Meet Chelsea Schuchman

Modern fame is tricky—just ask Chelsea Schuchman.

The actress isn’t yet a Hollywood staple, but already, she’s got fan art, Tumblr pages, and Insta-followers hyped up on Emoji worship.

That’s partly due to a series of racy (read: topless) magazine photos starring the LA native, who often poses with no makeup, unbrushed hair, and visible tan lines in her shots. (We’re calling it “Careless Glam,” a less toxic form of “Paris Glam,” which requires a cigarette and clingy ex-lover along with the requisite day-old eyeliner.)  It’s also because Ms. Schuchman starred in one of the best music videos to come along recently: Robbers, by The 1975. And then there are her short films, most available free on the Internet, which co-star style darlings like Elle Fanning, Riley Keough, and Mia Sara (aka Sloane in Ferris Bueller).

Next, you can catch Schuchman in the debut issue of Popular, which hits newsstands this April. But since cliffhangers are so boring, we’ll give you a slice of her interview right now…

Chelsea, didn’t you just get off a plane?
Yeah, I was shooting a short film in Brazil. Usually the videos I’m in have more of a hipster vibe, and this is the first time I got away from that. It’s really beautiful. It’s also the first time I’ve shot a sex scene!

What?!
Yeah, with a Brazilian soap actor. I was wearing nude underwear but he was totally nude. That’s just how they do it, I guess, totally naked! But it was so much fun. On set, I completely blanked out. I just went for it. I was present in the moment, but now, I don’t really remember anything specific. It’s like a really cute, feel-good, sexy, romantic film. It’s going to be great.

That’s very different from the beauty shoot we did for POPULAR.
Right? That was all about the natural, no-makeup look.

So how do you pull that off?
I use a basic moisturizer, Embryolisse; that’s what makeup artists use. it doesn’t leave shiny spots or anything like that. And then I’ll use Kiel’s brightening balm, or a tinted moisturizer on cheek bones. Then for eyebrows, I’ll use the Stila marker. And if I have an audition or something, you can put freckles on your nose with it, and it looks real!

You fake your freckles? Does that get you more jobs?
I mean, sometimes! I’m serious; it’s a great trick. If the role has a beachy vibe, or for commercials, or like a quick meeting, it works! It looks real! And then I love lip liner; I’m really into it right now. But not bright colors; I’ll use a mauve or a brick red that’s matte. Then I put Chapstick over the liner. And I love mascara. I feel like waterproof mascara pulls out your lashes, though, so I use Maybelline Volum’ Express, and it’s great. There’s a Stila eyeliner I use, it’s a brownish maroon [Sienna]. I put that on my water line. Maybe a cat eye if I’m going out, and that’s it.

What about your hair?
I don’t do that much to it at all. I trim it every 2/3 weeks to keep it healthy. I use arnica oil if it’s frizzy, but I just let it air-dry. Conditioner in the shower; wash it every other day, and sometimes I use Sun In on the bottom.

You do not.
I’m telling you. All the pictures you see of me with blonde hair, that’s from Sun In. But now I want to go natural. Since I was 13, I was coloring my hair; I was always sitting in foil at the salon, always doing all that. Now I’m like, sunlight and Sun In works. But I’m a natural blonde, even as an adult. I’m from Chicago, and I had mousy brown hair there. As soon as I moved to California, my hair because golden naturally.

You must be outside a lot.
I’m a hiker. I live in Laurel Canyon, so I love hiking in Runyon Canyon, since it’s right across the street. Sometimes I’ll swim laps, but I’d rather be outside, so I’ll hike or run. Sometimes I’ll go to Kundalini yoga, but I’m not really into classes. Like…

Like Soul Cycle?
Yeah, exactly, I’ve never gone to Soul Cycle! It seems kind of overwhelming, right?

The only one I’d go to is at Crunch, because it’s karaoke spin class.
That sounds awesome. What kind of music do they play? I hope it’s not just, like, pop music though.

What would you want to do?
Well, I was listening to “Come Together” by Primal Scream. There’s not a lot of lyrics though, it’s just “come together.”

We’ve been asking people their favorite song lyrics in these interviews, but nobody can remember specific lines!
Oh, I do. Brian Jonestown Massacre, “Anemone.”  You should be picking me up / Instead you’re dragging me down / Flying over my head / You’re landing all over town.

Please tell me you’ve seen DIG!
I love that movie. It’s my favorite.

We’re about to go to Coachella. How should we pack?
I’m so glad you asked me, because I am a master packer. My suitcase that I always use, even if I’m going for three weeks, is a Louis Vuitton carry-on bag.  I pack flats, a t-shirt, and that’s it. I used to bring so much makeup, but I never ended up wearing it. In Rio, I was sweating the entire time; your skin is always different when you travel.  So I just pack t-shirts and a pullover sweater for the plane, like a black cashmere sweater. You can wear it with anything.

That sounds so Victoria Beckham, black cashmere and a Vuitton bag!
But I fly coach! I do! So when I was going to Brazil, it was a 14-hour flight, which is fine because I was so glad to go. But what I do is, I take the cheap blanket they pass out, and I use it to make a little tent. Tuck it under your feet, and then pull it up over your head. The blanket’s made from that crazy synthetic material that doesn’t let any light through, so it’s better than a sleep mask. You’ll fall asleep really fast.