Does Ayesha Curry sleep? She’s an author (The Seasoned Life: Food, Family, Faith, and the Joy of Eating Well), television host (The Great American Baking Show and Family Food Fight), chef and co-owner of four International Smoke restaurants, the wife to Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry, and mother of three children, Riley, Ryan, and Canon.
Then there’s her newest deal, Fempire, an original series on Ellen DeGeneres’ Ellentube in which Ayesha uses her platform and resources to help fellow female entrepreneurs build their own businesses. And she does it all (and more!) with a flawless mug, courtesy of her contract with CoverGirl as its brand ambassador. Oh, and her bright, fluttery, flirty lashes? She has CoverGirl’s Exhibitionist Mascara, which she currently serves as the face of, to thank.
During a recent break on the set of her campaign shoot, Ayesha Curry spoke to ELLE.com about her newest CoverGirl Exhibitionist campaign, her best tip for applying mascara, and spa days with her two daughters.
CoverGirl has one of the most recognizable taglines: Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, CoverGirl. What does that line mean to you?
The first campaign I did I didn’t get to say the slogan but on this shoot I did and it was iconic. To me it means being effortless and being the most fresh version of yourself.
When do you feel like the ‘most fresh’ version of yourself?
I feel the freshest after I’ve gotten five minutes to myself. When I’m at home “mommying,” I try to wake up five minutes earlier just so I can brush my teeth, fill in my brows, pop on some mascara, and sometimes add a lipstick. It makes me feel polished.
How do you know when you’ve found the right mascara?
Mascaras are like people: Some are a match and others aren’t. Have you ever seen the Kermit the Frog meme about mascara? That’s how I feel. The eyes are the windows to the soul so a mascara has to be able make your lashes appear a little brighter and fuller. Covergirl’s Exhibitionist Mascara works best on my lashes because it adds major volume.
What are some of your best mascara application tricks?
Blink through the wand when you apply it yourself. Start at the base of the lash and keep blinking as you apply. Twerk that mascara on!
![CoverGirl Exhibitionist Mascara [Black Brown (Black Brown)]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1578675891-2539649.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=480%3A%2A "CoverGirl Exhibitionist Mascara [Black Brown (Black Brown)]")
What beauty advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell myself to not be afraid to experiment and to use makeup as a creative outlet. I used to play it safe with makeup and was afraid to be the girl walking down the street with too much makeup on looking crazy. In reality, who cares? Makeup is a form of expression.
Have your daughters shown interest in makeup yet?
Way too much interest! They take my make up and ruin my brushes and it drives me nuts. But I love that they’re using their creativity. I let them wear it in the house sometimes and we’ll do spa nights on the weekends. I’ll take lotion and pretend it’s a face mask or let them wear a bit of a shimmery lip when we take family photos. They love it. I’m trying to teach them self-care is important at an early age. That wasn’t something I was taught so I had to learn it on the fly.
Why is it important for you to instill that in your daughters early on?
People forget to take care of themselves and the world moves so fast these days. It’s important for me to teach them that it’s okay to have a minute to themselves. I was in a space where I had three kids in six years and I forgot about myself. I’m finally getting back to a space now where I’m remembering it’s okay to take a minute. I just want to make sure they know that from a young age that it’s not selfish to want to better yourself, to take care of yourself, or to make yourself feel good.