Darren Criss on Why You Don't Need to Wear Makeup

Much to my surprise, there's nothing flashy about Darren Criss in real life. He slides next to me in an airy conference room in New York City. He's about to tell me all about The Motley, a dapper men's grooming ecommerce site, where he is a partner. While he sips lemon water to soothe his throat, I check out his style . . .

Meet Darren IRL
Getty | Walter McBride

Meet Darren IRL

Perhaps I expected Blaine Anderson to skip in. The gay Glee character that made Darren famous has slicked-back, Don Draper-inspired hair and a preppy wardrobe to match. Or maybe I thought Hedwig would saunter in. Currently, Darren is starring in the Tony Award-winning Broadway show Hedwig and the Angry Inch. On stage, Hedwig — who is a transgender woman — rocks out in a medley of flamboyant ‘80s wigs and bedazzled denim outfits (she even refers to herself as "The Lion Queen" while showing off a lioness-like fur outfit).

But the real Darren looks like any other dude you'd meet in downtown Manhattan dressed in a casual vintage-inspired tee and jeans. His mop of espresso-colored curls falls over his caterpillar eyebrows and hipster eyeglasses. The only trace of his career lies on his nails, which reveal electric-blue, glittery polish.

Darren considers the lacquer to be free publicity for his dream role to date. "There is a restaurant next to the theater where they don't let the kid in jeans and a t-shirt in," he recalled. "I remember going there, flashing my nails, and saying, 'I think I made a reservation here,' and they were like, 'Oh right, you're doing Hedwig.'"

Why The Motley?
Joan Marcus

Why The Motley?

But sporting nail polish is actually not too out of the ordinary for him. He wore it in high school to be "wacky and different." Was that his foray into beauty? Perhaps, but what I can say with certainty is that to date, Darren is a men's beauty expert. "I've always been really interested in finding unique products that could really define who I was, and as a result I just fell further down the rabbit hole, reading up on stuff," he explained. "I just like to educate myself." And he's spreading his knowledge of hacks, tips, and favorite products to guys via The Motley.

The grooming site was created by siblings Matt and Madison Ruggieri as a user-friendly online destination to help men find swank colognes, shaving tools, skin care, hair products, and more. Add in the fact that the Ruggieris sell their own lines, Buckler’s, The Motley, and Port, in addition to brands such as Jack Black, Baxter, and Malin+Goetz, and you've got one hip shopping spot.

In 2013, Darren was introduced to Matt and The Motley. "I fell in love with the site as a fan from using the products," he gushed. "I thought it was a great website — really great functionality, very sexy, and everything felt unique and in line with my personal grooming ethos." So he joined the group as an investor, but he's hardly a silent partner.

"If I get into something, I don't follow along or half-ass anything," he explained. "I maniacally — almost in a neurotic way — have to know as much as possible." When it comes to beauty school, Darren gets an A+.

Darren's Skin Care Routine
Joan Marcus

Darren's Skin Care Routine

Wearing a full face of electric makeup as Hedwig combined with the NYC grit (he rides the subway!) means Darren has to take extragood care of his skin. His favorite on-the-go cleanser is Ursa 4-in-1 Essential Face Tonic. "It freshens up your skin and is really energizing," he said of the multitasking product, which he claims is a necessity for grimy tour buses.

After cleansing, Darren hydrates his mug with a beauty-editor favorite: essential oils. "I'm a big believer in essential oils, as hippie as that sounds," he joked. "Oils are like fats in the '80s when people were all about fat-free foods. Now we know that's idiotic — we need fat, and there are really good ones, just like there are good oils." He went on to address the theory that your skin needs oil, so if you use oil-free products, it will overcompensate and can actually make you greasier. Currently, he has stopped using moisturizer in lieu of using a cocktail of argan and rose hip oil. "Do it before you go to bed, and I swear when you wake up, your skin will feel great," he added.

