Q & A Beauty & Wellness Series: Lori Pearlstein, Confidence Builder Extraordinaire

Lori Pearlstein
Owner/Improv Coach @ Lori Pearlstein's Playworks 
Best night out: Dancing, Eating, Karaoke or all of the above.
​Pet peeve: When people misspell you’re/your or too/to/two.
Turn off: Complacency

You’re an improv coach, former actor, stand-up comedian, etc. You must have all the confidence in the world! But, do you ever encounter moments when you need to remind yourself to be confident?

​When I see myself acting on camera I can be too critical. I'll find all the flaws in my performance and when I realize I'm focusing on all the negative moments, I have to remind myself that’s what I coach people NOT to do.

​What is your #1 tip to others for having more confidence in our day-to-day lives?

Focus on your strengths. We all have strengths but most people focus on their weaknesses. Once you remind yourself about your many positive qualities, you can embrace your shortcomings. We all have them, but too many people live in fear of imperfection. I’m really self-effacing.

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Your bio mentions you were a student and friend of Philip Seymour Hoffman. What's the best advice he ever gave you?

I learned so much from him over the years but I think the best advice he gave me was not to accept the limits other people put on me. It was given in the context of acting, but it really applies to so many aspects of life. I was frustrated that I wasn’t getting called in for roles that were considered “against my type". He said, “Whatever you do, commit with every fibre of your being and no one will be able to stop you from achieving your goals." He spoke from experience which made it really resonate. He went from being a drug addict to getting clean and staying sober for many years, and if that wasn’t enough of a feat, he also became one of the best actors of our generation.  

"I'm a big fan of the spa. Whether it's a facial or a massage, just an hour of chill, 'me time' works wonders for my stress level."

What's a regular day like in your life? 

Make coffee, drink coffee while returning emails, turn on the news, stretch while watching the news, shower. Then I rush to wherever I have to be [that day], workout at the end of my day, come home, watch TV for a bit and crash. Other nights I try to have a social life, but these days it's a lot more work than play.

When you have time to pamper yourself, what’s your go-to?

I'm a big fan of the spa. Whether it's a facial or a massage, just an hour of chill, 'me time' works wonders for my stress level.

What are your favourite beauty and/or wellness products?

I'm all about anything that’s lavender vanilla. Cream, candles, that scent just makes me happy. I also love vitamin C serum. I love the smell AND how it tightens my skin.

Do you have any daily rituals you do to keep calm or focused?
​
Either a workout or yoga everyday. I'm a mess without one of the two.

What's the best beauty or overall wellness advice you've ever received?

Keep Smiling. It may sound superficial at first but not only do we look better when we smile, I realized that just like I teach actors when they need to feel an emotion, our muscle memory associates a facial expression with an emotion so we associate smiling with happiness. It's a win-win.