Eva Longoria Is the Opposite of Her ‘Desperate Housewives’ Character When it Comes to Beauty

It’s hard to distill Eva Longoria’s decades-long career down into single moments and sound bytes. The actor, activist, director, producer, philanthropist, and founding member of Time’s Up has channeled her voice and talents into many mediums over the years, from speaking up about being a Latina woman in Hollywood, to releasing her directorial debut, last year. Titled Flamin’ Hot, it tells Richard Montañez’s story as he goes from Frito Lay janitor to the man who made Flamin’ Hot Cheetos an international success.

This year, she’s been just as busy, starring in Land of Women as a New York socialite named Gala who she likens (at least on the surface) to Bree Van de Kamp of Desperate Housewives. “She’s about having to be put together all the time,” she says, adding that she’s “not that person” when it comes to her off-screen beauty routine.

I catch Longoria before her first Cannes carpet, where she pops up on screen from the South of France. The first “One Thing” on her mind: ceding the spotlight to the L’Oréal Paris Lights on Women’s Worth Award, the brand’s ongoing commitment to honoring rising female filmmakers. Longoria, who’s been a L’Oréal ambassador for more than 20 years, has continuously highlighted the importance of “celebrating and honoring” other women in Hollywood. “It’s such a prestigious festival, so to recognize female filmmakers on this stage and on this platform is really important,” she says. “It could do a lot for their careers.”

The list of One Things continues from there, from irreplaceable skincare gadgets to pieces of life advice that could only come from someone fully, confidently at home in herself. After all, Longoria has done it all—but I have a feeling the best is yet to come. Below, the characters that made her step outside her beauty style, the makeup look that feels most like her, and the reason she’d decline any life advice to her younger self.

The One Skincare Step She Never Skips

“Moisturizer and sunblock. And usually, my moisturizer has sunblock in it. So I never skip those.”

The One Beauty Product That’s Always in Her Bag

“I always have lip balm. I have 100 different lip balms but there’s always lip balm in my purse. And sunblock—the L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Broad Spectrum SPF 50 + Antioxidants UV-Lotion—it absorbs so well.”

The One Beauty Tip She Picked Up on Set

“Makeup tips are always evolving—makeup and skincare has evolved and I’m always learning different things. I see somebody use a tool on me and I’m like, ‘What is that?’ Or they’re like, ‘You should try this.’

“There’s a machine called the Facify Beauty Wand where you can do lymphatic drainage before you do your makeup. It’s this rotating thing and it feels so good on your face. Nurse Jamie also has the Eyeonix Eye Massaging Beauty Tool, this under-eye vibrating tool. You put on serum and then you push it under your eye and it just awakens your eyes, which I love. Mostly, I’ve learned that it’s just putting more attention on skincare than makeup.”

The One Character the Most Opposite to Her Beauty Style

“I don’t know if I played anybody like me [with beauty] because usually, I’m bare-faced. I’m the opposite of [Desperate Housewives’] Gaby Solis because she was all about her appearance, all about fashion, all about looks—and that’s definitely the opposite of who I was. In Land of Women, which premieres in June on Apple, I play a woman who—differently than Gaby Solis—is not so much about sexiness. She’s about having to be put together all the time; she’s more like Bree [Van de Kamp of Desperate Housewives]. I’m not that person either, so I don’t think I’ve played a person that’s most like me.”

The One Beauty Look That Makes Her Feel the Most Herself

“For sure when I’m bare-faced. If I have sunblock and moisturizer on—and probably mascara—that’s probably like my go-to look.”

The Y2K Beauty Trend She Never Needs to See Again

“The 2000s was such heavy makeup! I remember wearing so much—specifically a strong smoky eye. I look back and I go, ‘Oh my God, I have so much eyeshadow on…I don’t know how many colors I have on my eyes.’ So the modern no-makeup makeup look—I love that trend.”

The One Thing She Does Every Morning

“Definitely skincare. I have a great skincare routine. I use all the L’Oréal Revitalift [products]: the cream, the moisturizer, the serum, the hyaluronic acid, the glycolic acid, the vitamin C! I love my skincare routine in the morning and at night. I just think you can’t have good makeup if you don’t have good skin.”

The One Thing She Would Tell Her Younger Self (Or Not)

“I don’t want to give myself any advice. I like what I’ve done and I feel like if I gave my younger self advice, it would have changed my trajectory. I like where I am; I have no regrets. I embrace all the failures. I’ve been through all the mistakes I made. I think I really learned from those and it’s made me who I am.”