For Nesta Cooper, the spark to act began the way it does for many young dreamers—with a pop culture crush. “My acting career sort of began with Selena Gomez,” she says with a laugh. As a kid, watching Selena and then marathoning One Tree Hill revealed something profound: that storytelling could open emotional doors she hadn’t yet lived herself. “Brooke was crying about Lucas, and there I was at 13, never even having held a boy’s hand. But I felt it. That’s the power of art—it opens people’s hearts.”
That lesson has carried her through more than a decade in the business.
From Teen Roles to Grown-Up Stories
Cooper grew up in Canada before moving to Los Angeles at 22, and like many rising actors, her twenties were filled with typecast roles: the sensitive daughter, the wide-eyed granddaughter. Not that she’s complaining. “I mean, I had the chance to act alongside Owen Wilson, Jason Momoa, and Danny Glover,” she says. But by the end of filming See, she was almost 30 and still playing teenagers. “I felt ready to step into roles that actually matched where I was in my life.”
That chance arrived with Dope Thief, where she plays Michelle, a lawyer who’s equal parts fierce, tender, quirky, and strange. “She’s everything I wanted to play,” Cooper explains. “And the show itself is so deeply human—you see every character’s complexities, even the so-called criminals. You’re constantly asking yourself, What’s their angle? That’s what makes it so unique.”
Skincare, Strengthened by Ritual
Like her career, her skincare journey has been about growth, experimentation, and finding balance. “My skin’s pretty tough—I can use Drunk Elephant’s Babyfacial and be fine, even though my makeup artist friend Emily Cheng begged me not to before work days,” she says.
Her rhythm is simple: exfoliate with Drunk Elephant’s Framboos night serum one day, retinol the next (Shani Darden’s Retinol Reform is a favorite), and then take a break. When she wants something more indulgent, she’ll slip on Summer Fridays’ R+R mask during a long bath. “It smells like roses, and when I rinse it off, my skin is glowy and dewy.”
Still, the crown jewel of her routine is Chanel’s Le Lift sleeping mask. “Six years and counting—it makes my skin look so plump. I can’t quit it.”
She double-cleanses at night with Clé de Peau’s cleansing oil and Bioderma’s foaming gel, skips morning cleansing altogether, and has fallen hard for French vegan brand Typology, especially their caffeine-packed L40 eye cream. Hydration, she insists, is the non-negotiable step. “Los Angeles is so dry, I just layer it on—Dieux’s Instant Angel moisturizer, Clarins’ Double Serum, Prada’s Augmented serum as primer. And sunscreen always, even indoors. Supergoop! Play SPF 50 is my holy grail.”
Body Care That Works Overtime
Like many people who work out frequently, Cooper deals with body acne and the hyperpigmentation it leaves behind. Her solution: a carefully curated lineup. “Topicals’ Faded Body Bar with an African net sponge—that sponge is a game-changer. Nécessaire’s salicylic wash is the best, but if you’re on a budget, Naturium works too.” She seals everything in with L’Occitane’s almond shower oil, which doubles as a moisturizer.
Low-Key Makeup, Elevated
While skincare is ritual, makeup is more playful. “I don’t normally like to wear makeup—except for blush. It just wakes up my face.” When she wants more, she reaches for Typology’s tinted serum or Tower 28’s tinted sunscreen, dabs Ilia’s Rewind stick on dark spots, and sweeps on Westman Atelier’s contour and blush sticks.
Brows are a project of their own—auburn-tinted right now—while Stila’s liquid liner and Byredo’s oyster-shell eyeshadow palettes keep her eyes defined. Her lashes rotate between Byredo’s mascara (“magic”) and Ilia’s (“more affordable but still amazing”). For lips, glosses and oils reign supreme: Saie’s nude liner topped with Typology’s lip oils in Plum Purple, Sheer Honey, or Black Cherry, depending on the mood.
Hair Experiments and Pinterest Courage
Between projects, Cooper embraces protective styles like braids. But recently, she followed an impulse and box-dyed her own hair a warm ginger hue. “I saw this stunning girl on Pinterest with orange eyebrows and copper hair, thought it was natural, then realized she’d dyed it. I went down a YouTube rabbit hole and did it myself—no bleach, just patience and trims in between. It’s not perfect, but I love it.”
She nurtures her curls with a mix of heritage Black hair products and newer clean formulations, from Sunny Isle’s Jamaican castor oil to Refig’s shampoo bars. “They smell amazing and travel well. Honestly, I didn’t expect ‘clean’ Black haircare to be this good.” On curly days, she layers Fenty’s leave-in, Innersense’s curl gel, and Kérastase’s Elixir Ultime oil. And yes, she even treats her scalp with clay masks and scrubs. “Your scalp needs love too.”
Nails and Scents: Small Luxuries
Every two weeks, she visits Tinct in Silverlake for a minimalist clear gel manicure. “My nails grow so fast, I can’t deal with the half-and-half look. Clear feels chic and low-maintenance.”
Fragrance, though, is her true indulgence. She leans unisex and woodsy, alternating between Salt & Stone’s santal-vetiver mist and Chanel’s Coromandel, a spicy-woody scent that’s lasted nearly a decade. “One spritz is enough,” she says.
Finding Her Balance
What emerges from Cooper’s story is someone who has outgrown both the roles she once played and the self-doubt that kept her hair safely natural and her makeup minimal. She’s still that 13-year-old girl marveling at Brooke Davis’ heartbreak, but now she gets to tell stories of her own—with characters as layered and complicated as she is.
And if her skin glows and her curls shine while she does it? All the better.
