Leslie Bibb Says This 115-Year-Old Skin Line Makes Her Cry

In a city known for its restless pace, a conversation with actress Leslie Bibb offers a jolt of unmistakable vitality. “Your dress looks very White Lotus!” the actress shares with enthusiasm, while massaging some Elizabeth Arden serum and moisturizer to the top of my hands. 

In between the celeb-powered spa second, last night Bibb made an appearance at the brand’s Elizabeth Arden: The Capsule Lab. The immersive, three-day pop-up in Soho, marks the debut of the brand’s latest skin-care innovation, the Hyaluronic Acid + Peptides Ceramide Collection, and invites visitors to explore the brand’s newest offerings alongside its best-selling classics. Attendees can enjoy 20 percent off select skin care, receive express spa treatments, sample complimentary products and indulge in an array of branded confections—all within a curated space designed to blend luxury with approachability.

BUY CAPSULES – $56

BUY WATER CREAM – $103

Everyone knows the name Elizabeth Arden. What was your first intro to the line?

“I was telling these guys yesterday, I started crying because they have a bunch and they sent me some other products to the house. I was looking at the Advanced Ceramide Capsules and I got flooded with memories and I was suddenly back in my high school, the house in Richmond, and I was in my mom’s bathroom and she was standing in front of me and I remembered her coming back from the department store in Richmond and she was so excited to tell me: ‘I got these capsules!’

Elizabeth Arden’s capsules! We had never seen anything like that before. That was my first intro…my mom using those capsules; I just thought they were the coolest thing. Somebody took all the guesswork out of it and they said, ‘Here’s what you’re supposed to put on your face, here’s what’s going to be good for your face.’ They did it, and I just thought they were so cool. That’s the first time I remember. Then also, I love the Eight-Hour Cream. I feel like every makeup artist had or has that cream in there. That was my first foray…I think that came out in the 1990s, but the company has been around for 115 years!”

A classic. 

“Isn’t that cool? I mean, nothing is that old in America, and here you have something that’s really stood the test of time and been an advocate for—I’m sure men too—but for women’s skin care. When you feel good about your skin, it makes you feel more confident. I’m down for any company that’s here to make you feel good about yourself.

They also make it really idiot-proof, because sometimes I feel like skin care can be a ton of steps—this step, and then this step, and then you go here, and then you do this. You lost me. What I love about their line is you just wash your face, use some toner, and then use your serums. Then I’m really obsessed with that, what’s this, Hydro-Pumping Water Cream. It’s in the same line as the new capsules. I love it! Can we open one? Can apply it to your hand?”

Yes, of course.

“I’m not saying I’m not getting paid for this, but I am obsessed with this part, because nothing bugs me more than you spend money on a product, and then you’re squeezing it out, squeezing it out. This pump, I don’t know, this freaking pump, look at this pump. Look at it! Give me your hand. Is that crazy? I am fully obsessed! It takes the guessing of how much do I need out. I’m a little pragmatic when it comes to all that stuff, but I do like that, because sometimes I can go a little bit more is more, and then use too much, and then you’ve wasted money or whatever. I like the way that they make it very user-friendly.”

Very cool. I remember when we spoke before, you said that you had experienced some acne. Does this work OK with everything?

“Yes, but that’s the thing. Someone asked me earlier: ‘What would be something you would have learned over time?’ I think what’s fascinating is that…I don’t know if other people feel this way, but forever, I thought I couldn’t use serums or anything that felt like that if I had oily skin. I’d always dry it out, because in my head, I thought: ‘I don’t want to add more oil to it.’

Finally, my facialist was like, ‘You’re making it worse. It’s like you keep robbing your skin of what it needs. It’s over-making oil because it’s trying to make up for what you’re drying out.’ What’s great about this line is you can use it if you have oily skin, you can use it if you have dry skin. It’s very user-friendly for all skin types. Again, sometimes you go to a store and you’re like: ‘Is this for my skin?” Then you’re there and then you buy the wrong thing and you’ve wasted money and you’ve opened it and there you are!

Using skin-care stuff that doesn’t work makes me nuts. You put on this good, juicy stuff, then you put your makeup on, and then your makeup just starts peeling. Then you’re scrubbing your face. I don’t know. I like this about this line, that does not happen, because that has happened to me a lot. When you’re getting hair and makeup done and they’re like, ‘What did you put on your face?’”

Something that’s not great for the makeup….

“Exactly, then, you have to go back and start from scratch. Not with this—when I use Elizabeth Arden, once you do your skin prep, the makeup just lays on it and it doesn’t mess because, I don’t know, it’s all different stuff, but it just lays.”

Your makeup looks great. You travel a ton, and there’s a lot going on this week. It is a busy time. How do you keep sane when you’re on a plane or just going?

“Sleep is a superpower that I wish I had; I wish I was better at it. People are like, ‘Would you want to fly or be able to breathe underwater?’ I’m like, ‘I want to be able to sleep anywhere on a plane or be able to take a cat nap.’

Right now, when I get really busy—it’s not a very sexy answer—but I don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol and your skin go together like peanut butter and poop! They don’t go well together. It’s not sexy. It’s more fun, but for this stuff, I just think, meh…no alcohol right now! 

The other big thing I do is I travel with a mixing bowl, and I get ice, and I do these face ice baths. It wakes me up, and I think it’s great to just recharge your skin. All the blood is pumping. Then, you just wash your face, do an ice bath, do your toner, and then do a serum, and then a good, juicy moisturizer, and you’re golden. Then you start putting on your makeup, and that’s it. Also, I keep it a minimal routine, too.”

Keep it simple.

“I’m always schlepping all the stuff, and then it breaks or it opens. You open your bag, and you’re like, ‘Oh, this has gone everywhere.’ It always happens with my shampoo. It’s like a bubble bath in my Ziploc bag! Good to just keep it simple for your skin.”