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

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.'"

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."

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.

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 Criss in Hedwig and the Angry Inch through July 19.