In her first summer hit, “Ocean’s 8," she played a wily pickpocket.
And now, pardon the pun, Awkwafina (real name: Nora Lum) is stealing every scene she’s in in the madly-anticipated comedy “Crazy Rich Asians.” She’s got major swagger as BFF to Rachel (Constance Wu), who’s being wooed in turn by Nicholas Young (Henry Golding).
In person, Awkwafina has flawless skin and rich, lustrous hair. Is she fancy and picky about what she uses? Not remotely. Well, maybe a little.
“I truly believe that if you wear makeup a lot, your skin becomes dependent on it. I was a tomboy growing up. I never wore makeup until my 20s. Now I feel like it’s very heavy. I use drugstore products,” she said.
She’s also been shutting it down on the press tour, in Mulberry, Reem Acra and Vivienne Westwood. She prepped for it by — literally — getting out of bed.
“All I really had to do was wake up. I think I showed up to my first press junket in mom jeans. No one told me! And I was told that I needed a team. I was very blessed to get a good one,” she said.
Even as her style has amped up, Awkwafina keeps thing pretty basic and accessible when it comes to what she puts on her face.
“I have really dry skin. I went from using basic CVS-brand face wash but now I use Dermalogica. I like that squeaky-clean feeling,” she said.
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel, $29, Amazon
It's also sold at Dermstore.
She follows that up with “Neutrogena moisturizer because my skin gets dry.”
Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture, Sensitive Skin, Pack of 2, $14, Amazon
You can also grab this at Ulta.
At times, she goes one further.
"Sometimes I use a face mask — the Charlotte Tilbury dry mask is amazing. Emma Roberts gave me that to try for the first time. Joanna Vargas’ mask is to die for,” she said.
We're guessing she got that tip from "Ocean's 8" costar Mindy Kaling, who raves about the brand.
CHARLOTTE TILBURY Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask, $22, Nordstrom
It's also sold at Net-a-Porter.
She did pick up one tip while shooting “Ocean’s 8” with Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett “A few of them used these amazing undereye patches that I got. The ones I have are by skyn. They’re amazing,” said Awkwafina.
Yes, we get it, because we're fans, too, as are Kaley Cuoco and Goldie Hawn.
skyn ICELAND Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels, $15, Amazon
Grab a pack of eight at Dermstore.
Hair mane rules are equally no-frills.
“Don’t blow out your hair every day. I don’t use anything. I use a man’s shampoo and conditioner. It’s Dove. And I’ve never dyed my hair either,” she said.
Dove Men+Care 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner Complete Care, $7, Walmart
Let’s get one thing straight: Awkwafina loves to shop, surprising even herself.
“Maybe I’ll have some wine. And then I’ll go online, right? I’ll go on Amazon. A couple of weeks later, I’ll get these huge boxes of stuff. I ordered myself a boa. A featured boa? When would I ever wear that. I got myself a nice Gucci purse,” she said.
Al jokes aside, being in a film like “Crazy Rich Asians” is pivotal, both for Awkwafina and for Hollywood, which isn’t known for its embrace of either diversity and representation.
“For Asian girls, for me, beauty or not, if anything I don’t give women — I’m not the type of person they see who gives them an unrealistic view of what they should look like. I like to keep it natural. It gives them the message to just be you. It’s important. We’re not one color in this country,” she said.
More celeb beauty boosts:
Jada Pinkett Smith's 'awesome' skin care secret costs $4
Pamela Anderson's anti-aging secret weapon costs $6
This 'American Beauty' relies on a $10 vegan silver mist to keep her skin clear