risk and buy them some funky sweater. I don’t want them to throw the thing in the trash can after I leave their house. You know what I mean? I just don’t mess around with the unknowns. I give them something I know is surefire. You know what? People like cash too. I have a lot of friends who love makeup as much as I do. Makeup girls are so easy to gift. They would be thrilled to have something like this lip kit. And even now what’s happening is my friend’s daughters are growing up, so the daughters want the lip kit.
What’s your No. 1 rule for recovering from holiday party hangovers? Don’t drink. But sometimes you can’t help it. The overindulging is so hard not to do. You’re allowed to help yourself to a table loaded with everything you’ve ever wanted that goes on for miles. But it’s hard when you combine it all. Eat before you go. Otherwise if you don’t eat before you go, you’re like I had that salad and then I ate the vegan stuffing and then I ate the candy cane and then I ate the chocolate. Just the combining and mixing of all that stuff doesn’t work for me anymore. And the other thing is, when I load up the plate and I’m standing there talking to someone, I look down and notice the plate is suddenly empty.
What’s your No. 1 rule for hosting holiday parties? Well, I just threw a Halloween party and I think it’s important to prepare. Sometimes I’m the last one to get ready. I’m always the last one to go to my own party because I’m so busy running around doing all the details and stuff. But I think the key is great food, hopefully it can be healthy. I like vegan food because I’m vegan. And if you are going to serve alcohol, make it healthy alcohol, which is not really many brands. Even with all these healthy wines and stuff, they’re not really that healthy. But it seems like the more effort I put into a party, the more fun people have. People are touched if you go through a lot of trouble to make the table look elegant. And I almost feel like that’s more important than anything you serve. Just make it look like you put work into it.
What’s your No. 1 rule for New Year’s resolutions? With my age and everything, I just don’t feel like it’s about buying presents for myself anymore. The world is having such a hard time. And I don’t know, I just think the gift-giving to myself doesn’t feel as good anymore. I’m more happy when it’s someone who’s desired something and can’t afford it. And then you can sort of surprise them with something that they brought up to you that they wish they had. Or just give presents to your animals. My dog appreciates every gift I give him.
What’s your No. 1 rule when it comes to makeup? My number one rule is there shouldn’t be any rules. it doesn’t matter what order you apply it in. Mix and match products.
We love your e.l.f. lip kit. What’s your No. 1 rule for finding your signature nude lip? You look your best when it’s something you’re obsessed with. You have to like it more than anyone else, and somehow people really like it on you too. And I always have been about pouty beige lips.
What’s your No. 1 rule for glowing skin? I was putting the e.l.f. Grip Primer on after I put my makeup on, and I thought it looked incredible. Then people always said, ‘oh my God, you’re so glowy.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, well put this stuff on.’ I put the grip on at the end, and then everyone’s like, well, you can’t do that. Yes, you can! And when I was doing it that way, I was getting more compliments. So that’s why I don’t think there are any rules. We all know what looks best on ourselves, especially if we’re stuck with our own reflection for our entire lives. You get good at what you have to.