Actress and Instagram Star Jamie Chung Shares Her Beauty Must-Haves and Selfie Tips

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Jamie Chung shares her beauty must-haves and tips to taking the perfect selfie with Yahoo Beauty. (Photo: Instagram)

Jamie Chung may have gotten her start on The Real World: San Diego back in 2004, but she’s since become a jack-of-all-trades. The Korean-American actress has starred in a string of movies (memorably as the beautiful bride in The Hangover: Part II) became an Instagram power player, launched her killer blog What the Chung?, and is coming to Hulu in Resident Advisors on April 9. We caught up with the stylish star to get the scoop on her beauty routine, her latest ventures, the perfect selfie setting, and countering the occasional Taco Bell run with beautifying green juice.

Yahoo Beauty: I know from your Instagram account that your skin is flawless. What’s your routine?

Jamie Chung: I just use a very gentle face wash in the morning. Shu Uemura makes a great whitening cleansing oil—you only need a little. I always put SPF on my face, and then I do my own makeup. But when I take it off, it’s important to not be so harsh on your skin. Less friction is better. I like aloe-based makeup removers—Make Up For Ever makes a great one called Sens’Eyes. You put it on a cotton swab and everything comes off.  Then I use my oil cleanser and moisturize. And on the days that I don’t need to wear makeup, I don’t wear any makeup.

When it comes to makeup, which products do you always have stuffed in your bag?

I always have a rouge, a lipstick, powder, and lotion because I always feel like my hands are dry. I’m using Jergens BB Hand Perfecting Cream. It’s great for driving around because it has SPF 20.

Do you have a go-to lip color that you use?

I do! I love Make Up For Ever N8—it’s a matte red and it’s really bright. You can either use it as a stain or you just go full shebang with a full, bold look.

It’s finally getting a little warmer out. How do you prep your skin for bikini season?

I’m all about the wax. [Laughs] And I love Jergens BB Protect Body Cream because it has SPF 15 for every day. I try not to go in the sun a lot though. In terms of showing more skin, it’s all about hydration, and that’s what is so great about this product. It really makes your skin look luminous and radiant.

Is there anything else you do for your skin? Do you drink green juice?

Oh my god, yes, it’s all about diet! And it’s about exercise too. Everything goes full circle. I try to stay away from… the crap. [Laughs] I love it, though. Just send me to 7-11 and it’s game over. I love McDonald’s, Taco Bell…. but I don’t have it all the time. It’s good to keep that great balance, and eat fresh foods and juices. And use it on your skin. If you want to do a little facial at home, there are so many great recipes online. You just throw it in a blender and smash it on your face!

What’s your go-to product when you are travelling?

When I’m traveling, it’s all about moisture. I feel like whenever I’m on a plane, my skin feels so icky and dry. I’ll put this French cream Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré in a little travel container and constantly apply that. And you know, always moisturize the lips.

You always have that perfect tousled, undone hair look. What’s your secret?

At night when your hair is a little damp, I add a little texturizing spray and brush it out. Then I put it in a loose bun, and when I take it out it gives you these beach wave curls.

If you wake up and you think ‘I don’t like how my skin or my hair looks,’ how do you snap out of it?

Oh man. [Laughs] If I’m having a bad hair day, I pull it up into a ponytail or a bun, no big deal. But if I’m having a really bad skin day, there is no point stressing over it. Sometimes giving yourself a mini facial at home works. Just go on Amazon and look up ‘face masks’—there are all these different cream brands and they’re pretty cheap! I throw them in the fridge and then throw them on. It really calms the skin. And in the morning I usually just go workout, like a run. When you get those endorphins running, it doesn’t really matter.

Is running your thing?

I love classes. I’m a class junkie. SoulCycle, Flywheel, SLT, Pilates, Barry’s Bootcamp. I do it all.

What do you do when it’s time to have fun with friends? What’s a perfect girls night?

I would have to say eating and gossiping at the Boiling Crab. Or there is one in New York called the Boil, and just getting down and dirty. Eating crawfish, shellfish, cracking open some beers, going for a bit of a walk afterwards and just hanging out. It’s really about spending quality time.

When it’s time to relax are you someone who binges on TV and Netflix?

Yes! I’m obsessed with so many. There’s House of Cards, I caught up with Mad Men. I can’t stop watching Transparent. Girls. I love Togetherness on HBO—the Duplass brothers are geniuses.

You also are so active on Instagram. What’s your key to a great selfie?

You know what, here is the trick. You can always use a blank wall as a bounce, that’s what we call it. It kind of evens out the light. If you’re indoors, the best place to stand is between the window and the wall. And outdoors it’s better if the sun is behind you, it gives you that glow, like a halo. I don’t really like filters, I just think brighter is better.

Did your foray into fashion just happen organically because that’s your passion?

Yes, definitely. It’s something I’ve always had fun with. I feel like fashion should be fun. You should be able to take the chances, and reinvent your wardrobe and be creative. I started my blog because I was in between jobs at the time. I love taking pictures of clothes, food, I took an interest to traveling. So it was really for myself, and it picked up momentum. It’s a great way for me to tell my readers about the products that I’m loving and things that I believe in.

What other project are you working on?

I have this fun show called Resident Advisors coming out on Hulu, April 9. I’m really proud of it. It’s hilarious and has such a great cast—Ryan Hansen is a great comedian, Andrew Bachelor is up-and-coming, and Alison Rich is one of the SNL writers today. She is so wicked smart.