Actress Selma Blair discusses beauty mishaps from Legally Blonde, her Jackie O-inspired bangs, and her go-to skincare savior for perfect skin.

      What immediately stands out to me about Selma Blair when we settle into a lush NYC penthouse isn’t her undeniable star power, but rather her warm approach—a striking contrast to the calculating East Coast–chic character I associate with: Vivian Kensington from Legally Blonde. Her eyes brighten as we reminisce about our time at Harvard Law School (or rather, UCLA disguised by cinematic Cambridge magic), and she shares a little secret. Her skin was in bad shape during that entire shoot. "I’ve made a lot of mistakes," Blair chuckles. The actress and activist underwent significant beauty procedures for her Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis-inspired role, which worsened her dermatitis (due to hairline threading), a skin condition she would struggle with for years. "I have this small forehead, and for Legally Blonde, they threaded it because they wanted me to look more East Coast, like Jackie O," she clarifies. That quintessential preppy look, complete with thick headbands and sweeping side bangs? It was part character, part necessity. "That’s why I wore argyle berets—covering my dermatitis from them threading my little forehead," she adds.

      Blair's list of cult classics kept her consistently on the big screen, and as someone with highly sensitive skin—an issue she later learned was made worse by her multiple sclerosis (MS)—the actress tried every cream, serum, and laser treatment she could find to soothe her rosacea-affected skin for her roles. "My skin was a disaster once upon a time," she tells me. Living with autoimmune skin issues, especially without awareness, left her feeling embarrassed about her slow progress despite visiting numerous well-regarded facialists and dermatologists to identify the problem. After too many encounters with skincare trends that promised results but failed to deliver, Blair was fed up. "I got scared," she admits. "It just wasn’t straightforward. It was one of those situations, much like my MS, where I thought, 'I don’t know how to handle you,'" she recalls. "I wasn’t diagnosed for so many years, and it was the same story with my skin."

      The turning point came when a facialist handed her a product from the Australian skincare line ESK, which helped soothe her irritated skin. ESK, which stands for Evidence Skincare, quickly became her brand of choice, but there was one product missing from both her collection and the market—something she wanted to create with Ginni Mansberg, the brand’s founder.

      Blair’s request was simple: a single product that could diminish fine lines and wrinkles, enhance skin texture, boost hydration, reinforce the barrier, and reduce hyperpigmentation, all while being safe for very sensitive skin. Easy, right? From this vision, the Ultimate A Gold was born—an enhanced version of ESK's Ultimate A night cream, packed with retinal, niacinamide, ceramides, and more, designed to deliver clinical results at a gentle pace. While Blair wasn’t able to achieve balanced skin in the doctor’s office, the formula that met all her needs is now available for purchase.

      To Blair, it seemed every skincare product overlooked at least one aspect of skin health while addressing others. "I wanted to foster cell renewal and hydration but also tackle aging and fine lines while [keeping] my barrier intact," she explains. The Ultimate A Gold excels in this area with a higher concentration of 0.1% retinal (compared to the usual 0.06%), which addresses these issues without the harshness associated with many retinols. "Retinal is the perfect middle ground between retinol and retinoic acid, the prescription version," Mansberg elaborates. The problem with retinol is that it’s often overly concentrated in products, leading to irritation. In this improved formulation, users benefit from a more effective ingredient at a lower percentage for quicker results. Although 0.1% might sound intimidating, Mansberg assures that the formula has been balanced with supportive ingredients like ectoin and squalane. "Selma has particularly sensitive skin, so if she can handle it, anyone can," she affirms.

      You might be curious about the price of this liquid gold, and ESK offers its well-priced night cream for $100. "Since we include so many barrier-supportive ingredients along with the actives, it will be both cost- and time-effective for busy individuals," says Mansberg. "[It] is suitable for anyone, regardless of their skincare goals."

      With Blair's skin revitalized by ESK’s gentle formulations, she's gained the confidence to explore other beauty aspects. The actress has created a few GRWM-style TikTok videos, showcasing her makeup application (which Blair humorously calls "the worst") after noticing popular beauty trends on her feed. Celebrities, they're just like us. "It's wild! I see TikTok videos of people pouring foundation on their faces—are you supposed to do that