Since Kerry Washington‘s stunning red carpet appearance at the 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards when the Scandal actress showed off her voluminous natural curls, Washington has been embracing her texture more than ever. And according to the 40-year-old star, becoming a mom to Isabelle, 3, and Caleb, 1, is what inspired her to stop straightening her hair.
“I like to wear my natural texture, especially now because I have children and I want them to know that their hair is perfect as it is,” Washington told Allure for her November cover story. “They don’t have to change it or straighten it. They can, but they don’t have to.”
The Scandal star (and Neutrogena creative consultant) covers the magazine’s November issue of Allure with glowy skin and minimal hairstyling, which reflects her comfort in her own skin. “I have grown to like my hair more and more over the years. I won’t have any chemicals in it. I stopped relaxing my hair in my early 20s,” she said.
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When the star’s on the set of Scandal, Washington admits she requires (quite) a bit more maintenance. “There’s someone who follows me around all day long on the set. Like, literally follows me to make sure there’s not a single hair out of place,” she said. “This is somebody’s full-time job.”
Between balancing her role on Scandal and being a full-time mom, the star’s glam team on the hit ABC series has perfected the way to keep her looking ready to “handle” anything.
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“Friday night’s concealer is very different than Tuesday afternoon’s concealer. They get thicker as the week goes on and you get more exhausted,” Washington revealed.
But when she’s not working, the star keeps things super simple. “I try to not wear a lot of makeup,” she said. “I have my foundation and moisturizer, and that’s it.”
Washington makes sure to take some time for herself too, and when she hands the kids off to husband Nnamdi Asomugha for a few hours, her go-to indulgence is heading to the spa for a relaxing (and much-needed!) massage.
“I love them because they fall in that in-between for me: half beauty, half wellness. It’s something I do because I’m in heels a lot and I work really long hours. And I have a lot of pressures in my life,” Washington said. “So massages are a good way for me to maintain my health and wellness, but also I feel like I’m doing something indulgent. And I’m a deep-tissue girl. I ask for the strongest massage therapist. Unravel me. Get in there.”
Surprisingly, there’s one member of her family that gets pampered even more than Washington, and no, it’s not her husband.
“I’m very envious of my dog’s spa schedule,” Washington said. “She gets a deep condition once a week, I’m lucky if I get a deep conditioning once a week!”
What do you think about Kerry’s Allure cover? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This article originally appeared on People.
