Mindy Kaling Told Us Her Secret To Stunning Skin On Less Sleep

Plus, we asked her to dish on the last thing she added to her online shopping cart — and it's only $14.

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Mindy Kaling is an actress, director, comedian, writer, producer, parent and style icon whose love for a dewy complexion is second only to her love for a good pair of pointy-toed stilettos.

Kaling has a lot on her plate: launching her first Amazon Studios feature film, “Late Night”; teaming up with Priyanka Chopra for a new Hulu series; writing a Netflix series loosely based on her own childhood; having a partnership with DSW; and being a mom.

In honor of her birthday 40th birthday on Monday, we had to ask: What’s the multihyphenate’s secret to looking so good with so little time? Turns out, it’s a secret you can likely afford, too.

Kaling told HuffPost during an in-person interview in May that she has been exclusively using Joanna Vargas skin care products since having her daughter and filming “Late Night.” The line is made of clean, lightly scented products that Kaling says are great for her sensitive skin. Her other secret? She sees Vargas every six weeks for facials.

“She [Joanna Vargas] has this rejuvenating serum, which I use every single night and has been great for my skin, especially since I’ve been getting less sleep than I normally do,” Kaling said.

The serum she says she swears by is the Joanna Vargas Rejuvenating Serum, a botonically based anti-aging serum packed with vitamin C for brightening and restorative oils like argan, jojoba and neroli. You can find it for $100 ― which, in the world of celebrity skin care, is surprisingly affordable for a product filled with skin-loving ingredients.

Kaling is by no means the only celeb who has reached out to Vargas for the complexion maintenance. Eagle-eyed skin care obsessives will know that Vargas has long roster of A-list clients — including Naomi Watt, Julianne Moore, Greta Gerwig, Elisabeth Moss and Dakota Johnson — who depend on her for skin prep ahead of award shows and other red carpet events.

“She [Joanna Vargas] has this rejuvenating serum which I use every single night and has been great for my skin, especially since I’ve been getting less sleep than I normally do.”

- Mindy Kaling

We took advantage of our one-on-one time with Kaling to ask about the last thing she added to her online shopping cart, and her answer was surprisingly relatable: an eye stick from Sephora.

“Even though I get a lot of things from Sephora, I don’t actually buy the Sephora brand that often,” Kaling said. “It was kind of this chubby stick eyeliner that I’m obsessed with now.”

The eye pencil in question is the Sephora Collection Colorful Shadow and Liner, which makeup artist Janice Kinjo recommended to Kaling. It can be used as a liner or blended to make an eyeshadow. It’s available in 30 colors (!) and three finishes — matte, shimmer and glitter — and costs just $14 at Sephora. It’s no surprise that’s it’s also wildly popular, with 110,000 “loves” and more than 2,000 on-site reviews raving about its pigmented, creamy formula that stays put all day.

Below, we’ve linked to both the serum and eye pencil Kaling says she can’t live without in hopes that we can all snag her radiant look on no sleep... although let’s be honest, we’ll probably end up feeling more like Kelly Kapoor on the first episode of “The Office” Season 5. We’ve all been there.

The serum Kaling says she swears by is the Joanna Vargas Rejuvenating Serum, a botonically based anti-aging serum packed with vitamin C for brightening and restorative oils like argan, jojoba and neroli. Get it at Dermstore, $100.
Dermstore
The serum Kaling says she swears by is the Joanna Vargas Rejuvenating Serum, a botonically based anti-aging serum packed with vitamin C for brightening and restorative oils like argan, jojoba and neroli. Get it at Dermstore, $100.
Kaling says she is currently obsessed with the Sephora Collection Colorful Shadow and Liner, a jumbo eye pencil that can be used as a liner or blended out as an eyeshadow. It’s available in 30 colors and three finishes — matte, shimmer and glitter — for just $14 at Sephora.
Sephora
Kaling says she is currently obsessed with the Sephora Collection Colorful Shadow and Liner, a jumbo eye pencil that can be used as a liner or blended out as an eyeshadow. It’s available in 30 colors and three finishes — matte, shimmer and glitter — for just $14 at Sephora.

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