“I went pink a few months ago. I actually didn’t plan it…I was at my friend Andy Lecompte’s house. He was cutting my hair, and then we just decided to dye it. That was that. It was a Tuesday.
I don’t have a favorite hair color—I mean, I’ve enjoyed every one. I’m naturally dirty blonde. I only wash my hair once a week, don’t judge. I’ll just get into the shower and wet my hair, but I don’t wash it with shampoo. On the weekends, I soak it in raw coconut oil and slick it back for two days. It just looks like product. My hair responds well to it, and it’s easy. I personally believe that the less you do with your hair the healthier it is for it. So right now, that’s all I really use on my hair. I’m into having it short because you don’t really have to think about it. I do sometimes use a dry shampoo—I like the Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk, or R + Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo.
For my skin, I drink a lot of water and coconut water by Harmless Harvest. I actually have very sensitive skin, so if I do anything to it, I break out. I just like to keep it as clean as I can in my everyday life. But I do love Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer. I have dark circles naturally, so that’s the one thing I do like to have on. Then I just put on Lancer Skincare’s The Method: Nourish Moisturizer, and I have a little Caudalie Beauty Elixir. You’ve got to keep it fresh throughout the day.
I’m not really good at makeup at all. I can do a cat eye—top lid only—and I know how to use a red lip pencil. But then my makeup artist, Beau Nelson, comes around and experiments on me, and I definitely try to learn. Yeah he’s Canadian, but you know what? He is a really good makeup artist. [Laughs] It’s fun when you’re just among friends and you can play around with different looks together. I get all my tips from him and my hairstylist Gregory Russell. We’re together every day, and we talk product and things that are in our bags. We each have a special ‘Sprucer Upper’ bag that we carry all the products that we can’t live without. Mine has Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade and Organic Lavender Hand Sanitizing Spray from Whole Foods. That and Caudalie’s Divine Oil because it’s just nice on your hands.
I use multiple oils for my body—grape seed oil is nice. I’m very natural. I also like H. Gillerman Organics’ Clear Mind Tension Remedy. What I like to do is put three drops on my neck and then let it drip down my spine for 20 minutes. And, you know, let’s not hate on the Body Shop or anything—their stuff is good. This is the Brazil Nut Body Butter—it’s the size that is really heaven—fits right in my bag—so whoever does their marketing, they did a good job. Kiehl’s also makes a great heavy cream, which I love called Creme de Corps. I also use Lucas’ Papaw Ointment for everything—I’m in Australia a lot, so I buy that over there.
Nails are fun. Right now I’m wearing black gels. I’m afraid of them, but I still do it. I take breaks. I actually just like to have a clean nail sometimes for a while. I like it when a hand is just completely bare—it reminds me of Sade.
As far as piercings go, I have nine holes in my ears. I have five on one side, four on the other. I take care of those with saltwater and prayers. They definitely have their issues. I won’t get any more—no no no, I can’t do that again. I have a few tattoos, but I haven’t gotten a new one since I was 21. I was a 19-year-old idiot when I got this tattoo on the back of my neck. You can see it now with the short hair but people aren’t asking about it, which is nice.
If I could give advice to my younger self, I would say, ‘You just got to do your thing and keep it chill. Just get one look down and when you get over it, then change it.’ That’s all. Oh, and don’t over-tweeze your eyebrows.”
—as told to ITG
Nicole Richie interviewed by Alyssa Reeder and photographed by Nikko La Mere in Los Angeles. Catch Nicole in her show Candidly Nicole, which returns to VH1 on July 29, 2015.
June 2015 – Into the Gloss – Written by Alyssa Reeder