Nicolette Robinson Shares Her Busy-Mom Beauty Musts

If you’re not quite in the holiday spirit yet, a quick Zoom call with Nicolette Robinson will change that in seconds. “Look at this tree!” the mom-of-two and wife of Leslie Odom, Jr. exclaims, giving a glimpse of her sparkling, interactive at-home setup. “It even has lights that change. I’ll show you!”

In addition to being in full-on festive mode, Robinson is set to star as the female lead in Jack Huston’s The Day of the Fight, opposite Michael Pitt and Joe Pesci. The black-and-white indie film hits theaters on December 6 and tells the story of a once-renowned boxer who takes a redemptive journey through his past and present. That’s not all—Robinson also recently starred opposite Anna Kendrick in Netflix’s Woman of the Hour, a thriller that dominated the platform’s Top 10 for weeks.

Ahead, Robinson opens up about the warm reception to Woman of the Hour, her excitement for audiences to experience The Day of the Fight and, most relatable of all, the skin-care and makeup products she’s loving right now.

Those new Netflix movies are popular on a Friday night. So many people watched Woman of the Hour. How does it feel to be in something so well-received?

Thank you. I’m very proud of it. I think Anna did an amazing job with it, but it’s been really cool to see everybody’s responses and that people have been receiving it so well.

When you work on something like that—something that has a heavy subject matter—how do you end your day?

For that particular film, I was shooting in Vancouver and I lived in a one-bedroom apartment by myself. I didn’t have any sort of routine, but it’s probably something I should figure out! It was nice to come home and decompress and have some quiet time at the end of the day. My kids were in LA, so I would send them a video of me dancing so they could dance with me. Music and doing anything with kids automatically brought a little bit of joy.

I will say that, despite the subject matter for this film, it was a really beautiful place to come to work. We had an amazing time filming together. I attribute that to Anna. It starts from the top down and Anna made everyone on set feel seen and like they were contributing to something special. Everyone wanted to be there. It was a wonderful place to come to work. Even though the subject matter was tricky, the environment on set didn’t replicate that.

And now you have the Day of the Fight. What are you excited to share about that film?

This film is really, really special to me. It’s reminiscent of some classic films we don’t see much anymore. It’s really a beautiful, human, raw story that so many people can connect to. It’s been interesting hearing people’s responses as we’ve been doing screenings for the film. All different types of people—men, women, young people, middle age, older—every person has a different sort of connection to it. I think it’s really beautiful. It’s been so surprising because, when people give me their responses, everyone has a different moment or a different character that they are connected to. People seem to be really moved by it.

When you sign on to do a film, you can only hope it will turn out close to how you felt when you first read it. I am just moved and truly proud of how it turned out. Michael Pitt gives an incredible performance in this film. It’s really inspiring. The rest of the cast is just unbelievable. I feel very, very lucky to be a part of it. I think it’s a great film for people to watch when they have time over the holidays and bring their families. It’s relatable to anyone.

That’s amazing. It always feels good when you’ve done a project you are that proud of. You had to do a packed premiere circuit and press circuit for it. Where’s your head when you have to do all that?

I’m still learning to balance my emotions and ground myself on those days. I get really nervous before events or when I have to speak in front of people or do red carpets. I feel very lucky for my glam team. I surround myself with people I want to be around and people who have energies similar to mine and who I really respect. I really respect their work. I usually put on some music and chat with my glam team. They’re all people that I really trust and value in my life, so I feel lucky to have that.

It’s challenging, honestly, because I’m a mom as well. Some days, I have screaming children vying for my attention…it’s hard to leave a three-year-old who doesn’t want me to leave the house. There’s a lot of juggling. It just never stops. Every day, I learn. Every day, I’m trying to remind myself to breathe and take a moment for myself, too.

Do you have any products that you love that are easy for multitasking?

Oh, yes. I’m a CeraVe girl for face wash and I love a simple Neutrogena face wipe. But there’s this one hyaluronic acid product that I use by ISDIN that is just great. It is so good. I find that my skin feels dry whenever I don’t use it. It’s my first step before I put on my moisturizer and it really, really makes a difference for me. That’s probably my favorite product right now.

A good little under-eye cream to help with the constant bags that I have is also key. For today, for our meeting, I used my eyebrow brush and pencil. I use Sania’s Brow Bar Pencil and then I’ll just do a little bit of NARS Creamy Concealer. Then, just a little bit of Charlotte Tilbury powder in the compact. Then, every once in a while, a tiny bit of mascara; L’Oréal Telescopic is my go-to. Mostly, I’m on the go all the time, so simple and quick fixes are good.

As we get closer to the holidays, can you take some time off to rest?

I hope so. I’ve been very blessed to be very busy this season with the release of both films. It’s been amazing, but I am definitely looking forward to just being at home with the family. I’m hoping to find ways to get sleep here and there. We don’t have any travel plans for the holidays. It will be nice to just be cozy and in sweats all day and at home.

I love Christmas. This time of year is my favorite time of year. Last year, we were in New York for Christmas because we were living in New York for the first six months for the fall and winter while producing a Broadway show. It’s nice to be in LA this year. It’s a different vibe, but it’s nice to be able to try both every once in a while.