Trust me when I say this isnt a normal weekend activity for me.
Or for Mandy, as it turns out.
(Have you ever done this before?
Sacha Maric
are the first words out of her mouth.
She hasnt, and neither have I.)
But something about it feels like kismet.
Sacha Maric
At 2 p.m. on the dot, Mandy walks through the door.
But Mandy arrives at Aura Shop in Santa Monica, California, alone.
During that period, she considered changing careers.
Sacha Maric
The rejection was debilitating, she tells me.
But I get the sense that graciousness is in Mandys nature.
Throughout our day together, I almost feel like shes hostingmeinstead of the other way around.
Sacha Maric
Youre going to love it, she says.
Mandys beauty look reflects her authentic, self-effacing attitude.
Her hair is tucked under a floppy, camel-colored hat.
Sacha Maric
Its shoulder-length and effortlessly waved.
When I compliment it, she blushes.
Her makeup is equally minimalno foundation, just a trace of coral lipstick.
Im trying to get better, she says.
But even someone as low-maintenance as Mandy has her beauty vices.
I spy a set of eyelash extensions, which Mandy breathlessly admits are her most favorite thing in life.
On Moore:Kenzo top; Sachi jewelry.
I promise Im a rational, skeptical person, I assure Mandy.
Oh, Im rational, she smiles, but never skeptical.
Mandy and I compare auras: Mine is yellowish, apparently reflecting a state of knowledge and philosophical thought.
Mandys is objectively prettiera vibrant lavender, representing imagination and mysticism.
Are you in a period of change right now?
Mandy nods, wide-eyed and attentive.
Kate tells her shes in a state of floating, needs to do something to get grounded.
Kate pegs Mandy as an especially selfless person who needs to be careful with her heart.
You cant give too much, she says.
you gotta have an open heart but with boundaries.
Mandy agrees, knowingly.
Let the crystals choose you, Kate tells her.
I appreciate all it has to offer, she says with diplomacy.
I like to take care of myself, and Im open to new ways of doing that.
The rest is fair game.
Everything in moderation, including moderation, she says.
I guess thats sort of my philosophy.
By nature, Mandy is not a ritualistic person.
From makeup to nutrition to fitness, her life is uninformed by routine.
I love hiking, anything that keeps me outdoors, she tells me.
Ill cycle or Ill do a Barrys [Bootcamp], you know?
Rarely, though, does something in Mandys life root firmly enough to become a regimen.
Its weird because I feel like so much of that aligns with being in therapy.
What makes me tick?
Why am I in these specific patterns, and how can I break them?
Mandy says her family is the least traditional.
Ive never really talked about this, she offers, but my parents are divorced.
My mother left my father for a woman.
And both of my two brothers are gay.
Growing up, Mandys nuclear family unit was still intact.
My parents loved each other; they did an incredible job raising all of us, she says.
It wasnt until she and her brothers got older that their seemingly traditional family began to fracture.
Then I learned that that wasnt going to be the fruitful experience I wanted it to be.
Today, the actress says everyone in her family is exactly where they should be.
Everyones so much happier, richer, and more fulfilled, being their authentic selves.
I feel like Im a 62-year-old in a 32-year-olds body, she jokes.
Though Mandy says this with a laugh, I believe her.
She has little nostalgia for the 15-year-old pop star we once knew.
Oh god, I was just a clueless suburban mall teenager from Orlando, she says.
You couldnt pay me to go back.
Lucky for Mandy, forward is exactly where shes going.
Im totally ready, she says.
I cant wait until the day when watching60 Minutesis perfectly acceptable for my age.
The aging process: I say bring it on.
Next, check outour exclusive shoot with Priyanka Chopra.
Photography: Sacha Maric; Makeup: Jenn Streicher; Hair: Ashley Streicher; Styling: Dani + Emma
