These Are The Skincare Products Elvira Swears By
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Elvira is one of the most iconic Hollywood celebrities today, especially for those of us with a love of all things goth. Born Cassandra Peterson in Manhattan, Kansas, she went from a small-town upbringing to becoming Elvira, Mistress of the Dark — with all the pale-white makeup, black eyeliner, and red lipstick in tow. She first became famous as the host of "Elvira's Movie Macabre," which screened horror films on TV. Soon after, she made appearances in films like "The Working Girls," and spin-offs like "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark" (via IMDb).
If you love the horror genre, or have always been drawn to darker personas like Tim Burton's "Edward Scissorhands," or even Robert Smith from The Cure, chances are you can't get enough of Elvira, either. If you've always wanted to emulate her forever-young skincare look, we've got you covered.
It's no secret Elvira loves to pile on the makeup. According to Refinery29, she was inspired by Japanese Kabuki styles to make her goth-meets-glam look come to life. In fact, Elvira actually came to love makeup when she very young. An accident with boiling water left her with scars all over her body when she was a child, but once her scars began to fade as a teenager, it was all about showgirl-style beauty looks.
After a stint in Las Vegas, Elvira briefly toured with a band before ending up in the TV host role that made her famous. Elvira's learned a thing or two in her 50-year career: And that includes incredible skincare tips.
Elvira can't live without her age-defying serums
Elvira is practically known as a vampire to us mere mortals, and it's no wonder why: The woman doesn't age. Believe it or not, Cassandra Peterson is actually 70-years-old today, even though she has nary a wrinkle on her seriously-perfect complexion. While we're still wondering if she cut a deal with the spirit world or not, we knew we needed to get our hands on all her best skincare tips stat. Looking the same now as she did when she was hosting "Elvira's Movie Macabre" in the 1980s, the actress and TV host is preserved in time like the glamorous, ghostly figure she is. And us? We're just trying to nab all her favorite serums.
Whether or not you believe Elvira is actually 70, she did have a famous date with Elvis Presley in 1969, so she has the proof to back it up. The actress explained to Refinery29, "My skin has kind of hung in there, which is a miracle. I wear more makeup than anybody on earth except maybe RuPaul and I've been around longer." So, what are her best-kept secrets?
As uncovered by TikTok creator @britneykale, Elvira can't live without her SkinCeuticals serums. Elvira said she uses the brand's C E Ferulic with 15% L-Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C Serum ($166) every morning, a tip she got from RuPaul (via Elle). Meanwhile, SkinCeuticals' Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier ($102) is another favorite, although according to Elvira, "it burns the hell out of your skin."
Elvira's favorite cleansing balm and moisturizer
Just like we can barely imagine Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, doing anything average like taking out the trash or washing the dishes, it's also hard to imagine the actress removing her makeup after a long day. In fact, it's hard to imagine Elvira without her trademark makeup at all. As she explained to Refinery29, the iconic goth-girl look was created with her friend Robert Redding, who also might have drawn inspiration from his time playing a drag witch in theater productions.
The Mistress of the Dark describes how the two fine-tuned the look until it was the epitome of "goth beauty," and used theatrical makeup to get the white base, jewel-tone eyeshadow, and red lips just right. Of course, getting all that makeup off isn't easy, and Elvira uses the perfect cleanser to remove every product with ease.
Elvira told Elle that she can't live without Skinny & Co's Cleansing Balm 3-in-1 Makeup Remover, Cleanser, & Moisturizer ($12.49) with a coconut oil, lavender, neroli, chamomile, and sage base. Elvira explained to the outlet, "I don't think even in my absolute drunkest moment of my life I've ever gone to bed without getting my makeup off... I could be crawling on my hands and knees and I'll still take my makeup off."
Another skincare must-have she can't go without? SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 Moisturizer ($130) (via Refinery29).
The screen siren protects her pale skin with tons of SPF
Yes, the Mistress of the Dark gets her reputation as a vampire for a reason. There's that whole eternal youth thing, but there's also her gorgeous pale skin. While the actress notoriously brushes on white foundation to give herself an even paler, undead look, Elvira's natural skin tone is extremely light. With such fair skin, she goes to great lengths to protect it from the sun — it is a vampire's mortal enemy, after all!
The "Movie Macabre" host explained to Refinery29 that her skin care has always been an important part of her life. After an accident at just 18-months-old involving boiling water, about one-third of her body was covered in third-degree burn marks. That being said, once Elvira's scars improved as she got older, her confidence grew — leading her to finally love her skin and grab life by the horns.
Today, as a Hollywood icon, it's clear Elvira continues to protect her skin and preserve her beauty however she can. To help achieve these goals, she often uses Bareminerals' Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer Hydrating Gel Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($34), per Refinery29. This tinted moisturizer blends a gorgeous dewy tint with SPF and hyaluronic acid for an unbeatable, hydrating combination. Meanwhile, the TV host can't live without Coola's Classic Body Organic Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 ($28), which she told Refinery29 she uses "by the gallon for that deadly pale skin."
In lieu of an eye cream, the show host uses this antioxidant-packed concealer
They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and Elvira's are no exception. The Mistress of the Dark's trademark baby blues peer deep into your soul (if you have one!) and they put her on the map as soon as she started her stint at "Movie Macabre." Today, the actress protects the skin around her eyes and keeps her gaze as youthful as possible. That being said, she doesn't exactly use an eye cream to get that done.
Before we get into skincare, it's important to note that Elvira has tons of makeup tricks up her sleeves to make her eyes look like she just woke up from an eternal slumber. She picked up several tricks while working as a Vegas showgirl, telling Refinery29, "You wouldn't believe how much makeup I wore back then: three layers of eyelashes on top, two on bottom, and we would glue them on a little above the eye." Besides her tip for lashes, the actress also loves her signature eye makeup. She explained to Elle that she applies "layers and layers" of jet-black liner to create her trademark cat eye.
Still, as Elvira told Refinery29, she really can't live without her Lancome Maquicomplet Complete Coverage Concealer ($58.89), which doubles as an eye cream with a hydrating botanical complex and antioxidant protection. When working for the underworld, you need two-in-one products to save you precious time!