Exclusive interview with mom-to-be Eva Mendes: ‘I’m the happiest I’ve ever been’ (VIDEO)

The last time I interviewed Eva Mendes was in early April, for Variety Latino. She was promoting her clothing line for New York & Company — which I’m obsessed with, by the way. So she gave Latinas tips on how to achieve the perfect balance between sexy and sophisticated, which is what she basically does every day without even trying.

But we also talked about her childhood, the values that her parents instilled in her, how her mother inspired and shaped her, how she defines success at this stage in her career, and what happiness means to her.

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9 beauty products Eva Mendes buys at the supermarket

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See, celebs really ARE just like us: They like to shop for beauty products in between the frozen food aisle and the produce section. Even our cover star Jennifer Lopez has admitted to buying her favorite cream at the supermarket. In the case of Eva Mendes, she mostly combines her grocery and beauty product shopping out of convenience. “I absolutely hate shopping,” she confesses. “Unless it’s something for my home, I don’t like shopping, so I keep it to a minimum.”

Of course, the star of the new crime thriller The Place Beyond The Pines (out today and co-starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Ray Liotta) doesn’t shop at just any grocery store — as with the food she puts into her body, this Cuban beauty is very mindful about the beauty products she uses, so you’re more likely to find her at Whole Foods than the corner bodega.

Here are Eva’s favorite health-food-store beauty buys, so you can add them to your own shopping list:

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Jason Quick Clean Makeup Remover Pads ($9, drugstore.com)

“I love them,” says Eva of these fragrance-free, pre-moistened pads from the natural beauty product line. “I don’t like regular makeup removers cause a lot of them have a lot of gunk in them.”

Rosewater ($9, drugstore.com)

Eva doesn’t wash her face in the morning. “I think water, unless you’re drinking it, can be very dehydrating so sometimes I skip the washing the face part,” she says. To cleanse her skin at the start of her day, she usually just uses rosewater on a damp cloth. Best of all, “it can be totally inexpensive,” she adds.

Thayers Premium Witch Hazel ($10, thayers.com)

Depending on how her skin feels on any given morning, Eva might use witch hazel instead of rosewater.

Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream ($37, egyptianmagic.com)

“It’s really cool, you can get it at any health food store and you can use it on your eyes, your lips, anywhere,” says Eva of this uber-hydrating cream — a celebrity favorite.

Dr. Hauschka Lip Care Stick ($14, drhauschka.com)

To keep her lips moisturized in LA.’s dry climate and with her constant traveling, Eva turns to this lip balm with jojoba wax and shea butter.

Coconut Oil

Once a month, Eva will give her hair some extra love, either by using the Pantene Pro-V Overnight Miracle or good old-fashioned coconut oil. “You put it all over your scalp and your hair and then you tie your hair up in something that will protect your pillow and ideally sleep with it and wake up in the morning and rinse it out,” she says.

Yogurt & Rock Salt

“I like taking regular plain yogurt and rock salt and I use it as a scrub in the shower,” says Eva. “It’s such a great exfoliant!”

Epsom Salt ($7, drugstore.com)

Though she’s a big fan of Laura Mercier bath products, Eva says she’s “more into Epsom salts now” on the days she wants to treat herself to a relaxing bath.

What beauty products do YOU get at the supermarket?

This story was originally published on GlamLatina.com

Eva Mendes: My style icon is my Abuelita

(L-R): Eva Mendes and her abuelita, Amada

(L-R): Eva Mendes and her abuelita, Amada

My girl Eva Mendes (aka La Dolce Evita, as I like to call her) walked the red carpet at the premiere of her new film The Place Beyond the Pines a few days ago at the Toronto International Film Festival rocking this gorgeous silk Prada turban. Minutes later, blogs A-Z started offering up how-to-wear-a-head-wrap tutorials left and right.

I was curious what inspired her to go with this look. While turbans have popped up on the runways in recent years, Eva told me she was inspired by her abuelita Amada.  Then she texted me this pic of them side-by-side. I don’t know if you can tell, but they’re wearing the same earrings. Now I see where she gets her looks!

As for me, I’m still trying to master the head wrap thing without looking crazy…

Does this work? Dr. Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation

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For Latina.com’s “30 Days of Beauty Road Testing,” I tried a product recommended by none other than Eva Mendes. “I’m a huge Dr. Perricone fan,” Eva told me at a recent press event. “I carry his No Foundation Foundation with me everywhere. It has SPF, moisturizer, and a little tint all in one.”

So I gave it a try, because, c’mon—who doesn’t want to attempt to look like Eva! Check out my review below.

The ProductPerricone MD No Foundation Foundation SPF 30, $50

The Claim: Keeps skin looking dewy and flawless and delivers many benefits of a traditional foundation without the heavy matte finish. Provides natural translucent coverage, corrects skin undertones, instantly smoothes fine lines and boosts skin’s natural moisture throughout the day, all while delivering antioxidant benefits. Also has a non-chemical SPF 30.

The Process:
Pump a small amount into fingertips, then apply to an already cleaned and toned face in gentle, circular motions until product is evenly distributed. Because of the SPF, it’s recommended for day use. Depending on your skin texture, you may or may not need to apply a separate moisturizer underneath. Can be used underneath your make-up or alone as moderate cover-up.

My Results:

I’ve been wearing this to work everyday as coverage for the past few weeks. I don’t even need a moisturizer and it’s great because it has a built-in SPF protection—which we all know is key. It’s perfect for the summer because it’s super light (and I have oily skin, so I opt for lighter moisturizers anyway) but it still has pigmentation to cover up minor imperfections. However, I’ve found that when I have a big, lingering zit, it doesn’t quite do the trick of hiding it entirely. In those cases, I’ve had to apply my regular foundation on top of it. It does, however give me a nice, even complexion on most days. I use it as my base and then I apply a bit of bronzer and eye make-up and voila! Not a total Eva, but a vast improvement.

Overall Score: I’m loving it. If it weren’t for the sticky texture and slight smell (I wouldn’t call it fishy but there’s a definite odor to it), I’d give it a perfect 5. But for now, I’m giving it a 4 out of 5 stars.

This story was originally posted on Latina.com.