Marisa Tomei’s Age-Defying Beauty Strategy Includes Infrared Saunas and This Cult Concealer
Certainly you’ve seen photos and drawings of earlier iterations of Aunt May—they don’t look like the version in theaters currently. Can you talk about your approach to playing a younger, cooler, never-before-seen take on the character?
I tried hard to understand the cultural split: how to be very maternal but also very desirable. On the one hand, it was kind of the mandate of the character and the way it was being preconceived [by Marvel]. But there was what I thought the fans expected from the character, which was a strong maternal presence tending to home fires. In combining those things, I became a little flummoxed. As for the look, I tried on a lot of wigs, but ultimately we went with the long hair.
As for toeing the line between desirable and maternal, in a way, isn’t that what you always do with your characters?
Well, I’ve always been very interested in and drawn to either illuminating or playing with this knitting together of both the innocent and the wild, the maternal and the sexual, and not having them be a cultural paradox. And I wanted to figure out how to have something that was still a signature for her, because I consider May a real-life hero. She’s the one giving [Peter Parker] his values, and she’s also very involved in the community.
What did you do to prepare for this role, physically, and what do you do to stay fit and look great on the regular?
On the regular! [Laughs] Mostly, it’s an inside-out thing. By that, I mean what you put into you body is even more crucial than what you’re doing in terms of your exterior. What I eat and how I connect with my body feed my external. Right before the press tour, I went to Greece for a few weeks because I was at a stressful point in my personal life. I got really relaxed, which really helped [me]! In terms of brass tacks, I try to eat seasonal, local, and organic foods as much as possible, almost all the time. Moving meditation, like dance meditation, makes me feel at home in my skin; it helps me on a spiritual, mental, and, ultimately, physical level. I still hike and do calisthenics and yoga from time to time, but the cornerstone of it all is the inner stuff.
It all sounds so . . . easy. There has got to be some trick up your sleeve!
Lately, I have been going to the infrared sauna for detoxes, which I absolutely love. It heats up the body from the inside out, so I get a lot of energy afterward and I feel so light. It gets rid of any poisons, especially if I had to take medicine or had a lot of sugar or alcohol. It’s a great place to be in and do meditation, too. Multitasking! I don’t believe in tricks or even a routine; I listen to what my body wants me to do and follow suit. I’m just trying to keep it together like everybody else!
Your skin also looks incredible. What do you use, and what do you steer clear of?
I love Persephenie, out of Los Angeles, so much that I actually want to one day work with her on a line. She works with organics and is very intimately involved with her small batches. I use her moisturizer and her serum. And then I use Cetaphil. Infrared saunas are really good for your skin, too. I also use a dry round brush before I shower. I brush my skin really lightly in the direction of my heart—it’s an ancient Ayurvedic thing that keeps your lymph glands moving and makes your skin smooth on your body. I try to let my look be all about the skin.
But if you had to use beauty products . . . ?
I keep it pretty simple. I think I look better with less, personally. For certain red spots, I’ll use Clé de Peau Beauté. I call it liquid gold. [Laughs] And I like Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara in Black and Brow Food, which doesn’t have any parabens or sulfates in it, for my eyebrows. A good way to know what’s good or not is by checking the Environmental Working Group, because it tells you which cosmetics and which sunscreens are better for you. When it comes to beauty, you just have to do your own research.