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In “Oh Mary!,” Cole Escola plays a miserable alcoholic as a fictionalized version of Abraham Lincoln’s wife Mary Todd Lincoln, so it’s slightly ironic that when the comedian is off the stage and bouncing between any of the glamorous obligations of an overnight sensation — from late-night talk shows to red carpet appearances — it’s their glowing skin and perfectly composed fashion ensembles that is the talk of (down)town. So much so that ahead of the play’s opening last weekend, “The New York Times” declared Escola a “Red Carpet Star.”
Aside from their high fashion sensibilities — Escola attended the Met Gala for the first time this past Spring, and wore a slinky black corset gown by the “IYKYK” New York brand Weiderhoeft at the “Oh Mary!” premiere — what remains the most remarkable is their glowing skin. Escola is 37 years old but their lack of pores clocks them as not a day over 25.
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So, what’s their secret? When first asked, you can tell the media training has been working because they answer with the most Hollywood non-answer of all time: “It’s just sunscreen and avoiding the sun!” Escola tells Variety.
They also don’t drink and live a vegan lifestyle. “I don’t know, I think it’s all genes,” Escola says demurely.
But when pushed harder, for the sake of those who don’t wish to abstain from alcohol and meat for the sake of our skin, they finally came clean about their skincare routine — and lucky for us, they haven’t been completely “Gooopified” by $100 serums.
“I’m all about moisture,” Escola says, citing Peter Thomas Roth’s Hyaluronic Glow Serum and La Roche-Posay moisturizer as two of their go-tos. “The kind that’s cheap and it comes in a big pump that you can get at CVS or whatever.”
As for the most important step: sunscreen. They use EltaMD. “The kind with hyaluronic, not with niacinamide, because niacinamide is drying to my skin,” says Escola.
Below, check out a few of Escola’s favorite skincare products: