You may know Jordan Tesfay from her roles in Deception and Carlito’s Way: Rise to Power, but this Italian born lady is not only an actress, she’s a woman on the move with lots of beauty secrets to tell. We caught up with Tesfay to learn how she maintains her skin this winter, and discover the biggest beauty advice she’s received.
ESSENCE.COM: Please describe your winter skincare regimen.
JORDAN TESFAY: My skin can become very dry during the winter months. To combat this, I often take baths using my own homemade bath oil. The oil leaves my body feeling moisturized and makes bathtime feel luxurious. I also use Cocoa Butter as a night cream because helps my skin stay hydrated and evens out my freckles.
ESSENCE.COM: What are your top 3 beauty secrets?
TESFAY: Well, I have to begin with keeping myself feeling happy and balanced. No amount of makeup can hide an unhappy soul, so first I spend time with my family and doing things I love. Next, lots of water helps my skin. Hydration is key, not only to healthy beautiful skin but for a healthy mind. Diet is my final beauty secret. Eating healthy, unprocessed foods helps to maintain your energy, glow and vitality. The proper foods can encourage hair growth, restful sleep and clearer skin.
ESSENCE.COM: What are your top 3 beauty must-haves? Why?
TESFAY: Vaseline for dry rough skin. I use it for everything! Lips, rough heels, elbows, and to give my skin that sun kissed glow. Olive oil for baths, scalp treatments and cuticles. It’s not just for cooking! I add essential oils, like rose, to give it a pleasant scent. Tweezers, to help shape my eyebrows. Eyes are the windows to the soul, and eyebrows frame the face. I like a fuller brow, so I tweeze to keep my arch and a clean shape.
ESSENCE.COM: What’s the biggest beauty advice you ever received? Who was it from?
TESFAY: The biggest advice I ever received was from makeup artist Reggie Wells. He shared with me to use several different foundation colors when applying my base. Prior to that, I simply would use a foundation that matched my shade the best. My skin is a mixture of three colors, so I use shades that compliment my coloring. Also, in the summer months, I put away the lighter shades, and tend to use darker shades and bronzer to accentuate my darker summer skin.
ESSENCE.COM: Is your hair natural or relaxed?
TESFAY: My hair is naturally curly and I have never relaxed it. Although, I like to use gentle color rinses, which over time seems to relax my curls.
ESSENCE.COM: Describe your hair journey.
TESFAY: My hair has been long, short, blonde, dark, straight and curly. I never used heat on my hair until I began modeling. When I was younger, my Mother would braid my hair into two french braids, and that was my hairstyle until high school. I then upgraded to a bun and ponytail. As I got older I learned that leave in conditioner, hair gel and other styling products were helpful in keeping my naturally curly hair tamed, so I began to experiment. I finally took the plunge one day and went “Halle Berry” short, thinking it would be easy to maintain, only to discover short hair is high maintenance. When I began modeling grew my hair out. Since then, it has been highlighted, and fluctuated in length.