Amidst a Venice full of cinema, emotions, red carpets, and films that make us dream, we met Diana Del Bufalo, an incredible woman and actress who immediately captivated us with her sincerity and charm. And among the many aspects of Venice that fascinate us and leave us speechless are the beauty looks that, just like in cinema, are able to translate gestures into emotions in real life too.

Together with Diana and NARS, a brand that has revolutionized the world of makeup with its uniqueness and strength, we embarked on a journey into the world of beauty. On this occasion, NARS reintroduced a product that quickly became a cult favorite: Explicit Lipstick.

And that’s where we slipped in—into her room, during an intimate moment of preparation, where NARS served as the bridge.

My conversation with Diana was a lively and sincere dive into her world. She opened up to me, vented, and confided, sharing her earliest memories related to beauty and cinema, revealing an authentic and spontaneous side that we could already sense, thanks to her transparency.

Amid humorous anecdotes and deep reflections, Diana talks about her beauty routine, the criteria by which she chooses her projects, and her relationship with her body, showing great sensitivity to the challenges of modern society.

With her unmistakable sense of humor, she offers a unique insight into her personal and professional life, allowing a strong, empathetic personality to shine through—one always ready to take on new challenges. A woman who knows how to be herself with pride and irony.

What is your first memory related to the world of beauty? And your first memory related to cinema?

When I was little, my mom didn’t have lipsticks, but she used lip glosses or tinted lip balms, and I often snooped around her vanity. I remember I loved these colorful products that I might have smeared all over myself [laughs].

I must have been between 6 and 8 years old, and that was my first encounter with makeup!

As for cinema, I have a very vivid memory, and that’s when I went to see “Titanic” for the first time. I remember my mom took me and a friend to see it, and that was the very first movie I saw in the theater. I remember falling in love with Leonardo DiCaprio and starting to hang posters of him on the walls of my room that I found in magazines [laughs].

In general, what makes you say yes to a project?

Definitely the script; then, I must say I rely heavily on my agent, I ask him for advice, and I trust him completely. I also consider the production, the director, I look at their previous work to see if I like it, if I find it interesting and aligned with me.

To be honest, I mostly decide instinctively, I go with my gut, I trust my feelings.

What is your relationship with makeup and with the NARS brand?

I love makeup, and I tend to choose earth tones—I never wear anything colorful. I live in the countryside, so I like everything that is natural, like trees and sunsets. When it comes to colors, I always prefer browns; glitter and sequins don’t interest me because neutral shades are what truly enhance my face and make it glow.

My relationship with NARS is wonderful; it’s one of my favorite brands. I discovered it thanks to a high school friend who was obsessed with makeup, so I started buying everything too. I swear, I’ve tried under-eye concealers from every possible brand, but when I tried NARS’s, it was a revelation—it’s unbeatable. Not to mention their blushes, which are my favorite product—they look amazing on my skin.

NARS’s latest release is Explicit Lipstick, and right now, you’re wearing the shade Dirty Talk.

Yes, it’s gorgeous. I usually use NARS’s matte lipsticks, which are my favorite, but Explicit is amazing because it hydrates the lips and has a slightly satin finish. This lipstick is a perfect balance—it’s both hydrating and long-lasting!

“My relationship with NARS is wonderful, it’s one of my favorite brands.”

Since the tagline of this release is “Be explicit,” what does being explicit mean to you? 

It means telling the truth.

In my field, nobody tells the truth, but I say what I think—not in a reckless way or without considering the consequences, though. I do think about the consequences when I say something, but I don’t want to be fake or seem like a superficial person. In my life, I’m very deep and sensitive. I show my true self to everyone, even though sometimes I get labeled as “fake” because my straightforwardness feels strange to others. Nowadays, no one is explicit. I know I’m exuberant when I speak, but that’s who I am. Some think my persona is constructed, but for me, being explicit means being myself. This is who I am—love me or hate me.

What products are you wearing for this look? What are your NARS must-haves?

The products I used for this look are also my favorites: the Light Reflecting Primer for a luminous base, along with the Light Reflecting Foundation and Radiant Creamy Concealer. To set the makeup, I used the Light Reflecting Setting Powder, for a bit of color, Bronzing Powder in Laguna 02, and blush in the shades Amour and Orgasm. For the eyes, I chose warm, neutral tones like the Total Seduction Eyeshadow Pencil in Mambo and the Voyager Eyeshadow Palette. Then, my favorite mascara, Climax Mascara, and finally, Explicit Lipstick in Dirty Talk.

Speaking of beauty… What’s the first product that touches your skin in the morning?

Eye cream.

