All About That Time Olivia Holt Taught Me How to Use Instagram
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As New Yorkers sprinted through the rain on a damp day, Olivia Holt was seated inside a tricked-out limousine overflowing with oversize pillows, a faux-fur blanket, and other feminine accents. The limo's interior looked like the bedroom of a quintessential Disney Channel character. In real life, Olivia drives a Mercedes-Benz GLK, which she insisted to me was not a "mom car," but her bashful laugh implied otherwise. She clarified, "It's not a minivan, but the shape of it made me think of my mom."
At 19, Olivia has over 10 acting credits, a self-titled EP with Hollywood Records, and a massive social media following. I spoke to the multi-hyphenate at a Neutrogena event — because, yes, she also happens to be a brand ambassador — that celebrated the release of the futuristic Light Therapy Acne Mask ($40). The interview took place away from the event, however, and in the limo parked just outside.
Throughout the interview, Olivia was notably mature and self-aware. She took her time as she spoke, but she also never hesitated. When I asked her about her Instagram habits, she consistently inserted phrases like "for me" and "in my opinion." And though she admitted to loving the social media platform, she also made sure to note that she doesn't take it too seriously.
One of the few times when I was reminded of her age was when we chatted about our shared love of Lizzie McGuire, who she described as being "majestic." The other sign of youth she has a hard time evading? Breakouts. In addition to sharing her acne-fighting tips, Olivia also spoke about her new haircut, photo-editing apps, and why she sometimes needs to take a break from makeup. Look ahead for some memorable quotes from our interview.
On Dealing With Breakouts
"Of course I still deal with [breakouts], and that's probably because I'm still a teenager. When you work out, you sweat; when you want to eat junk food, that's a part of it, hormones — it's all of these things combined. Fighting it is not an easy thing. It's actually pretty challenging. It's a struggle because I love makeup, but the less I wear makeup, the more results I see."
"I clean my face, moisturize it, use oils, and put on SPF when I walk out into the sun, which is really important because I am very sensitive to the sun and that can just damage my skin very quickly. I use products that I know can help change my skin. With light therapy, it's something you use when you go to dermatologists. So this Light Therapy Acne Mask ($40) is bringing your own dermatologist back home. You use it for literally 10 minutes and then you're done."
On Instagram
"I'm not a model. I'm an actress and a singer, but I love photos. For some reason, I find myself spending so much time on Instagram because I love looking at photos. I love how people's creativity comes into play. I like people to see a side of me that's playful and fun and still youthful! I'll be 20 years old, but I still want to be relatable to people. I want people to know this is my life, in tiny little squares."
"If I find something on the side of the road that I think is super dope that I want to share, I'll snap a pic of it, throw on a really cool filter, and call it a day. I don't take Instagram too seriously — at least I hope I don't."
On Photo Editing Apps Like Facetune
"First of all, I can't even find [Facetune] on the App Store. I think people are just telling me that it's an app and it's really not. I personally like photos when they're just themselves. I'm big on filtering. I like it when you can pull out really vibrant, dramatic colors in photos. Filters help you do that, and that's why I like them. When it comes to making a photo what it wasn't before, I'm not necessarily the greatest fan. I love looking at things how they are through somebody's POV."
On Her Recent Haircut
"I wanted a look that still made me feel youthful and chic, but something that was also easy and not something that I had to maintain every single day. I love throwing my hair up, putting it in a fun braid, or just doing a fun top knot. I love trying new styles on my hair, so I didn't want to do something that wasn't going to allow me to do that anymore. That's where I find my creativity, in fun things like that."
On Her New Go-To Hairstyle
"I take a one-and-half or two-inch curling iron, and I'll [use] it as a wand. I'll wrap my hair around it and do that all around my head. Then once I'm done, I'll flip my hair over, and break up the pieces. That ends up giving you texture. My go-to look is effortless and messy."
On Her Favorite Beauty Look From the Disney Channel
"Lizzie McGuire. Did you know I was going to say that? So iconic. The hairstyles, the makeup — it was all vibrant, colorful, and majestic. If I could pull that off, any day! I would totally do it now."