Spring Awakening: Vanessa Morgan's Transformation

Vanessa Morgan, a Canadian actress known for her role as Toni Topaz in Riverdale for seven seasons, is currently featured in the Wild Cards series on the CW. In a recent conversation, this 32-year-old mother discusses beauty, co-parenting, and much more.

Morgan reveals that she adores filming in Vancouver, her home country. She purchased a house there when she began filming for Riverdale and has since enjoyed the comfort of being at home.

On the topic of beauty secrets, Morgan shares that she manages her own makeup on Wild Cards. This practice started on Riverdale and continued to Wild Cards. She favors a natural makeup aesthetic and enjoys starting her day in the hair and makeup trailer.

Her makeup preference leans towards more natural shades. Regarding blush, Morgan always opts for 100% Pure, her staple. She also likes using Tower blush and Honest Beauty's new pink blush occasionally.

Morgan admires Beautycounter’s foundation, noting that she recently started mixing it with Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter while attending glamorous events such as the red carpet and press conferences. Moreover, her preferred concealer is NARS; she rarely wears foundation, particularly in Wild Cards, as she has good skin. She uses NARS concealer to cover any blemishes and combines it with Benefit’s under-eye concealer, finishing it off with some blush and bronzer.

Furthermore, she is fond of Beautycounter’s lip glosses. She also mentions Nova Beauty, a beauty line by Fashion Nova, whose lip liners she considers her all-time favorite.

Regarding skincare, Morgan admires Tata Harper's whole line and Renée Rouleau’s cleansers. She may experiment with other products, but she reliably returns to these ones.

Morgan got into the practice of getting a monthly facial while filming Riverdale, something the filming company generously included in the contract due to the amount of time the cast spent in front of the camera and in makeup. Despite not getting one recently, she likes the Laser Genesis, which she claims clears her skin after a single session and targets blemishes and fine lines effectively. She also appreciates HydraFacials.

While she is fond of Vancouver, Morgan feels a different ambiance when in LA and would love to film a project there soon. LA makes her feel nostalgic, reminding her of when she was filming pilot seasons at the age of 20. The weather there feels unbeatable. However, she cherishes her return trips to Canada for its refreshing air, nature, and the ocean.

Morgan's advice to her younger self would be to not let rejection dishearten her. She admits that the acting industry is filled with constant denial and knows many who have left acting because of this. However, in hindsight, she realizes that rejections have often led to different opportunities she appreciates more, urging her younger self not to take rejections personally.

I actually don’t share much of my personal life online. If there are some really special moments that I do want to share, then I will. I think that’s brought me a lot of peace. My life has been talked about…and there are a lot of things that I haven’t wanted publicized, so I really value privacy. I’m O.K. sharing things that I would want people to see, but I do keep the stuff that’s close to my heart just for me.

It’s one of those things where time heals all. Everything on my end seems to be healed…and I finally feel like I have a nice flow with it. It wasn’t easy, but I feel really, really lucky. I feel like I’m at a point where I can honestly say everyone involved has come to a peaceful place. 

I’m going to be starting my job, probably at the end of August. I’m waiting for the official green light on Season 2, but that’s what everyone is saying. I’m really excited for summer. I’m decorating my whole house right now; I’m ordering new furniture, getting all that done. I’m excited. I’m excited for getting new patio furniture and picnics and just soaking it all in in during my time off.