Darren's Hair Hacks
Getty | Walter McBride

Darren's Hair Hacks

And those old moisturizers? They've become his favorite beauty hack. Darren's tip for men with curly hair is to use a bit of lotion in it as a styling cream. (Ladies, this can apply to you, too!) "Don't just grab any hand cream and do it," he warned. "Luckily, the ingredients in our products are all natural so they aren't bad for your hair. And in this heat with curly hair, it helps. So take a dab and scrunch it up to give hair a bit more texture. It's a finishing thing."

His other curly-hair trick — not overcleansing your mane — is also favorited by Jared Leto. "Not that you shouldn't shower," he joked. "Just don't wash your hair every day. It's a good thing to have natural oils in your hair."

Darren's Advice For Women
Joan Marcus

Darren's Advice For Women

But there's one hair part that Darren doesn't touch, and that's his eyebrows. When asked how he gets such gorgeous, thick arches, he shrugs and credits it to genetics ("it's a Filipino thing"). And he swears he doesn't do anything to enhance them. "I remember the first time I ever saw an eyebrow brush when I first started in film and television," he said. "It looked like a mascara [wand], and I was like, 'What? Don't put mascara on my eyebrows! That's insane.' And they were like, 'No, we're just brushing them out.' I’m still learning about those things."

Natural brows aren't the only minimalist trend Darren is into. "I love women without makeup," he admitted. "That's always very sexy to me. If you see women without makeup in public, it speaks confidence. And if my girlfriend isn't wearing makeup around the house, I also love it, because it signifies comfort and those private moments that are special between a couple."

When it comes to borrowing from the boys, Darren's public service announcement to women is to steal your man's shaving cream. "There are a lot of chemicals in [women's shaving cream]!" he said, referring to the ingredients that make them smell like fruits and flowers. "Meanwhile, men have advanced to using these really great creams." His favorite is the Port Face Saving Shave Formula, which contains coconut oil, willow bark, and aloe vera.

Darren on Blaine Anderson
Fox

Darren on Blaine Anderson

Being a true Glee fan (gleek!), I had to ask: what products would Blaine use if he existed? "I like to think he's classy enough to be hip to The Motley," Darren responded. "They never explore it on the show, but I feel like he came from a bougie background, making him privy to finer-quality products. But Kurt [Blaine's boyfriend] probably would've been the expert. Blaine would've stolen things from Kurt and then hocked them off as his own."

I also needed to know how long it took to get his hair slicked back for the character. "It took forever, man," Darren confirmed. "I think the amount of time it takes me to get into makeup for Hedwig is maybe shorter than it took to get into Blaine hair. It was awful, but it was fun because it was wacky. I like playing characters. I play me every day. I don't need to do that on camera; I'd rather be somebody else."

Darren on Transforming For the Stage
Getty | Brent N. Clarke

Darren on Transforming For the Stage

Though he's an extremely talented actor, makeup and hair do help him get into character for the Broadway stage. "If you put on big lashes and contouring [makeup] and look at yourself in the mirror, suddenly you're a tiger," he batted his eyelashes and flicked his wrists. I see a glimmer of Hedwig. "Obviously heels change the way you walk, and the way a dress hugs your body changes the way you move. Everything informs the way that you carry yourself, especially when you're playing a character. That all really gets me into the mode — just like the hair did for me with Blaine."

But at the end of the day, Darren doesn't take his grooming lewk too seriously. "I've been given this responsibility that I didn't necessarily ask for, but I've been honored with it, so it is my responsibility to try to step up to the plate," he said both of playing socially conscious roles and being a sartorial inspiration. "Pictures of me just walking down the street are available to everyone, forever. Luckily, I'm a guy so it's cool if I look stupid, and that's been my MO for a long time."

From this end of the conference room, the Broadway star looks pretty damn cool.

See Darren Live!
Getty

See Darren Live!

See Darren Criss in Hedwig and the Angry Inch through July 19.