Nicole Richie on Her Funniest Club Moments, Nostalgic Lip Combos, and Her Nonnegotiable Skincare Routine
"The seventh grader in me can't let go."
Welcome to Beauty's Night Out, a series dedicated to the need-to-know beauty conversations dominating the nightlife scene. Expect a first look at the latest trends, behind-the-scenes tutorials, and loads of going-out inspiration as you get all dolled up—all you need is your favorite playlist. This time around, we're getting a glimpse into a night out with actress and designer Nicole Richie, who stars in Eucerin's Radiant Tone campaign.
When creating this Beauty's Night Out series, there were a few dream interviewees I had in mind—iconic partygoers with whom I could swap skin, hair, and makeup secrets, pretending we're getting ready to head out for the evening. Nicole Richie was at the top of my list. The actress, designer, and quintessential It girl of the early aughts has had some very famous Y2K club moments over the years, and when we hop on our video call, I'm practically begging her to take me back to those dark, paparazzi-swarmed venues (a sharp contrast, I realize, from the bright, airy studio she's in now, shooting her Eucerin campaign). "The thing I'm most grateful for is that as heavily documented as those points were when we were leaving, it was not documented on the inside," she mentions with a coy smile.
When I press (come on, I had to), part of me assumes she'll bring up going out with her pet ball python, Cleopatra, wrapped around her neck like a statement collar, or how she and Paris Hilton would show up to bars wearing shoes with retractable wheels so they could easily skate away from men. Nope. It turns out Richie's favorite moments are not inside the club but right beside it, at the late-night snack cart. "My friends and I used to have a phase where we loved the hot dog stands outside of the clubs," she reveals. "There were a few times where we would not even go to the clubs, but we'd go to the hot dog stands at 1 a.m."
Her girls' nights today look a little different—although, "You never know. I do love a pig in a blanket," she jokes—swapping the weekday club circuit (no Saturdays and Sundays, an A-lister of her caliber was wont to know) for more low-key get-togethers. "I love going to dinner with my girlfriends," she notes, naming Saffy's, Found Oyster, Matsuhisa, and Marvin as her go-to spots. "Or we choose a house and hang out. That's what [going out] looks like."
One thing that's remained constant since her 20s, however, is her commitment to skincare—no matter what time she walks through the door. "I would never come home from a night out and not shower, whether I'm at dinner, a club, a party, or whatever," she declares. "I like to wake up and be clean. I wash my face, I shower, I moisturize—lotion, oil, all the things I love." Here, Richie reveals those skincare items she holds dear, as well as the going-out staples she tosses into her Fendi Spy Bag (a 2005 original, duh).
First and foremost, Richie won't ever leave home without her go-to lip combo: a swipe of pinky-taupe liner underneath Farmacy's Honey Butter Beeswax Lip Balm. "The seventh grader in me can't let go of a Spice MAC lip liner," she shares. (To which I say: Ditto.) The accompanying balm isn't pigmented, "but if you use the lip liner underneath it first, it gives you some sort of tint without it being full lipstick," Richie adds. "I don't wear a ton of makeup unless I'm working, so those are my two [must-haves] I would say."
That said, she does bring a Clé de Peau concealer stick with her at times, pairing it with Eucerin's Radiant Tone Eye Cream for an instant under-eye pick-me-up. "I love the under-eye serum. It will fit in my bag, and it's really great for brightening. I do have dark circles, so it's very helpful for me," she says. The cream itself comes infused with light-reflecting pigments, creating a bright, hydrated base with or without makeup, plus a cooling metal tip for instant de-puffing power. "It's a nice combo [with the concealer]," she notes.
From there, Richie will snag some extra bobby pins and a bottle of digestive enzymes ("You never know where the night's gonna go," she quips) before tossing on some jewelry and heading out the door, a slouchy Fendi Spy Bag propped on her shoulder just like the Simple Life days. "I still have my original ones, and I've been really loving them this past fall and winter," she says of the rereleased 2000s It accessory.
As she mentioned up top, her lineup of moisturizers will be patiently waiting for her when she gets home—namely, a vat of grape-seed oil and Eucerin's Daily Hydration Lotion. "No matter what state of mind I'm in, I will always come home and do a full shower [routine]," she declares. You know what the derms say: Memories may fade, but your skin barrier relays all the revelry.
Shop Nicole Richie's Night-Out Staples
