Actress Kat McNamara's first major role was in the 2009 Broadway revival of A Little Night Music with Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones and Tony-winning actress Angela Lansbury. Today, Kat portrays Clary Fray in the award-winning Freeform fantasy series Shadowhunters and Mia Smoak on The CW series Arrow. Between the stage and the small screen, McNamara has picked up a few beauty secrets. In this episode of Go To Bed With Me, the actress breaks down every single product in her nightly hair and skincare routine.
SHOP KAT'S ROUTINE
Pond's Pond's Wet Cleansing Towelettes
Chanel Gentle Bi-Phase Eye Makeup Remover
Chanel Anti-Pollution Cleansing Milk
Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly
Patchology FlashPatch Rejuvenating Eye Gels
Oribe Shampoo for Beautiful Color
Oribe Conditioner for Beautiful Color
Shu Uemura Essence Absolue - Nourishing Oil-In-Cream
Crest 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste
![Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash, Cool Mint, 1.5 L [Cool Mint]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1552690869-81eyeuja4zl-sy355-1552690858.jpg?crop=0.6666666666666666xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash, Cool Mint, 1.5 L [Cool Mint]")
McNamara appreciates an affordable-yet-effective beauty buy, especially when it's a product that has her grandmother's seal of approval. "I love these wipes because they are really gentle and simple, but they do the job," McNamara says as she wipes her face with Pond's Cleansing Towelettes. "So I found these wipes because of my grandmother; she's used these for years. She and I have a very similar skin, so a lot of things she can use, generally work well with me. It always reminds me of her; she's always been a proponent of good skincare in my life," she adds.
To double cleanse and tone, she follows up with the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads. McNamara appreciates the simplicity of the ingredients–witch hazel to tone and blue daisy which soothes her complexion–because she has sensitive skin and food allergies. "I have to see what particular oils, nuts, and seeds are used in the product. This one I love because it's so simple; you get exactly what is on the label," she says.
McNamara loves mascara (who doesn't?) but always remembers to remove it after a long day with a cotton pad and Chanel's Gentle Bi-Phase Eye Makeup Remover. The oil-based formula can even breakdown waterproof mascara.
McNamara has been working on the set of Shadowhunters since 2015, so she's picked up some great tips from the hair and makeup team on the set of the show. "Every time I work with someone new, I always try to learn from them. Particularly these very skilled makeup artists, because they've been working at this for years. They know all of the secrets and tricks and all of the little problems we all run into," she explains.
To cleanse her sensitive skin without fear of irritation, she reaches for her favorite face wash from Chanel, which she has been using since she "was doing theatre as a kid." "With my sensitive skin, I have to find a way to cut through all of the makeup products, while still not being too harsh on my skin. This has a way of moisturizing and cleansing simultaneously, where it leaves your skin with the perfect level of cleanliness," she says.
McNamara adds a few pumps of the Chanel Anti-Pollution Cleansing Milk to the palm of her hands with a bit of water to help it "spread well," and then she gently massages the product into her face. Even when McNamara is not wearing makeup, such as on her intensive training days, or if she's traveling on a plane, she relies on this face wash to remove any pollution from the day off her face.
After she washes her face and pats it dry with a clean cotton towel, she reaches for a recent beauty discovery: Clinique's Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly. "I have experimented a lot with moisturizers over the years, with my skin changing as the years go by, and this is potentially my favorite moisturizer I have ever had," she says of the clear jelly. "It's so hydrating for your skin, but it doesn't leave behind an oily residue that other moisturizers can leave behind," McNamara adds.
Once a week McNamara applies Patchology's FlashPatch Rejuvenating Eye Gels to combat any puffiness or dark circles. (Victoria's Secret model Nadine Leopold recently shared with BAZAAR.com that she also relies on this under-eye mask.) McNamara leaves the product on for ten or 15 minutes "and they completely refresh; you feel like you have brand new skin."
In the shower, McNamara uses a shampoo and conditioner from Oribe for color-treated hair since her locks have been dyed various shades of red, blonde, and strawberry blonde for her different acting roles. "This product keeps the hair healthy, as well as keeps the color," she adds.
Another hair favorite is the Shu Uemura's Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil-in-Cream, a Camellia-based product she uses on wet or dry hair. "It's extremely nourishing. It's a product that will pretty much do whatever you want and it makes your hair look fantastic. It puts oil back in the ends of my hair whenever it looks dry after washing and styling. It will tame it when I'm on set and just need to get the flyaways taken care of," she gushes as she spreads the product on her wavy blonde hair. The hairstylist onset of Shadowhunters would use the product on her locks each day. "I'm so used to when products get piled on my hair over and over again, seeing my hair look really greasy and dirty, and oily, but I noticed that it never happened with this product. So, it's pure magic," she adds.
Before going to bed, McNamara always brushes her teeth, an important life lesson she learned from her grandfather who is a dentist. She favors the Crest 3D White Brilliance toothpaste to help minimize any coffee stains from her teeth, along with providing "a little bit of whitening, without being super harsh to your teeth." A couple of times a month, she uses the Crest 3D White Strips to remove coffee stains from her teeth. Lastly, she uses a little Listerine to wash her mouth and she's ready for bed.
Watch the rest of the video above to see all the products Kat uses before she unwinds for bed and add them to your cart. Don't forget to subscribe to BAZAAR's Youtube channel so you never miss an episode of Go To Bed With Me, Little Black Book, Heel Hunters, This Looks is Money, and Food Diaries.
Nicole Saunders is the beauty editor at Best Products with over seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing lifestyle content. She specializes in breaking down complicated topics, like high-frequency wands and microcurrent devices, into easy-to-understand guides. She takes great pride in heavily researching and testing featured beauty products, — such as hairdryers and foundations — on our site, and spotlights her all-time seasonal favorites in her quarterly column Best New Beauty. And she tests quite literally thousands of launches for our Beauty Awards package.
