Emmy-winning journalist and esteemed talk show host, Tamron Hall, transcends mere celebrity—she’s a household name. As she readies for the much-anticipated debut of the fifth season of Tamron Hall, she has etched her presence as a living room staple. In a landscape witnessing the resurgence of daytime talk shows, Hall remains positioned at the helm. Here, Hall shares how she best navigates work and motherhood, her on- and off- camera skin-care routine, and what’s in store for the show’s upcoming fifth season, premiering September 5th.
During our chat it didn’t take long for the talk show host’s natural interviewing skills to take over. When the topic of juggling motherhood (her son Moses just turned 4 this spring) while hosting a highly rated show came up, we quickly realized it’s a question rarely directed at men. She was swift to acknowledge the impact of recognizing biases and pressures imposed on working mothers. “How empowering for us as women to identify this,” she said. “For me, there’s no such thing as balance in our lives. What does that even mean? It’s unobtainable. But what I’m trying to do more than ever is allow myself the freedom to let go of work and focus on other things that I love.”
On-Set vs. At Home
“My skin-care routine is the same for the most part. My makeup is very different, obviously. We’re under lights all day and the intensity of the lights which are beautiful—we have one of the best lighting design teams I think in daytime—to really capture the texture of my skin, the different complexions of our guests. At home, I tend to do a little concealer, brows—very simple. If I have a special occasion, I might pop on a few lashes here and there.”
Favorite Formulas
“Right now, I can’t live without moisturizer due to my very dry skin. This became more apparent over the summer. With my son learning to swim and my own lessons, a topic we discussed on the show, my skin has faced its challenges. Learning to swim has been a lifelong journey, and while I’m making progress by swimming about three times a week, it does take a toll on my skin.
Before swimming I could get away with a lighter moisturizer, but with the intensity of the sun the harshness of the pool, I need something more significant. The isClinical Youth Intensive Cream ($235) is amazing. I use it three days a week at night. Their Youth Eye Complex ($110) is another one I can’t live without. I naturally have puffiness and dark circles around my eyes. In fact, if you see pictures of me at age seven it looks like I’d stayed up all night. The skin under my eyes retains puffiness and can appear as if I have dark circles even if I’ve had a great night’s sleep. I also love the Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Pollution Drops ($60). I love living in New York City, but the summer sun, dust and grime of the city can be intense. I’ve really grown to be quite dependent upon them.”
Mask Moments
“I got the best advice at age 27—I lived in Chicago and I splurged on my first facial at a beautiful spa in Hyde Park in Chicag. The woman who owned the spot, Bettye O, is the first black spa owner in the city. She told me, ‘Listen, no matter what, mask every night and this will pay off in the future.’ Now I’m 53, and I’ve masked almost every single day. My current favorite is Eminence Organics Clear Skin Probiotic Masque ($62) which I’ve been using for about seven years. So, if you see me in the city, you might see me driving or walking my dog with my mask on if I’m running late. But I mask every single day.”
Hair Apparent
“I love the Tracee Ellis Ross Pattern line. I also use Oribe oil drops ($58) for my hair—it’s a perfect balance of sheen without weighing my hair down and I can use it on my son’s hair. Olaplex ($30) is great for your hair after coloring, which I do every six to eight weeks. I’m also a fan of Amika’s heat styling tools.”
Scent Bird
“I love Baccarat Rouge 540 ($32) by Maison Francis Kurkdjian, and pretty much every scent from that line. I am also a big fan of the Amnesia Rose ($245) from Aedes Perfumery, which is a store in New York City. They carry other lines as well as their own, but their fragrance is my favorite, and it is phenomenal.”
Daily Doses
“For supplements, I take vitamin D every day. My doctor recommended it. I would say about eight months ago I started to feel sluggish. Beyond the normal fatigue we all have from having busy lives and a busy schedule. I wasn’t initially a believer, but it’s made a significant difference in how I feel.”
Mind Unwind
“I love cooking. It’s therapy for me. I always saw it as a chore or this inconvenience. Especially in the early years of my career working around the clock. When my father passed away, I made a promise that I would learn to cook and prepare a holiday meal in honor of my dad. That turned into this love of cooking and gave me more control over what I was eating in a way that I never expected. It turned into this relaxing thing. I also do Transcendental Meditation and have regular therapy sessions.”
Balancing Act
“Now that we have a child, my husband and I divvy up the responsibilities in a more conscious way. We both work, we both want to spend time with our son, we both want to make time to work out. So, he went to work out I think at 6 a.m., Moses woke up at seven and we had breakfast together. Now my husband took him to the Children’s Museum which gave me a chance to work out and talk to you. It’s all about allowing myself the freedom to let go of work and focus on other things I love. It’s about teamwork and allowing others to come into the space and share responsibilities.”
Looking Ahead
“I’m excited that freedom and curiosity will be a theme throughout our season five, really diving into how you reach that headspace of freedom because I think it’s a relatable topic. I think we’re all looking for that touch point of freedom to live the life we want. So, I’m looking forward to those conversations and talking about the ‘New and the Next.'”
Most Memorable
“My favorite memory from past seasons has to be Erykah Badu taking out her diamond and pearl grill and putting it on the table in front of me. It was an unexpected beauty moment that I’ll never forget.”
