Meta Golding's Best Beauty Tips

Meta Golding, who’s appeared in TV shows like Taye Diggs’ one-season effort Day Break and CSI, plays badass District 2 Tribute Enobaria in the next Hunger Games film, Catching Fire. When she stopped by the ESSENCE offices this month, we couldn’t help but notice the 42-year-old has the skin of a woman half her age. Our suspicion was piqued: The veteran actress has obviously found the Sorcerer’s Stone. Unfortunately, she won’t share its whereabouts, but she did give us a few of her favorite skincare, hair, and beauty tips and tricks.

You are what you eat.
“When I’m eating poorly, it shows up on my face. French fries are my favorite thing in the world, but that splurge equal two pimples. And two pimples equal two scars. So for me, anti-aging and beauty is an inside-out process. My mother was studying to be a nutritionist when I was growing up, so I was one of those weird kids who had celery sticks in the refrigerator and no sweets. No one wanted to hang out at my house.”

Keep skincare simple–but be ready to call in the reinforcements.
“I typically use Cetaphil cleanser and SPF moisturizer and Blistex SPF lip balm. They’re really clean and simple.  But because I’ve been traveling so much to promote Catching Fire, I’ve had to up the intensity of my skincare regimen. Nutra Bisse Tolerance Cream is luxurious, rich and gives my skin the moisture it craves after long plane rides. Sometimes I’ll  get a few period-induced pimples. When that happens I use Dr. Bussell’s astringent and Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel.”

Dry shampoo is a mid-week miracle.
“The tricky thing about my hair is that I work out frequently but wash my hair no more than twice a week. Between washes, I spray dry shampoo on my roots. I like Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo and Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo because they don’t leave a white residue. To keep my dry hair moisturized, I’ll wash it, add a leave-in argan oil then put it in a bun and let it air dry. There’s so much heat on my hair when I work that I like to give my it a break.”

Lipstick is an easy way to try color.
“I’ve always used lipstick as something decorative. I look back at my high school pictures, and I have on bright red lipstick. You don’t have to be a makeup artist to apply a tangerine orange or a cherry red. And if it doesn’t work, it comes right off. I love NARS lipsticks.”

A great fragrance doesn’t have to come from a beauty counter.
“When I was working in Hawaii, I found they have a lot of great oils there. Kukui nut oil is a beautiful moisturizer. You can put it all over your body, and it has a really lovely scent so sometimes I’ll just wear that as my fragrance. It’s subtle and makes my skin look gorgeous.”

Sometimes you just need a good scrub.
“When I come back to Los Angeles after working on a project, I drive right to the Korean spa. There’s a steam room, sauna, and a detoxifying tea bath.  Aestheticians scrub your whole body, and at the end they pour warm milk all over you and wrap you in honey. It’s fantastic and is around $80. I typically do it after I’m done with a role and need to distance myself from that character. Or, if you’re breaking up with someone, it’s a good way to metaphorically release all that emotion. We all need a catharsis sometimes.”