Paton Ashbrook — The Bare Magazine

Paton Ashbrook is a talented star on the rise who can be seen in Power Book II: Ghost (streaming now on Starz) playing badass prosecutor Jenny Sullivan. When she’s not on an acting gig she’s usually teaching/doing yoga or on her podcast most recently chatting about her egg freezing experience. Scroll on down check our photo diary and interview about her characters almost 2 hour glam process, upcoming wedding, selfcare/yoga, bare essentials and a great tip on creating natural waves. Can’t wait for more from this sparking spirit!

The Bare Magazine: describe the glam process/styling and time that went into creating your character Jenny Sullivan's look?

Paton Ashbrook: It usually took around two hours! They gave me hair extensions dyed to match my hair perfectly for even more volume and those unattainable Disney #hairgoals. Every hair stylist had a slightly different approach to Jenny’s blowout— one time someone just sprayed hairspray all over, curled with an iron, and pinned up the curls till we shot. Probably took 15 minutes total and it looked AMAZING. But most of the time there was a lot more sculpting involved, especially if we were shooting outside. Then for makeup there was an exciting progression this season as Jenny’s morals got more and more compromised— at the start it was pretty glam, subtle fake eyelashes, a little liner, and lots of moisturizer so she was a dewy and fresh. Then as the season goes on you can see the eyeliner gets more and more intense, thicker lashes, more powder and a darker lip, which gave her this femme fatale villain look. We had a lot of fun collaborating on that transition from episode to episode. I also made sure her nail polish got darker and redder as we went on, as if she had blood on her hands. Those small things all add up and really helped me transform and embody Jenny.

Skin: Balance Facial Oil and Bakuchiol skin renewal serum by NOW Skincare

Bare: what are a few qualities you admire about her?

PA: She is powerful, brilliant, and ambitious. She’s one of those people who walks into a room and owns it completely. She doesn’t live from a victimhood mindset— she takes a hit and then goes “okay, what’s next? We’ll get it this time.” I definitely try to let some of that rub off on me!

Bare: what does your real life glam time consist of?

PA: If I’m going full-out for a shoot or event, I make sure to prep my skin with lots of moisturizer with SPF and I use cold under-eye patches with a bit of caffeine in them to help bring down any puffiness or bags. I use primer on my eyes before any shadow or liner, usually a cat eye, curl the lashes, then waterproof mascara. And lately I’ve been using Flawless Filter by Hollywood that helps catch light in photos, along with the Hollywood Beauty Light Wand and Yummy Skin Rosé N Brunch for blush and a little highlighter. If I’m feeling extra glam I’ll add some MAC bronzer for subtle contour and a finishing spray to keep it all together. Lips are either just some tinted chapstick, or a bold red/berry balm. For hair I use a heat protector/styling spray before adding waves with my *straightening* iron (fun and quick trick from my hairdresser).

Bare: if you could cut your hair between gigs is there a new look you'd like to try?

PA: I’ve been manifesting a role that would need me to chop ALL my hair off for a while, so waiting on that from the universe. I’ve always wanted to try it! But if I didn’t have to worry about any casting I’d love to do something drastic, maybe an a-line super short bob with some kind of dirty blonde situation? Or a dark deep brown with bangs! I feel like I’ve been auburn at this length foreverrr.

Bare: you teach yoga on the side. is it a big part of how you care for your internal beauty?

PA: Yoga is a huge part of my life. I practice it every day, whether that’s asana or embodying the Yamas and Niyamas, the foundation of a yoga practice. These limbs of yoga, like Satya (truthfulness), Ahimsa (non-harm), or Santosha (contentment), are a huge part of how I live my life, accept things as they are, and stay present.

Bare: congrats on your engagement! how do you envision the special day to go and your ultimate hair/makeup/dress?

PA: I was never one to fully imagine and plot out my dream wedding— the only thing I sort of imagined for myself if I were to get married would be barefoot on a beach somewhere with a tiny group of my family and chosen family. My fiancé, Sathya Sridharan, is a wonderful connector and extrovert, so our guest list is bigger than I’d imagined and hey, not everyone wants to deal with sand all day— so we’ve compromised on somewhere in Californian nature spring 2024. The farthest I’ve gotten in planning for my look on the day is that I’ll likely be wearing a traditional sari for the ceremony and something more bohemian for the reception. My fiancé is Indian-American and I’m Celtic, Nordic, and Spanish-Argentinian, so representing the union of our different cultures and backgrounds is very important to us.

Bare: growing up in a family full of actors, has it been helpful during down times to lift your spirits and stay on course?

PA: It has definitely been a helpful reminder about how everyone’s career has ebbs and flows. That nothing is linear and the only thing certain in life is change. So if you can learn to go with the flow and be grateful in the present, it can be really fun, even amidst fear of the unknown. My mom, Daphne Ashbrook, always says you need to “have the heart of a baby and hide of a rhinoceros in this business” and she’s definitely right. And while my father Lorenzo Lamas didn’t raise me (I occasionally spent weekends with him and my siblings), I witnessed him collecting Harley Davidsons and living in mansions, and then watched as his circumstances changed. I learned a lot from seeing their careers unfold and shift, and that balance is probably the most important thing as an artist. It illustrated the importance of investing and saving, and I’ve really focused on becoming financially literate, it’s the Virgo in me.