I inherited dark circles from my father, so that’s the first product I use in the morning. I must say that they’ve improved recently, partly thanks to a tan, but usually, if I sleep too much or too little, they get worse, so I absolutely need my concealer, that’s a must. Then, blush, because my skin is very fair, so blush gives me “a bit of health.” Finally, mascara, because I have very long lashes, and when I put on mascara, I practically look like a doe!

What keeps you in bed?

Well, a rainy day. When it’s cold and raining, and I’m under the duvet, I definitely stay in bed very willingly, unless I have commitments or need to work.

What, on the other hand, gets you out of bed?

An exciting project. If I know I have something beautiful, exciting, that I’ve planned, if I have great projects on the horizon, like when I have to work on a song, study for a concert.

Speaking of which, I’m about to release my album, exclusive news. I’ve never released an album in my life, just a few singles, so I’m excited. It’s going to be beautiful, with some great songs that also talk about me, about some of my stories.

“I’m about to release my album, exclusive news.”

Congratulations, that’s wonderful news!

Speaking of which, between cinema, television, music, and theater, you spend a lot of time with yourself, exploring, challenging yourself, and getting to know yourself. What’s the last thing you discovered about yourself through your work? 

With the musical “Cabaret”, I discovered that playing a role that’s too dramatic for too long makes me feel unwell. Some actors can separate their emotions from those of the character, they can filter, limit, separate the character from the person. But for me, a musical like “Cabaret”, where every night you have to perform that terrible scene where you abort and cry and have to abandon love for success, deeply affected me. During the tour, when I returned home, I felt bad, I was nauseous. For this reason, I decided to take a break this year, because I realized this work was affecting me too much emotionally.

Growing up, was there an aspect of yourself that was difficult to accept? And how did you deal with it?

Certainly, as a teenager, I was too kind. I still am, but as a girl, I let people walk all over me, I was very weak in character. I suffered a lot because of this, but fortunately, as I grew up, I learned to set boundaries in my relationships with people. I also lost many friendships, but that’s something that happens, especially when you start to understand your place in the world. Being strong means recognizing that you are an individual, and understanding that you are a person and deserve to be treated with respect. I’ve understood that, and now I’m completely healed.

“Being strong means recognizing that you are an individual, and understanding that you are a person and deserve to be treated with respect.”

How do you take care of yourself?

Definitely by working out. Stretching is very important to me because it keeps the body young and makes movement easier. Then, I love sweets; they make me happy, so I eat a lot of them because they make me feel more at ease! [laughs]

Jokes aside, I find intermittent fasting very useful; it helps me a lot, personally, and I recommend it.

Also, I never skimp on my beauty routine; I believe that the products we put on our face and body should be of good quality. Beauty is no joke, and neither is skincare!

What makeup product can we always find in your bag?

Matte lipsticks and a lip balm. That’s it! Luckily, I must say my skin holds makeup well, it doesn’t “eat” it over the hours. It’s also true that I like a natural look, but, you know, eating, going out to dinner, lipstick fades, so having it in my bag is important. I use the lip balm as a base because my lips are always dry.

If you could invent a beauty product to simplify your life, what would it be? 

An umbrella to protect my hair from humidity! I swear I’ve tried everything, but there isn’t currently a product that truly works!

What do you have too many of?

Body creams, because I use a lot of them and change them often. And also shampoo.

What are those things you see that bother you or that you would like to change in the world?

Violence. I hate it, and it scares me.

If we think about it, nature is perfect in the end; it’s humans who are imperfect, especially because they lack sensitivity. Empathy is something that humans really lack, while the ego is huge. That causes harm. Conflicts arise when we don’t understand each other, wars start because there’s no mutual understanding, mostly due to issues of interest and money; if, for example, people were a little less concerned about money and willing to accept what they already have, the world would be a better place. There’s abundance, there’s enough for everyone, so why take resources from some people when you already have plenty? Nowadays, with consumerism, being content has become something that’s no longer in style. I’d really love it if people were satisfied with what they have.

For example, in middle and high school, I didn’t understand history; I was failing. To me, it was inconceivable how men in the past, to achieve their goals, to have “more,” always had to kill innocent people. Maybe it’s because of my purity, but I never understood this mechanism, just like I never understood ambition, and I still don’t. If I were to die tomorrow, I would be happy because I know I’ve done everything I could. I have the career of my dreams, a wonderful family, a dog, friends, a boyfriend who, finally, is a good person and who I love madly, and who has given me what I wanted.

I’m happy with what I have, and it’s so sad that it doesn’t work that way for everyone: imagine how dull it must be to live a life in the constant search for “something more”!

