“Now, it feels like I’ve had them forever,” Collins says of her bangs, which she was rocking during our interview, along with a full head of flawless, impeccably smooth waves. “I got used to them very quickly.” She credits adding a few drops of Living Proof’s No Frizz Vanishing Oil to the ends of her hair and bangs (and working the product partway up the hair’s length) to perfect her look. “It locks in moisture and leaves a soft, silky feeling without adding too much oil and also taking away frizz.” 

As a longtime fan of Living Proof products, it makes perfect sense why Collins is now the brand’s newest ambassador. “[Living Proof] is not only science-based but also emotion-based — and it makes me feel my best,” she tells me. I might never know what it’s like to sit through an entire day of press interviews or pose on a red carpet, but as a beauty editor, I can definitely relate to the feeling when you discover a new favourite brand or product that seems like it was made for you.

In her downtime, Collins makes sure to use hair masks, a product she typically doesn’t have time for during busy set schedules, once or twice a week to maintain the health of her hair in-between projects. “It’s [about] repairing but also preparing for the damage that will probably come.” (For the record, we love Olaplex No. 8.)

As for other beauty necessities, Collins counts a classic Burt’s Bees lip balm, face mask (because her skin gets as dry as her hair, due to constant traveling and work), and mascara among her top three products. She names Lancôme’s Monsieur Big and Hypnôse Drama mascaras as her go-tos — Collins has been an ambassador for the Parisian brand since 2014 — but we’re also big fans of Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Magnet Extreme Lengthening Mascara and Maybelline New York Falsies Lash Lift Mascara for extra-fluttery lashes.

Of course, we can’t discount the immense work that Collins’s makeup and hairstyling teams put in — and neither does she. For example, on the set of Emily in Paris, Mike Desir is the “genius and tech wiz” behind many of the main character’s looks — constantly creating mood boards, piecing together Collins’s past looks and film references (both American and French, depending on season one or two), and even virtually trialing new looks. “It’s all a constant collaboration and every single day I’m excited to go into the makeup trailer and see what Mike has created,” she gushes.

To close out our conversation, I ask Collins to tell me about how her relationship with hair care has evolved and how it fits into her view of self-care. “Treating your hair well is a reflection of how you’re treating yourself internally,” Collins adds. “Before you’ve done anything at the start of the day, you can feel like the healthiest version of yourself, and it’s important to know what products make you feel that way.” It’s evident that Collins knows her way around a hair-care routine and we’re definitely taking notes.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

This interview originally appeared on Allure.