The Profile: Alycia Debnam-Carey

How are your spirits?

I'm good. I'm healthy and so are my loved ones, which is all I can ask for these days. I am grateful for everyone in the healthcare community for their tireless hours and hard work. It’s truly admirable and I am deeply appreciative of the fact that they are putting themselves at risk for the greater good.

What does your stay-at-home life look like? 

I’m at home in Los Angeles with Jason and our son, Jack. I’m working from home and feel fortunate to be able to do so since I realize many people aren’t able to work remotely or have lost their jobs. It’s heartbreaking and my heart goes out to everyone impacted in these ways. 

When I am not working, I spend my time trying to figure out how to entertain a 2-year-old indoors, which is a real challenge, I must say. I’m also cooking a lot more, which may or may not be a good thing for those who have to eat it! I also have a to-do list of things like reorganising my pantry and hanging family photos in our hallway.

What kind of daily rituals have you created for yourself?

Skin care is really one of the first things I do. I get my coffee in the morning and then I light a candle. I'm a big fan of the Diptyque Narguilé Candle, which is tobacco. I feel like my brain is constantly racing, so any moment that actually refocuses me and stills my mind, I really enjoy. Engaging in skin care is really a still, peaceful, and quiet experience for my brain. It’s almost a sacred space, which is why I like it so much as a daily ritual to set me up for the rest of my day.

Tell us about your skin-care regimen.

When I wake up in the morning, I’ll grab a couple of  Peter Thomas Roth Hydra-Gel Eye Patches from the fridge and put them on. I've never seen something work so well to de-puff your under eyes and make them look like you’re awake or like you haven't had maybe one or two many glasses of wine the night before.

I use a cleanser, Lancer The Method: Cleanse, that has always worked on my skin. I love the Chanel Hydra Beauty Lotion and I've been obsessed with the Glossier serums. The Glossier Super Glow is just really, really great. I also love the Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops because it gives me the most amazing glow. Then, I love the Heritage Store Rose Water Spray you get at Whole Foods. My friends in Australia love it so much that they ask me to bring it down for them whenever I come home.

What does your day-to-day makeup look like?

I'm not seeing anyone so I’ve been doing the bare minimum when it comes to makeup. I really enjoy playing with beauty and makeup, but I do like to keep it very simple and dewy. I love the Chanel Les Beiges Soleil Tan Bronze Universal. It's creamy and makes you look like you've been on vacation for two weeks. The Tower 28 SuperDew Highlighter Balm is a really great: No glitter, just a dewy sheen. I use it on my cheekbones, the Cupid’s bow, the tip of the nose, and brow bone. I love Glossier Boy Brow and then I'll do mascara and if I'm really feeling like I want to do a little bit more, I'll do a very small bit of eyeliner right on the lash line flick. 

The best eyeliner that I've used is the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner and I know this because I was in a store getting a new phone and there were three other girls there. One of them complimented another on her eyeliner and she was like, ‘oh it's Stila’ and the other girl chimed in and said, ‘oh my God, I'm wearing that, too! And I was like, ‘well, I'm wearing that as well,’ So if three separate girls in a phone store talking about Stila eyeliner isn’t a rave review, I don't know what is!

What beauty looks most resonate with you?

I've always loved the coquettish vibes of the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s. Those very Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly demure looks really resonate with me in terms of beauty and fashion as well. I think that's where I definitely fell in love with the cat-eye.

What beauty looks are you inspired by and want to try for yourself?

I'm really drawn to people who are unabashedly themselves and are very courageous, playful, and creative in their look. I’m really drawn to the fun and playful makeup looks and the amazing eye makeup when watchingEuphoria, but I’m never confident enough to do myself...I need to commit to doing something with sparkles one day.

What did you believe about beauty and now that you didn't before?

I think we're living in a far more accepting time for beauty, which I think is really wonderful. Growing up, I didn't have the same access to even YouTube tutorials or the way magazines promote beauty and makeup now. Instead, it was more about looking one way, which only fit one stereotype.

For example I grew up thinking you needed to be tan and really blonde and have glossy lips or something. It was always about self-tanning... Sometimes, you kind of want to look like that, but it was such a goal to fit in. Now, because there are so many people sharing their own beauty looks, and how they express themselves, it is very liberating to see that it's not one cookie-cutter pattern.  I think what's really wonderful is knowing that there's so much more room for self-expression and it's so liberating knowing you don't have to appease societal norms.

How do you tap into your creativity?

Journaling is how I release an emotional perspective that I can control from my creative point of view. When I feel like I need to write some things down to get some things out and from there, it usually does follow into a creative space. Often, that turns into something like writing a script idea down. It's a mix of the way I see the world, in colors and music, for example. Maybe that turns into drawing. Drawing for me is quite calming because it kind of refocuses my perspective.

Is there a direction your creative spirit is pointing you toward, now that you have more time to yourself?

I've started writing a little bit, which I am really enjoying and I'm finding that's been really exciting, but in the next five years, I’m also really excited to start dipping my toe into directing. I think that's something that I've always felt very in tune with and where I would thrive because I think my natural state feels quite aligned with directing...so I'm kind of wanting to investigate that more.

I've also been working on one show, and in one genre, for a very very long time, so I'm also really excited to expand beyond that. I'd love to try something new, like rom-coms or period pieces—something just completely different from what I've been doing for a really long time, so I think it's a very exciting new chapter for me and that's really exciting to look forward to.

I’m cooking recipes from Jamie Oliver’s Five Ingredients cookbook because a) they use less ingredients, so less trips to the supermarket and b) they are quick and easy. I have been making lots of comfort foods like roast chicken and potatoes or pasta. I’m sure I’ll come out of isolation a few pounds heavier!