From her earlier roles in films like Mulholland Drive and I Heart Huckabees to her more recent, Emmy-nominated turn as socialite Babe Paley in the television series Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, Naomi Watts’ onscreen career has been full of versatile performances. So when the actress found herself experiencing symptoms of perimenopause in her late 30s, she began to think about taking on a role of a different kind. Nearly two decades later, Watts launched Stripes Beauty, a unique take on the celebrity beauty line—one that’s leading the charge in normalizing the conversation and creating community around menopause.
“I first heard about menopause when I was 36,” Watts tells Observer, noting that she had been experiencing symptoms like night sweats and migraines. “I was trying to have children, and my doctor told me I wasn’t getting pregnant because my blood work was suggesting that I was close to menopause, and that was shocking to me.” Watts immediately checked in with her mother, who confirmed that she had also transitioned into menopause early. “I asked her why she didn’t tell me, and she was like, ‘Well, I didn’t have these conversations with you because my mother never had them with me.’” That didn’t sit right with Watts, who found that menopause appeared to be a taboo subject across the board. “This is half the population; how does that happen?”
After the birth of her second child in 2008, Watts’ symptoms began to pile up. “The thing that really sent me towards creating this brand was the dry, itchy, angry skin that was intolerable for me and my business as an actor on camera,” she says, adding that even prescription creams from the dermatologist would only bring temporary relief. “I had become reactive to all of the skincare routine ingredients that I had been using in the past, and I needed something less drying and less stripping.” On top of that, Watts was fed up with seeing perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal women left out of the beauty conversation. “All of these beautiful brands send this messaging of anti-aging, and it’s like, ‘Here’s this wonderful 28-year-old; we can promise you you’ll look like this.’ I don’t want to look like that! I want to look like me and feel like I’m really being spoken to in an authentic way.”
Enter Stripes Beauty, a line that—as Watts puts it—has you covered “from scalp to vag.” In addition to developing a range of science-backed topicals and supplements for skin, body and hair, Watts has prioritized creating a space for conversation among women. “A big thing for me was making a woman feel seen, not just with solutions, but with education and community,” she says. “Like my mom and her mom, what I learned about this community is that though they were silenced, it didn’t mean to say they didn’t want to talk or feel seen. Opening the door to that just a crack, it has been very clear that people were ready for the information and ready for the recognition,” explains Watts, who notes that she’s seen a similar parallel in Hollywood, with more diverse storytelling opportunities for women. “Look at the films that are coming out now— I feel like there’s a tidal shift going on where there’s just a whole slew of women of a certain age that are talking about ageism, and talking about impossible beauty standards, and taking agency over their lives.”
For Watts, who added starring roles in films like The Friend and Emmanuelle to her projects for 2024, the work certainly doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Early next year, she’ll reprise her role in Ryan Murphy’s horror series, The Watcher, as well as publish a book about her journey through fertility and menopause, Dare I Say It, on January 21, 2025. “It’s meant to be like a cozy chat with a girlfriend,” shares Watts, adding that the book features conversations with other women and doctors. “It’s mixed with some painful moments, some liberating moments, some informative moments—and hopefully, there’s a good laugh in there, too.”
Observer recently sat down with Watts in New York City’s to discuss her current essentials—from the skincare products that cured her dry skin to the fashion staples she always keeps in her carry-on.
Her morning skincare routine:
I tend not to cleanse in the morning; I just splash water, and then it depends. Now that we’re getting into colder months, I’ll use the Power Move serum and layer on a day moisturizer, which is Dew As I Do. Or if it’s really cold and creating dryness, I use the Evening Wear in the day because that gives the deepest hydration you can get.
What she’s reading:
I just finished All Fours [by Miranda July], which is such a great book.
What she’s binge-watching:
I’m watching the Menendez [The Menendez Brothers doc on Netflix] thing. It’s intense, but I’m loving it—I mean, that’s not the right adjective, but it’s well done.
Favorite vacation spot:
I love going back to Australia. It’s so rare that I can get there because it’s such a long way from New York, but I still have family there. Park Hyatt Sydney is a favorite place to stay because you have a gorgeous view of the opera house, but I tend to like to be closer to the beach. In fact, the first thing I love to do when I get off the plane is go straight to Bondi Beach, have breakfast and jump in the ocean.
What she’s traveling with:
I really don’t like checking a bag, so I try to squeeze everything into a carry-on bag. I have those little compartment cases that zip everything up to shrink it down. And then, it depends where I’m going, but usually I’ll pack four t-shirts, two button-downs and two pairs of jeans. Shoes are always the tough ones. It’s much easier to do in the summer when you can just bring four pairs of nice, flat shoes.
New York favorites:
I like to keep it local. Little Ways is a great spot, and there’s also a great Argentinian place around the corner called Estancia 460. But my favorite local neighborhood restaurant for a really great meal is Houseman on Greenwich.
The one thing in her wardrobe she refuses to part with:
Oh, a pair of Nili Lotan jeans; they just fit right.
