Kim Cattrall Channels Her Seductive Side With Fiery Nails and Bold, Vibrant Lipstick

But nothing gets her more In the Mood than a good meal.

kim cattrall in the mood
(Image credit: Future)

Beauty routines are integral to getting In The Mood—not for any other person, but for you. Here, get a glimpse into the products, habits, and mantras that help powerhouse women slip into the sexiest version of themselves.


As an incredibly loyal Sex in the City fan, I could easily recite some key pieces of Samantha Jones’s beauty routine. She (obviously) really likes a powerful chemical peel, keeps Evian facial mist stocked in her vanity, and wears Creed Spring Flower Eau de Parfum. But after spending 20 minutes with Kim Cattrall, the actress behind the iconic character, I'd be remiss not to report that she has a much more low-key approach to beauty.

Sure, she has a robust list of products she loves. (Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk tops the list; it’s only appropriate given Cattrall is the new face of the line.) But the 68-year-old actor is taking her current chapter of life to invest in her feel-good wellness routine. Walking with friends, two or three cups of tea, and an appropriately timed cold plunge have been the secret sauce behind her current glow.

Read ahead to get the full breakdown on how Cattrall gets in touch with the happiest version of herself.

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I wake up in the morning, usually refreshed. It wasn't always the case. But, I've usually gone to bed at a relatively early hour and when my feet hit the rug, I go, Let's do this. Let's get on the road. I make myself a little breakfast, a cup of tea, and then another cup of tea. I was brought up very British.

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I've been recently ending my shower experience with a freezing cold rinse—like a cold plunge. That really invigorates me and I feel every part of my body, especially my scalp.

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I have a thyroid medication. I take a very mild dose and that just makes me feel better. And then [the other non-sexy habit I have] is just walking. I walk a lot in London and New York. I’ve changed my routine drastically to suit my life instead of the other way around. You get to a certain age and you think, I don’t want to be on the treadmill for as long as I used to be. I’m now discovering the cities that I’m in, I’m seeing friends for dinner and doing all of these things thatI used to just do on the weekends. It’s a different way of refueling for me.

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I have a thing about fragrances. I always pick a fragrance for every character that I play. When I did Cleopatra several years ago, I bought this really fantastic cologne in Harrods that had a real musky smell to it. When people would come into my dressing room, they said they felt like we were somewhere akin to Arabian Nights. I have a really sharp sense of smell, so it was able to get me into a different headspace. Samantha’s was [Tom Ford] Fuegere, but they discontinued that. In Private Lives it was Dior Joy.

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Honestly, I don’t do very much at all. I’m very plain. I put a little moisturizer and sun protection on. If I have a little irritation or discoloration, I’ll use a little foundation or concealer. Then it’s lipstick and I’m out the door. I’m really into Charlotte Tilbury’s PillowTalk Lipsticks. I really love all the new colors; they’re vibrant and pretty and bold.

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Summer and early fall, I’ll always do a Lunar red. The rest of the year I do a very light pink.

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I’m doing a shorter version, but I’ll still remove my makeup. I have sensitive eyes so I have to take care of my mascara.

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I’m pretty old-fashioned. I process my hair and I dye my hair. When I wash it and dry it, it's usually going in all kinds of different directions. Sometimes, I'll just put a hot iron through it just to close the follicle. Or, I'll do just some little hot rollers. Or, I’ll just wear a hat.

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So many things. Meals, reading time, and more meals. I like to cook, but I love to eat. It gives me such pleasure to sit in a restaurant or be at a friend’s out. When someone has poured so much time and love and experience into a dish—it just does it for me. I don’t even have a favorite food. I’m an equal opportunist and will take whatever is coming to the table.

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Less is more—in all areas of life. And that you should accentuate what you feel are your positives.

Shop Kim's Routine

Samantha Holender
Senior Beauty Editor

Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.