Ashley Tisdale is fabulous. Yes, that is a High School Musical reference and yes, Tisdale is just as gracious and present as you’d hope. Everything about her has an air of kindness and intentionality. As we approach Mental Health Awareness Month, we sat down with the mother, actress, and entrepreneur to talk about self-care, surviving your twenties, and her brand, Being Frenshe.
“I have dedicated so many years to this line even before it launched, and it really has been my main focus besides being a mom. And it's just been a dream,” she says. “[There are moments where I] realize that so many things in my life before were indications of what I was meant to do…So yeah, like 100% of me is infused into Being Frenshe.”
The collection was inspired by Tisdale's own routines and rituals, making her self-care even more personal. She welcomes these wellness habits with open arms because of how crazy her twenties were. Tisdale was, after all, playing iconic roles like Sharpay in High School Musicaland Maddie on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
“I would say like in my twenties, I wasn't even really aware and didn't feel like I needed any wellness practices,” she says. “It was a stressful time in my life — I was traveling, working nonstop — I probably should have done yoga just to kind of Zen out. But at that moment of my life, Savasana [and sitting still] scared the crap out of me…Now, I can do that for a long period of time. It feels so good for my body.”
Whether everything in your life is spiraling out of control, or your very-organized schedule is filled to the brim, it's good for both your body *and* your mind to sit in these quiet moments. Because they both need rest.
“It's okay to just pace yourself," she says. "I am very naturally [someone] who can thrive in chaos. But that doesn't mean I need that. So I think later in life, I've started to realize, ‘Okay, I'm feeling overwhelmed, it's time to slow down.’”
“In my thirties, I've been married and I just feel a lot more grounded with who I am and not, I guess, confident in just what I do,” she continues. “What I'm doing with Frenshe just feels way more meaningful to people and for people who are struggling. I just feel like I have a whole new kind of purpose in life.”
For those times where you’re feeling stressed, Tisdale recommends taking a moment for yourself — offering that you can "breathe through everything” — and maybe even spending time making a comfort recipe or two. She tells us , "I have my go-to salads, my go-to meals. I am a creature of habit, so when I love something, I like to come back to it over and over."
Whether she's whipping up her favorite salad or giving herself space to relax, Tisdale finds happiness in the small moments that allow her to feel free. “I’m a very creative person [and] feel like my creativity comes out in various forms,” she says. “It just depends on what I'm inspired by. I love to be creative and that's where my happiness lives.”
“I love seeing my daughter at the beach, she's obsessed with it," she continues. "And I think that has been really awesome. I feel the most present when I'm at the beach with her…It’s my favorite moment and favorite time with her. And I've been realizing that happiness just comes from really small things.”
Rapid Fire With Ashley Tisdale:
B+C: What is your go-to makeup look?
AT: My go-to right now is just simplicity. Like, either I just don't do makeup or I'll do very minimal. Like a little bit of bronzer, a cheek, and mascara. I don't have a ton of time in the morning so I like a glowy, kind of fresh, natural face.
B+C: You have so many iconic songs that are in all of our playlists and stuck in our heads. What's been stuck in your head recently?
AT: Oh my God. Well, unfortunately, right now, Moana, because my daughter watches it like 500 times a day...But if it's my own music, I'm a huge Lumineers fan [and] I like a lazy Sunday playlist on Spotify or more chill, indie style music.
B+C: What do you like to watch when you take your bubble baths?
AT: Usually a Bravo show, like Real Housewives. That or Sex and the City. It just depends.
B+C: The bathroom is where you spend a lot of your time relaxing. What are your criteria for a good bathroom?
AT: You have to have a good lighting situation, you know? And if you don't, light some candles and turn the lights off. But I think that obviously a tub is a necessity…I'm into moody paint and lime wash and making a room look moody, but I think that for me, I always love a fresh, airy bathroom.
B+C: What is your go-to Being Frenshe scent?
AT: Right now it's so hard to choose. It's like it depends on what I'm trying to achieve [or] what I'm wanting to feel. I'm trying to figure out like, ‘Okay, I need a good sleep mood, it's Lavender Cloud.’ Cashmere Vanilla, I would say that I use a lot with the body stick to help relax my neck. Yeah, but Solar Fleur is one of my favorites to wear out. Like, I use the little testers and it's more like a perfume concentrate [so] I wear that, like, actively every day.
B+C: What is your go-to beverage?
AT: I like coffee. I'm an almond latte person.
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This interview has been edited for clarity.
Header image via Being Frenshe
