Now Casting: Ke’Andra Samone

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At only 16 years old, Ke’Andra Samone has already had a decade of modeling under her belt. She began with commercial shoots for JCPenney in her Texas hometown, and when her family moved to Los Angeles in 2015, she decided to pursue modeling and acting as a career. The fashion industry has never felt that foreign to her, though. Her mom is the Director of Digital Content and Artistry at MAC, and has painted the faces of models including Joan Smalls, Maria Borges, and Slick Woods.

While at fashion week in 2015, Samone got to take a peek backstage at the Balmain show, where her mother was working her makeup magic on the models. It was an eye-opening experience for her. “I got to really see the environment, what fashion week is about, and what it is to be in editorial model, and I just fell in love,” Samone tells CR.

When Samone stopped by the CR office, she was full of energy. She was as enthusiastic about her career as she was about activism and chocolate, two of her passions. Ahead, she talks about growing up, standing up for a cause, and what defines her style.

On Instagram, you go by @cocosamone. How did you get your nickname?
“Originally, when my parents first let me have an Instagram, my parents didn’t want me to go by my real name and I always kept half of my face covered. But I really love chocolate, and I really love Coco Chanel, so I came up with Coco Samone. Samone is my middle name, so it’s a little bit of me and a little bit of what I like.”

What’s been your most memorable modeling or acting experience so far?
“Modeling experience–I would have to say my first official editorial with MAC Cosmetics. I did it with my mom, surprisingly. It was for Studio Fix, so that was my first real job in the editorial modeling world. So that was super memorable, just to be able to work with my mom and her brand.”

And then acting–my first time on set was during Veep. I was a guest star when I was 12. I was super duper excited. It was my first time on set ever and I absolutely fell in love with the cameras, with the people, the production of it, so that’s when I really was like, ‘I want to be an actor!’ I really fell in love with it.”

So on your Instagram you post about activism for March 4 Our Lives and Everytown.org. Do you want to tell us about that?
“When I was little I lived in Texas and looking the way I look with curly hair–I was the only girl with curly hair in my school–so I was the odd man out. I did get bullied for it. My parents fought for me, and that made me feel so good and it makes me feel so good now, knowing that they fought for my individuality and the way that I looked. As I grew up, I knew that I wanted to help other people and help them be able to be themselves, so that just played a role in activism for gay rights, inequality with sex, race, and gender, and also for the environment. The environment is such a big thing in our future. I’d love to be an activist for the future, to teach [people] to be interested in politics and what’s going on right now, because it’s going to determine our fate in the world.”

Have you found any vintage stores in New York that you like?
“Yes, my classic go-to is 10 ft. Single by Stella Dallas. They have like two parts. It’s more of the actual vintage clothing, and then they have a second part that has beautiful Victorian dresses.”

Is there any beauty look you wouldn’t do?
“No, I’m so experimental. My makeup is based on my mood. So basically in all of my Instagram pictures, I’m wearing a red lip. That is my go-to and signature, my red Retro Matte lipstick. Usually I’ll try to mix it up and try and do a fun little smokey eye, or black lips is also another one of my classics.”

Do you have a hair care or beauty routine?
“Hair care? That’s a tricky one. I try to stick to it, but I don’t do that great of a job. I try to comb it out every three days, just so it stays maintainable. I use water-based products with no sulfates in them, because it’s healthy for your hair. And I also try to avoid oil, which is why it should be water-based. Oil blocks out the moisture from your hair, it coats your hair, instead of penetrating and moisturizing it, so I think that’s the biggest thing. Keeping it combed out and staying away from heat is definitely the biggest thing for healthy, long hair.”

And skincare-wise, that has been struggle. I do struggle with my skin, but I have a strict regimen. I went to the dermatologist to get some products recommended because my skin is my job. I definitely drink lots of water, and eat healthy, and the hardest thing for me was to let go of chocolate, because I’m a chocoholic, but I did and I noticed it had such a big impact on my skin. Definitely water, cleaning your skin, and staying away from bad food.”

Speaking of bad food, what would your indulgence be?
“Chocolate. If I could survive off of anything day and night, it would be chocolate. I went to Europe and I spent I think 150 Euros at the House of Chocolate. It was in Paris, in 2012. I’m obsessed with chocolate.”

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