Star Spotlight: Marcela Valladolid

She's a cookbook writer and a mom, and she commutes about 3,000 miles to her job as a co-host of The Kitchen — yet she still manages to look great all the time.

From: Food Network Magazine

Photo By: David Tsay

Marcela Valladolid

Food Network Magazine editors asked Marcela how she stays so stylish around the clock.

Super-High Heels

"I'm not very tall. Officially, I'm 5 foot 2 and a half. I have muscular legs, so I need my shoes to be feminine and pointy. I'm really into Christian Louboutin, Alexandra Birman and Gianvito Rossi. And I wear Charlotte Olympia whem I want to be extra-tall — they have seven-inch heels!"

$895, charlotteolympia.com

Hair Tactics

"If I were not a chef, I'd be a hairstylist. I have so much fun with my hair — I'm always trying a new braid or something. I wash my hair at least twice a day, which I know hair people would tell me is bad. But I have my dad's Mexican hair — it's super-thick, a mane, and I want it clean and fresh. It takes a good 40 minutes to dry it. But I've mastered how to curl it with my straightening iron. That's a life changer."

$199, sephora.com

Skin Saver

"Washing my face with a Clarisonic brush and Creme de la Mer cleanser has made the biggest impact on my skin and stopped it from looking so dull. I know it's on the expensive side, but I see it as an investment."

$199, sephora.com

One and Only Mascara

"I wear makeup daily; I'm not going to lie. I always have mascara on — my lashes are blond at the roots! I've used Maybelline New York Great Lash every day for the past 20 years."

$6.50, at drugstores

Camera-Ready Eyes

"I don't get dark circles when I'm tired; I get puffiness. So I drink a lot of water and massage my eyes with Creme de la Mer eye cream to get the circulation going."

$200 for 1/2 ounce, cremedelamer.com

Multipurpose Glasses

"I wear my Ray-Ban eyeglasses when I'm tired or to read the teleprompter. I also wear them for show rehearsal [which is taped in New Jersey] and I'm still on California time. I have to wake up at what is my 3 a.m."

No-Snack Zone

"My older son's school is an hour away, and I need a car that's big enough to carpool six kids, including the baby. I have rules for my carpool, like no snacks. People think I'm crazy, but food makes the car smell and then six months later, you'll find a grape from someone's lunch. I had a meatball-soup spill situation once and that's when I was like, I'm done — never again!"

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