Deborah Ayorinde
We had the pleasure of spending a few moments between press engagements with gorgeous Deborah Ayorinde who stars in season 2 of Amazon Prime’s hit horror series “Them.” Deborah has a passion for switching things up and she chats with us about how she transforms into a totally different character from the first season of the show. But you’ll have to tune in and take the scary suspenseful ride to find out. For now scroll on down and find out more about this sweet London born beauty including her love of makeup artistry (she did her own in the photos) self-care, faith/spirituality, style, music, bare essentials and what’s in her cup at tea time!
The Bare Magazine: Can you share what some memorable responses have been to Them during your press tour?
Deborah Ayorinde: Something that has really been memorable is seeing how people who are fans of the first installment have reacted to me playing a completely different character in the second installment. Their curiousity runs wild and they have so many questions and I just sit there listening to them, smiling and refusing to spoil anything. They’re just gonna have to sit through the ride just like they did the first time around. Fans of me and my work in general know that I love to switch it up. Transform. Be completely unrecognizable from role to role. But I’ve never done that on the same project so people have really appreciated that.
Bare: Does this show fulfill a horror lovers needs?
DA: It does. It will terrify you and keep you at the edge of your seat in a way that will keep you coming back for more. I consider myself a fan of good stories more than a horror fan and so if that “good story” comes in the form of a horror then so be it. That’s what every film or tv show needs…a good story. Them does not hold back on that and that’s why it’s been able to capture horror lovers and non-horror lovers alike.
Bare: Can you take us through your THEM glam process and how it helped get you into character?
DA: So I wanted Dawn’s look to be not only true to the time she was in but iconic. Little Marvin and I were in alignment on this. She wears these beautiful braids at work at a time where that might’ve been frowned upon. She’s defiant in that way. A rebel in her own way. She’s in her organization but not of it and that is reflected in her style and her hair and also her whole being to be honest. Our incredible hair department head, Caprice Green, had a dope stylist named Shareda do Dawn’s iconic braids and every month or so I would go to Shareda to get my braids redone. I refused to go to anyone else because Shareda was that good and if it’s not broke don’t fix it. Even times when she wasn’t available we would cheat the braids to make them look new until she was. Then scene to scene Caprice and I would figure out what hairstyles we wanted to explore with these braids. It was so much fun. It brought me back. When I was younger during this time, I used to always wear braids and this is the first character that I’ve worn braids for. It brought me back. That and the outfits. I was also all about the shoulder pads and the oversized clothes. The amalgamation of all these things just brought me back to that time which helped me get into character.
Bare: you seem to be a makeup lover! what do you love about it? how does it make you feel? what products have you used consistently for a while?
DA: I am! I really, really am. Make up is art and I’m an artist to my core. Doing my make up and my hair is also cathartic for me. It’s so satisfying. It’s one way I express myself. I actually do my own makeup for most of my red carpet looks. It’s personal. It’s mine. I love how I look without make up. I take meticulous care of my skin but I also see myself as a canvas and make up, hairstyles, fashion are like paint. For a while, I’ve used Weleda and Supergoop for my moisturizer and SPF. For a while, I’ve used Nars and YSL, for my base and Urban Decay for my eyebrows and eyeliner.. I’m almost ALWAYS wearing a combination of Sephora lip stains and NYX matte lipsticks with either Sephora’s molasses gel lip liner or MAC’s Night Moth lip liner…or both at the same time. I almost always have a lip liner on. I have really full, defined lips and so I love creating that dimension on my lips to emphasize them. The same goes for my eyes. I have big eyes. My lips and my eyes are my favourite parts of my face. So I love makeup that emphasizes my lips and deepens eyes.
Bare: When you're schedule is packed (as it has for your press days) how do you stay grounded and healthy? What are some key supplements you take?
DA: My faith is the most important part of my life and I feel like it’s important to take care of the inside first before anything. I believe no matter what someone does externally if their spirit, heart, mind is not at ease then everything else is null and void. For me, me being grounded and healthy is directly connected to me being grounded and healthy in my faith. That being in check leads me to other things I do to stay grounded and healthy like having peaceful, quiet me time everyday, surrounding myself with people who genuinely love and support me, drinking water, sleeping, working out, and taking my vitamins. I take whatever I need. So lately, I’ve been really into magnesium. My sleep, among other things, has improved tremendously and I wake up feeling so rested and energized. My younger sister put me on. She’s a guru when it comes to holistic health. I also check in on my vitamin levels regularly and just take what I need like Vitamin d and b.
Bare: We got a peek at your personal style. How would you describe it? Do you have a few favorite designers or shops?
DA: My makeup and hair style and my general style, is usually very, very, very 90’s and sometimes 1970s, 1940s, 30s, and maybe even 1920s depending on what mood I’m in. I’m a vintage kind of girl. I like to touch of times past with my style. I don’t like deliberately following trends in my style or my life so if it looks good on me, if it makes me feel good and sexy I’m wearing it. Not because it’s “in style” but because I like how it makes me feel.
Bare: Will we get to check out some of your other talents/interests coming soon?
DA: Yes! I’ve always wanted to write and produce and so I’m excited to finally be stepping into that space. I always knew I also wanted to be a part of creating stories and not just starring in them that’s why I got my degree in film production from Howard University. So I’m excited to finally be doing it! There are a few projects I’m working on and I’ll finally be able to share soon. Also, music is my first love. I’m a musician at heart. It’s even how I approach my acting. That’s how deep it goes. I sing, DJ and I’m learning/brushing up on some instruments. So I’ve been recording and I’m excited to share that art with the world soon too. I also want to really do some dope things in the beauty and perfume spaces. All things I’m passionate about.
Bare: We notice you love a good cup of tea. What is your favorite? Do you have a daily tea time?
DA: Haha! That’s the Brit in me. I have a friend Annie who will actually crack up reading this because I put her on to tea. So I love a good herbal tea. I’ve been drinking Dimple Amani’s Miracle tea. It’s so good to me and I feel so good when I drink it. It has so many good things in it, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, etc. I drink it everyday.
Bare: Please share your top five bare essentials (they can be anything.)
DA:
I need good sleep. Good rest. I don’t play about sleep. That’s not necessarily a tangible thing per se but it is essential. So that’s one.
I hate to say it, but my phone. It has everything on it. My bible, my calendar, my contacts, my music, emails, etc. That’s two.
My makeup bag is three. This includes my skincare products because I also don’t play about my skin.
Four would be perfume! I LOVE perfume. I’m a perfume nerd. Right now I wear a combination of Diptyque’s Eau Rose and Bvlgari’s Allegra. Every single time I wear this combo I get complimented without fail. You know it’s good when people hug you for a moment too long just to take you in haha! So that’s four. Gotta have perfume.
And number five but definitely not least are my people. They are essential. I have an incredible tribe. I’m blessed in that way. I’m really loved. Five is my people but it’s also love. Real love. It’s the most essential thing actually. Six is music. I don’t ever want to know a world without beautiful music.