Ayo Edebiri empties her makeup bag of beauty secrets

From where we’re standing, Ayo Edebiri is on a hell of a winning streak. You’ll most likely recognise her from 2022’s runaway hit series The Bear, in which she plays Sydney, a sous-chef that’s as proficient in side eye as she is searing Chilean sea bass.

But Edebiri’s trajectory really began slanting upwards in 2020, when her digital series with Rachel Sennott, Ayo and Rachel Are Single, got picked up by Comedy Central. Having cut her teeth as a stand-up comedian and a writer, a couple of gigs writing on shows such as What We Do in the Shadows and Apple TV’s Dickinson (in which she also starred) soon followed, as well as a voice acting role as the insatiably horny Missy on Big Mouth.

Funny on paper and on screen, Edebiri’s wry humour and knowing grin has quickly made her a fan favourite, winning us all over with winking red carpet interviews (“I was on all fours for four months,” she says of her alleged role as Jenny the donkey in The Banshees of Inisherin) and meme-coded Instagram videos.

What’s next for the quick-witted, scene-stealing donkey imposter? Well, series two of The Bear will be landing in the UK in July, but for now, the 27-year-old New Yorker is making moves on the big screen, too. This summer, Edebiri will reunite with her old pal Sennott in Bottoms, a high school comedy that’s basically billed as Fight Club for horny, queer outsiders. The logic behind Edebiri and Sennott’s back alley bust ups? It’s all part of a fool-proof plan to shag some cheerleaders before graduation, obviously. Here’s hoping they meet a happier, sexier, and less, er, psychologically ruinous fate than that lot in David Fincher’s 1999 film.

Oh, and Edebiri will also be gracing cinema screens in Theatre Camp (a teen comedy about, yep, drama kids at a theatre camp), The Sweet East (a teen drama also starring Jacob Elordi) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (in which, sadly, Edebiri does not play a turtle).

That’s a lot of fancy premieres to attend, then. How does Ayo Edebiri keep her skin glowing and red carpet ready? You could say she got it from her father…

The first thing I eat and drink when I wake up is…

Probably whatever stale water is leftover on my bedside from the night before. And then immediately after, coffee.

My morning skincare regimen looks like…

I wash my face with cold water, then apply Indie Lee toner, M‑61 moisturiser and sunscreen. If I’m filming, I want my skin to be as clean and hydrated as possible, because I am an adult who enjoys taking care of themselves.

The soundtrack to my morning routine is…

It definitely changes day to day. Sometimes you start off with a long, long shower to Radiohead. Sometimes it’s The Rest is History podcast, or Ram Dass Here and Now if I’m trying to curate any amount of positivity in the morning.

My go-to beauty hack for when I’ve pulled an all-nighter is…

Drink a lot of water as an apology to my body… and then just layer on the moisture. And no make-up if I can help it to let my skin breathe.

The product I’ll reach for when I’ve got a pimple is…

Either the Hero zit patches or the Marie Veronique repair serum.

My favourite brand of sunscreen is…

I go back and forth between the Beauty of Joseon and La Roche Posay Anthelios sunscreens. I like the textures of both – not too chalky or too soupy, and they feel nice on my skin either fresh-faced or under make-up. Neither do that annoying pilling thing that some creams and sunscreens can do. They also don’t leave me white cast, which is very important.

My holy grail skincare product is…

Is all of the stuff I use an acceptable answer?

Because…

I’ve gotten to a point where I like all my skincare products and feel like the combination is working.

My best kept beauty secret is…

I only wash my face with soap once a day. My skin’s pretty dry and sensitive, and just washing with cold water and toning in the morning has been working for me.

My favourite feature is my…

Eyes, I think!

Because…

They’re expressive, which is bad for when I lie, but great for my job. I get them from my dad, including the eyelashes which are pretty long and curly. Shoutout to my dad for having pretty eyes or whatever.

My first beauty-related memory is…

Over-applying eyeliner and instantly regretting it.

The best tactic for getting rid of stubborn waterproof mascara is…

A cleansing balm. I’m enjoying the Elemis one right now!

I keep my lips moisturised with…

This Jack Black lip balm. Someone recommended it to me on set a few years ago and it’s still great.

The bougiest beauty product I own is…

All my Marie Veronique stuff, but the Seasonal Barrier Support duo specifically. I got a really great facial a few years ago at CAP Beauty in New York – RIP – and asked them what they used. They didn’t tell me, actually. But then I looked anyway, bought all the stuff and taught myself facial techniques. Maybe that’s another beauty secret. Secrets are fun!

My favourite budget find is…

I feel like, overall, my skincare products have some good high-low moments. Currently, most of my make-up is drug store stuff, probably as a byproduct of travelling and forgetting or losing things frequently. That’s probably not very good of me, but it is true. Right now my concealer is NYX, my eyeliner is Maybelline and my mascara is CoverGirl Lash Blast. I’m open to being sent expensive things, though. I really am.

The face mask that never lets me down is…

I love the Doctor Jart ones. They’re super very hydrating and fun to do with friends.

My signature scent is…

I kind of switch up scents. I recently got this Dior one that smells very sweet and clean. I find that when people compliment my scent, though, it’s usually some combo of a perfume and whatever oils I’ve put in my hair.

TikTok made me buy it…

The CeraVe eye cream. I honestly have no idea if any eye cream has ever worked for me – the skin under my eyes is thin and has been since I was a kid. But I like how it feels. I will buy anything for any reason because capitalism has put unfillable holes in my brain and that is my truth.

My top tips for having a good hair day are…

I think my top tip for myself is: ​“Don’t touch your hair or pick at your split ends because it will only create more.”

A hair product I can’t go without is…

Oil and leave-in conditioner, especially when my braids are in for The Bear! Carrot and castor oil, specifically. I also like the rosemary and mint Mielle oil.

My evening skincare routine looks like…

Face wash – I like this Japanese face wash and this Tatcha one that I just saw is limited edition and am now slightly freaking out about. I also just got a massage, like, yesterday, and the facialist used the Lait VIP O2 cleanser, so maybe if I’m feeling fancy I might buy it soon. Then I apply toner, some sort of serum, moisturiser and a sleeping pack.

The very last product I apply before going to sleep is…

The Too Cool For School sleeping pack. I’ve used this for like seven or something years because someone mentioned it in a YouTube video. I still love it and use it.

The secret to a good night’s kip is…

Have a deeply exhausting day! But in all seriousness, I try to stop using my phone at least 30 minutes before bed and sleep with my phone outside my room. A physical alarm clock has improved my quality of life.