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Model-turned-actress Meredith Mickelson is having a major moment. The rising star, who boasts 3.4 million Instagram followers, makes her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit<\/em> debut this year as a Rookie\u2014joining a powerhouse lineup that includes Alix Earle, Achieng Aguta, Haley Kalil and Camille Kostek.<\/p>\n But Mickelson\u2019s star power extends well beyond the pages of SI.<\/em> Fresh off her appearance in Ryan Murphy\u2019s buzzy FX series The Beauty<\/em>, she\u2019s set to appear in the third season of Euphoria<\/em> and has a role lined up in the second season of Taylor Sheridan\u2019s acclaimed The Madison<\/em>\u2014a crossover trajectory that few models have managed to pull off with such momentum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n With long days now spent on film sets rather than just runways, beauty has become both her armor and her ritual. Here, she shares the skin-care secrets, makeup must-haves and wellness habits that keep her camera-ready\u2014no matter which lens is on her.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you so much! It truly was a dream come true. I\u2019m still pinching myself! Honestly,\u00a0I didn\u2019t completely change my routine; I just made it consistent and intentional. I\u2019m obsessed with jumping rope, so I did it about five or six days a week for 30\u201345 minutes. It\u2019s one of my favorite ways to stay lean and feel energized. I also added in boxing and weight training with my trainer, plus a lot of uphill walking to build a bit more muscle and definition.<\/p>\n Leading up to the shoot,\u00a0I\u00a0focused a lot on skin, too. I\u00a0was doing face masks constantly to really get that glow, and lymphatic drainage massages were a must\u2014they make such a difference in how everything looks and feels. It\u00a0was really about feeling strong, confident and taking care of myself in a way that felt sustainable and not extreme.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always been obsessed with taking care of my skin, especially because\u00a0I\u00a0struggle with breakouts. Being in front of the camera from a younger age kind of wired that into me early; it\u2019s always been important.<\/p>\n However, transitioning into acting, with longer days, heavier makeup and more time on set, made me more disciplined about it. The biggest thing for me is consistency.\u00a0I take my makeup off the second I get home, no matter how tired I am, and I really focus on keeping my skin clean and hydrated.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve also learned not to overdo it. When your skin is constantly being worked on, less is more! So I stick to what\u00a0I\u00a0know works, keep it simple and really prioritize moisture. I basically just lather myself in face lotion and let my skin reset overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFace Wash: La Roche-Posay & Sulwhasoo<\/p>\n Face lotion: Weleda, La Mer, Tatcha<\/p>\n Depuffing: Therabody Depuffing Wand<\/p>\n Refresh: Caudal\u00ede Rose Water Spray<\/p>\n SPF:\u00a0Beauty\u00a0of Joseon<\/p>\n Glow: Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream<\/p>\n Skin Health: Biologique Recherche Serum ISO Placenta<\/p>\n I switch between these sometimes, depending on whether\u00a0I need heavier or lighter products. Though when I\u00a0shot SI recently, I left my face products in the airport hotel and heartbreakingly had to use hand soap for the rest of the trip.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cImmediately, Augustinus Bader Face Mask or Biodance Bio-Collagen Face Mask. Let it sit for hours. Apply my Cauda\u00edle serum, then use my Therabody Depuffing Wand\u2014it is a lifesaver. Then, water and sleep!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, a really good meal and a movie. There\u2019s something about sitting down to an amazing dinner, whether we\u2019re ordering in\u2014Goop, pizza, Erewhon\u2014or going out, then just fully switching off with a great film or a good reality TV show. I also must shower the second I\u00a0walk in the door.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0very important to me to always smell extra amazing even if I\u2019m sleeping, so after my shower and do my skin care, I spray a little YSL on me!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt comes back to the basics for me\u2014water and electrolytes, moving my body consistently and protecting my sleep. I feel like those three things are the real foundation. When I\u2019m doing all of those well, everything else just falls into place.”<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re both creative, just in different ways.\u00a0Modeling is about embodying. You\u2019re stepping into a mood, a character, a feeling. When you\u2019re shooting, you translate it through your body, your face, your energy. It\u2019s intuitive, physical and reactive\u2026almost like a canvas that shifts depending on the team, the styling and the photographer.<\/p>\n Acting, though, asks more of you internally. It\u2019s not just \u2018what does this look like,\u2019 it\u2019s \u2018why does this person feel this way, what\u2019s underneath, what are they hiding, what do they want?\u2019 You\u2019re building a full human from the inside out. It takes more time, more vulnerability, more imagination and more emotional risk.<\/p>\n So\u2026both are creative, but acting stretches you in a deeper way personally. Modeling is expression; acting is transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn general, being on set constantly, under intense lighting, heavy makeup, long hours\u2026you realize really quickly that more isn\u2019t better. If anything, it made me simplify everything. My skin started reacting when\u00a0I\u00a0was overloading it, so I\u00a0became way more focused on keeping it calm, clean and consistent leading up to filming\u2014rather than chasing trends or trying a million products. The makeup teams on the shows were also super gentle and light on my skin, which I\u00a0really appreciated.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Beauty<\/em>, specifically, made me think about\u00a0beauty\u00a0in a bigger way. When you\u2019re playing a character that\u2019s so heightened, so focused on perfection in her looks, it really puts things in perspective. It forces you to separate how you look from how you feel.\u00a0I\u00a0started caring a lot more about how my skin feels\u2014healthy, balanced, strong\u2014rather than it looking \u2018perfect\u2019 all the time, so I could show up to set confident in whatever makeup I put on.<\/p>\n It also made me way more aware of how much confidence comes from within. You can be fully done up on camera, but if you don\u2019t feel grounded or good in yourself, it shows. So now my \u2018beauty\u00a0routine\u2019 is honestly as much about sleep, hydration and mental space as it is skin care.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did my own makeup for my scenes, which felt special. I wanted to keep it light\u2014we were shooting from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m., so I was fully delirious by the end\u2014but it was really about staying moisturized and glowy, having fun with it without weighing my skin down. My whole approach was touching up when needed rather than layering too much at once.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nCongratulations on your Sports Illustrated<\/em> Swimsuit <\/em>rookie debut\u2014how did you prep for the shoot?<\/h2>\n
As someone who has transitioned from modeling to acting, how has your skin-care routine changed to meet the long days on set?<\/h2>\n
What are the regular products you rely on?<\/h2>\n
After hours in glam, what\u2019s your routine for resetting and repairing your skin?<\/h2>\n
What is the best way to unwind after a day on set, be that acting\u00a0or modeling?<\/h2>\n
When it comes to body care and feeling swim-ready, what treatments make the biggest difference for you?<\/h2>\n
What would you say is more\u00a0creatively stimulating, acting or modeling?<\/h2>\n
You\u2019ve been working on exciting projects like The Madison<\/em>\u00a0season 2 and The\u00a0Beauty. <\/em>Did either of those\u00a0shows influence your perspective on skin care or\u00a0beauty\u00a0in any way?<\/h2>\n
You also appear in Euphoria<\/em>! Drop the beauty notes!<\/h2>\n