This phenomenon has surely been amplified by social media; you’re very active online, and it’s part of your job too. How do you feel about social media? Do you ever think about the good and the bad they bring? 

Of course, but I would delete them tomorrow if I could. But they’re a tool I need to use, and I earn money from them, so they’re a bit like a cushion for me. But I hate them. I find it awful to show your life or to see what others are doing, which theoretically shouldn’t matter to us, but instead, it does. Social media has become a drug, a disease.

On the other hand, I must admit that they’ve also allowed me to do great things: many times, I get amazing messages from people who tell me that they have fun thanks to me and my stories, so I’m happy that through social media, I can at least bring a smile to people’s homes. That’s why I never post negative things on my feeds; I don’t want to spread unpleasant things.

When do you feel most safe? And when do you feel most confident? 

The place where I feel safest is my home; my home is my safe place, it’s my life.

I feel most confident when I know what to say. I love rehearsing, I love being in front of an audience when I’m prepared and know what I need to say; on stage, a unique energy explodes inside me. We actors love when the audience watches us, admires us, and applauds us. So when I’m prepared, on stage, that’s when I feel most confident.

What’s the last lie you told yourself?

I must say that I’m very honest with myself, and whatever I need to resolve, I resolve it with my therapist, so if there’s something I’ve done or thought during a time when I wasn’t feeling well, I tell her. I never keep things bottled up, I always talk about them with someone, even with my mom. I’m not someone who lies to herself.

What makes you most angry?

Lately, people who throw lit cigarettes on the ground, as if fires don’t exist. They don’t realize that air can reignite the flame; if there’s a bit of wind, anything can happen.

Silly addictions also make me mad, even though they’re part of being human, I detest them—for example, I’m addicted to sugar!

What does your body mean to you? Has your relationship with it evolved? 

My body is my sanctuary, so I try to keep fit and healthy as much as I can; I care a lot about my body.

Health is everything. I like myself a lot more now than I did 10 years ago, even with my imperfections—my body is wonderful to me. Within the limits of health—because obesity, for example, isn’t good, and body positivity, while I support it, shouldn’t slip into unhealthy territory—every body is beautiful in its own way.

What’s your biggest beauty epic fail? And your biggest epic fail on set? 

A beauty epic fail is a photo of me when I was 15 with a terrible ’90s fringe that had grown out too much, so I pinned it to the side with a hair clip, and it looked like a combover [laughs].

On set, it was an ugly green dress they made me wear during a time when I was suffering from panic attacks: the dress practically choked me, and I felt sick on set, fainted, and had to be taken away in an ambulance.

Among the many categories we can divide people into, I propose two: night owls and morning people. Which do you belong to? And what’s your favorite time of night or day?

I’m 100% a night owl. My favorite time of night is 3 a.m., when the starry sky is beautiful, and everyone is sleeping, so you’re alone—it’s amazing.

The last film or series you watched that stayed with you?

“Dark Matter,” amazing, brilliant. It’s on Apple TV.

Your biggest act of courage?

In truth, I do things impulsively, and I only realize afterward that they were acts of courage.

I do remember a time when I had no choice and had the courage to say “Okay.” I had been cast in an American movie where I would have had to kiss Ryan Reynolds, but since I had already committed to filming in Italy—although I hadn’t signed anything yet—and the dates clashed, I had to give up Ryan Reynolds, with great courage [laughs].

What are you afraid of? 

You know, I’m not afraid. I know I can do whatever I want at any time with my resources, so I’m not afraid… Something might annoy me, it might make me nervous, but not exactly scare me.

What does it mean to feel comfortable in your own skin?

It means being aware that the world is made of duality: good and bad, black and white, spirit and matter; when you understand what kind of role you have in the world, and which one you’d like to play, naturally you start to like yourself. Feeling comfortable in your own skin comes not so much from looking in the mirror, but it’s something that comes from within: if you don’t start living life and understanding it, you can’t like yourself, you can’t feel at ease with yourself.

What’s your happy place?

My home, at the risk of being repetitive, I confirm that it’s my comfort zone. It’s at home where I can truly be myself. I must say that I’m always myself, but there are times when I find myself forcing a bit to be friendly and welcoming to people who expect that from me, even when it’s a bad day and I don’t feel like it, so I have to pull out a little bit of “falseness.” So only at home can I express myself fully and allow myself to be how I want.

In collaboration with NARS Cosmetics.

Photos & Video by Johnny Carrano.

Makeup using NARS by Maurizio Calabró e Arturo Vermiglio.

Hair using Alfaparf by Martina Fedrizzi.

Styling by Valeria Palombo.

Total look: Urink

Thanks to TUC Comunicazione.