Former 'Days' Star Kate Mansi Talks About Why Sheet Masks Are The Ultimate Relationship Tool & Her Spring Beauty Routine

PHOTO CREDIT: NORTH BIRCH PRODUCTIONS

She's baaaaack! Remember when we chatted with former Days of our Lives Kate Mansi awhile back and learned all about her beauty and skincare regimen as a soap opera star. Now with a Daytime Emmy nomination in her pocket and having recently shot a film with KellyMcGillis, we find out what Kate has up her sleeve for this year's Emmy's, what beauty secret has helped further her bond with her boyfriend (don't worry, it's SFW!), and the cathartic experience she had when she chopped off her hair. 

Congrats on your Emmy nomination! How do you decide on what kind of look you want for a major red carpet event like this?
The years before, my Emmy style has always been something similar to my personal style -  structured, simple, or men’s inspired. This year, I wanted to go with something different. I had no specific vision in mind yet for my inspo…until my grandmother’s 90th birthday which was a couple of weeks ago. She’s been a major influence in my life, in fact, I sort of owe my career to her!

While begrudgingly majoring in Public Relations at Pepperdine University (my parents weren’t too keen on me getting into acting), Honey [my grandmother] secretly sent me money each month so I could take acting classes off campus. She believed in me before I believed in myself and it gave me so much strength…it still does. She encouraged me to follow through with my dreams.  Now in her older age and with the distance, it’s harder to stay connected so I try to call her every day and ask her, “What color are you today?” It’s a fun game we play to flex creativity and connect with each other, and to reflect on her past as well. If she’s having a bad day, it’s always the color putrid and the good days are usually a shade of blue but her answers always have this incredible specificity and poetry - it’s really something.

On her 90th Birthday, I asked what color her year would be and she said with immediate confidence, “RED!” It is powerful, bold, and a little dangerous. So the only thing I knew when attempting the dress hunt was that I had to find a red dress to honor my Honey since she won’t be able to travel to the Emmys with me this year. Sure enough, the first place I looked, I found a red dress - it was the first one I tried on and I loved it so I said yes to that dress!

Now that it’s spring time, and we’re shedding anything and everything winter on our body inside and out, what kind of wellness routine do you abide by?
Seasons really do affect skincare and mine is super sensitive to climate changes so I’m changing things up a bit. In my car and purse, I always carry a small travel size sunscreen to ensure that my hands, neck and arms are protected. I’m on the hunt for a really good lip sunscreen that doesn’t dry mine out – I’m open to suggestions! I am a HUGE fan of sheet masks - which I’ve made my boyfriend try with me and the laughter we’ve had from that experience has become our favorite “relationship tool”. We’ve been giving sheet masks to couples we know because we want them to have that same experience. We really haven’t ever laughed harder together than looking at each other in those ridiculous but oh-so-glorious sheet masks.  Moisturizing is key! I am really into products that are ethically and responsibly made. I love Beauty Counter, DNA Renewal, and Ogee products at the moment.

Mental health is extremely important to me. This year I’ve become an ambassador for Glenn Close’s non-profit, Bring Change 2 Mind, which strives to start the conversation about mental health and eliminate stigma attached to mental illness. My last year as Abigail on Days of our Lives was really heavy for me emotionally because the character was so immensely unbalanced and was ultimately committed to an institution (the scenes I chose to submit for the Emmy’s, actually!). That took so much out of me but also enlightened me even further to the importance of mental health. Being responsible for your own mental health, practicing good self-care, and mental health hygiene - is really important to me.

Treating myself to a spa day is another must at my fave spa, The Now, and I’m dying to checkout their new Silverlake location (I will def be doing that the week before the Emmys!).  Also, as a native Angeleno, it’s super important to me that I find new ways to connect with my community and encourage others to do the same - especially with fitness. As a part of the Workout Wednesday trend, my fellow soap friend Linsey Godfrey and I are doing #wwwithkandl (workout Wednesday with K and L), as a live Instagram story and posting each Wednesday which features local, new and fun workouts in LA. We are loving breaking away from our individual fitness routines and trying something we ordinarily wouldn’t try like Aerial Yoga at AIR, Rowing Classes at LIT Method, Dance Cardio with Body By Simone, and Modelfit - to give you an idea. 
 

PHOTO CREDIT: INSTAGRAM.COM/KATEMANSI

Have you switched up any skincare products that you might have used in the winter and are now using in the warmer spring weather?
In the summer, I am using an even lighter weight foundation and a dreamy thick night moisturizer by Beauty Counter.  Even in the winter, this ice queen is still icing her face every night to close the pores and twice a day to take down inflammation, especially if I have any pesky blemishes arising. My most recent favorite beauty tool I’ve discovered to get rid of bacteria and boost collagen is a high frequency laser treatment.

PHOTO CREDIT: NORTH BIRCH PRODUCTIONS

Spring is all about fun pastels and colors. What beauty products are you currently dying over?
I’m really an earth tones girl myself so the pastels are more in my wardrobe than in my makeup. But I’m dying over the high frequency laser treatment, Beauty Counter EVERYTHING, Ogee Face Wipes, and Jojoba Oil mixed in with my moisturizer and lip oil. And, my new fave go-to snack is the vegan GoMacro macrobars. 

Last year when we interviewed you, you had recently changed from blonde to your natural hair color, brown. And now you’re sporting a gorgeous lob. Are you planning on switching up your hair again anytime soon?
I wanted a fresh change and I’d never cut my hair short. It was the best adrenaline rush. My hands were shaking all the way to my car and I kept thinking - I wish boys could know what this felt like  My colorist Mel Malkasian and I found a stylist who knew JUST what I wanted - Kelsey Gusto at the Chris McMillan Salon did a TERRIFIC chop. It felt like my outsides matched my insides finally because in the last year, I had changed SO much after leaving Days and I felt like that chop of hair just solidified the new evolution. 
 

PHOTO CREDIT: NORTH BIRCH PRODUCTIONS

What have you been doing since you left Days?
I’ve done a few Lifetime films that I heard were playing recently on a Mansi Marathon back-to-back (which is just amazing!). The films were Boyfriend Killer and Unwanted Guest with Beth Littleford. I just wrapped Babymoon with Kelly McGillis and my indie film, Muse, will be coming out soon as well!
 

SCENE FROM BOYFRIEND KILLER

What are you most looking forward to about the Emmys?
I am honestly just so happy to be able to see all my old friends again. Everyone is so busy so it’s a great opportunity to hang with my Days and NBC family. Of course, winning would probably be the most ideal possible outcome of the night, haha, but I really am just focusing on the fun of the experience and leaving the rest up to the acting gods!