Ashley Park Talks “Emily in Paris,” Gua Sha, and More

“Emily In Paris” star Ashley Park has one of the world’s foremost hair and makeup teams in her back pocket, helping to craft some iconic on-screen looks for the Netflix hit. But when it comes to her personal beauty routine, the actor is all about embracing the basics — and relishing the power that can be found in embracing an “intentional” regimen.

Much like her on-screen character, Mindy Chen, Park knows first-hand how important beauty is as a form of self-expression, but she admits that it’s taken her years to come to that realization. Like many young women, Park used to view makeup as a “mask” to hide her insecurities, shielding herself behind layers of foundation and eyeshadow in an attempt to present an illusion of confidence. These days, however, that mask has been dropped, making way for a natural feeling of self-assurance that begins at home in her bathroom.

“A while ago, I felt like, ‘Oh maybe I can mask myself in what I’m wearing, or what I’m putting on my body or my face,'” Park says. “Whereas now, I lean more toward fragrances and products that elevate and brighten my day and put me in the mindset to be able to do what I need to do.”

As Mindy, Park is able to experiment with all manner of over-the-top beauty and fashion looks, all of which are created in close collaboration with “the best hair and makeup team” in the business. Who could forget that semi-topless two-faced rendition of BTS hit “Dynamite”?

However, in her personal life, Park prefers a much more toned-down approach to beauty and fashion, focusing on clean skin and neutral tones that help her to feel — rather than simply look — confident and poised.

“I love how Mindy marches to the beat of her own fashion and beauty drum,” she says. “I have the best hair and makeup team and it feels like an art project every time we do something together. But for me, what I wear every day is very comfort chic. My new favorite color is greige. I trend more toward a lot of neutral palettes.”

While their personal styles may differ, Park says that she has poured a huge amount of her own personality into Mindy’s on-screen looks — and has, in return, learned a great deal from her on-screen character, not least the ability to use beauty as a means of helping to express yourself.

“I think both Mindy and myself like to be thoughtful about what we are wearing and what we’re expressing through fashion and beauty,” she says. “I want whatever I wear or put on my body to be part of my self-expression, and they need to enhance what I am feeling and thinking.”

For Park, it is skin care, rather than makeup, in which she finds her strength. Mindy’s on-screen sass might be portrayed through a funky outfit or dramatic beauty look, but it begins at Park’s vanity with her beloved gua sha.

“If you’re feeling good, then you’re going to be looking better,” she says. “I do gua sha every morning, I really take care of my skin in a thoughtful way because that makes me feel good and do good work when I’m out and about, interacting with people.”

Park’s love of self-care through skin care is one that she shares with her co-star Lily Collins, joking that their idea of the perfect girls’ night will almost always include sheet masks. “Mine and Lily’s perfect night in is doing sheet masks and then we talk and talk and talk, and have heart-to-hearts,” she says.

The other key element of a successful self-care night? A candle (or two), of course. Thankfully for the Parisian queens, they now have a whole new range of scents to pick from for their next pamper session, thanks to the recently-released “Emily In Paris” collaboration with Bath & Body Works. Comprised of four fragrances — Champagne In Paris, Paris Amour, Lavender Luxe, and Macaron Cloud — the collection brings to life not only the adventures of the show’s beloved characters but also the actors who portray them.

For Park and Collins, the Macaron Cloud collection is particularly poignant, serving as a sweet reminder of the first time they spent together after arriving in Paris to film the show. “One of the first things that Lily and I did together when we got to Paris was a macaron-making class, so I would probably gift the Macaron Cloud Candle ($30) to her,” Park says. “Macarons are very special to us.”

Park’s personal favorite items from the collection include the Lavender Luxe Candle ($30), which she says she has been burning in her own home since long before the collection was released, and the Parisian Pearl Lipstick ($13), which has become a staple in her handbag in recent months.

The collaboration with Bath & Body Works is rather a “pinch me” moment for Park, who says her love of the brand and its products began when she was a young girl, hanging out at the mall with her friends. “I have a long history with them, I always spent my time in the mall in Michigan at Bath & Body Works. It was my favorite place,” she says.

Charlie Lankston is a freelance beauty, fashion, and lifestyle writer and media strategist based in New York City, having relocated to the US in 2014 from her home in London. Charlie spent 10 years working at DailyMail.com, where she oversaw the website’s style, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle content. Charlie also appears as an on-air royal and celebrity correspondent.