We asked actress and singer Lynda Carter — who recently released a new single, “Rise Up” — about the lemon-shaped body soap, suede platform sneakers, and silky sateen sheets she can’t live without.
I got one of the very first ones. I’ve got very, very fine hair and I’ve never been able to use a hot iron. And I thought, Oh, maybe I could use this. So I got one, and I loved it. I go for soft waves. It’s so easy to use. You don’t turn it. It wraps the hair itself. I’ve used it on completely wet hair, and the style lasts for such a long time. I started putting it in Velcro curlers after I use the Dyson, and the curls can last for up to three days. It’s great. I’ve got my little system now. My hair has gotten grayer and I dye it, so my hair has also gotten wispier and finer. It’s even gotten harder to contain. So now I jump out of the shower, put the Dyson on, and then throw my hair in curlers. And by the time I do my makeup, it’s perfect.
I could probably just do a wet set with the Velcros, but who wants to sleep in curlers? They’re old-fashioned, but they work. I’ve had mine for years and years. I still have them.
They’re platforms. I don’t have to wear heels. I have a lot of sneakers. Because the Vince ones are just slip-on, I find that I wear those more than anything. They’re my go-to easy slip-on shoes, and they’re really comfortable. And of course, I wear my Nikes, and I wear my NoBull, and I wear the other ones too. But I’m just happy that they are all flat shoes, because I’m done with heels. I’ll wear heels on a show, but then I take them off as soon as I leave the set. For Thanksgiving, I wore some oversize sequined pants with Vince sneakers, a T-shirt, and a white Stella McCartney jacket. I wear them as often as I can.
I did a mother-daughter shoot with Peter Alexander, and Peter gave me a big fluffy robe. I wear it all the time. It is so used. It has been so washed. The dogs have been on it. It’s that old-lady robe. It’s so comfortable, so cozy. If it’s a really cold day, you put it on and just snuggle with the dogs by the fireplace. It’s that robe you just love — fluffy, fleecy, but a little faded now.
[Editor’s note: Lynda’s robe is no longer available, but this style is similar.]
I just think it is the greatest coffee. And my husband loved it. This is the first thing I drink in the morning. The flavor is very earthy. In many roasted blends, sometimes the beans are not cared for when they’re roasted and they are broken. These are always whole beans, and they’re not so roasted that they are burnt. Even if you don’t make it particularly strong, you still have a deep and earthy flavor to it. It tastes like it smells. I think my children brought it for my husband about five years ago. Then, I started drinking it, and now I’m sold.
I started using this many, many, many — I can’t even tell you how many years ago. The reason I used it was because it didn’t come off on the microphone. By the time I finished singing, my lipstick would be off, and the microphone would be red or whatever. And so, this didn’t come off on the mic and it stayed on during a whole show. It was great. I do a couple of different shades. I lightened up to the soft rose. I was a little bolder, I think, onstage. A little redder lipstick onstage, but I softened it for daily wear. With lipstick, it’s best to put one coat on, then rub it in with your finger, and then put a second coat on — it will last a lot longer. That’s just a little trick that I’ve learned over the years.
I like my skin to smell good, but I don’t want it to smell fruity. This is just a fresh, very lemony scent that doesn’t smell artificial. It’s very good. Makes you feel fresh as a daisy. And it’s shaped like a lemon, so it goes into your hand easily. I’ve got a place in Miami. I have it there too. I just love it. I think I found it where I get my sheets.
The other thing I love smelling: My favorite perfume is Frédéric Malle’s Portrait of a Lady. I used to wear Coco by Chanel. But now I wear Portrait of a Lady. I think that the scent changes based on your natural scent. It’s one of the most famous scents in the world. I always get compliments: “Oh, you smell so good.” That’s the key. I don’t get as many compliments when I wear other things.
I prefer sateen as opposed to the percale because sateen has the ply going both ways, so it lies flatter and it has less of a tendency to pill. The fabric flattens even more and gets silkier the more you wash it. They feel like hotel sheets. I always go with white. Sometimes, I get something with a little gold and silver on them or some kind of something.
It’s just Maybelline, baby. I’m still a Maybelline girl. It’s still the one that doesn’t flake. It’s inexpensive. I can go to any drugstore and pick up my favorite mascara. It’s still the best one on the market. The pink and green. It’s a classic formula, and it always works. I’ve been using that since I started wearing mascara. Particularly on my lower lashes — when you’ve got moisturizer on, they flake, but Maybelline doesn’t flake. And it comes off when you wash your face. Oh, Maybelline [sings]. It just still is the one, and I’ve just tried them all. All of them.
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