What's Trending With Alyson Hannigan: Laura Mercier Sunscreen, Wide-Brimmed Hats & More

How I Met Your Mother star shares her must-have fashion and beauty items

By Rose Curiel Sep 17, 2013 7:00 PMTags
Alyson Hannigan, CBS TCAFrancis Specker/CBS

Alyson Hannigan's hit show How I Met Your Mother may be wrapping up after nine seasons on the air, but that doesn't mean the star is planning on slowing down anytime soon!

For starters, the 39-year-old's little ones Satyana and Keeva keep her hands full, and she's already hard at work lending her time to worthwhile causes.

In fact, she recently filled us in on her new partnership with Tylenol's Smiling It Forward campaign to benefit the Children's Health Fund, while also taking the time to share a few time-saving tips for busy gals, who might also busy with kids, work, charity and more. 

Here's what she had to say: 

What are your favorite makeup items? 
You know what's sort of saving me right now—because I have so little time to do my own makeup? Laura Mercier does a tinted sunscreen that is great because, obviously, you've got to apply sunscreen. But then I just use that as my foundation. It's just enough to make it look like I put makeup on. So I use that, and throw on a little blush.

Any television shows that you're really into right now?
I'm really excited about some of the new shows coming out, like I can't wait to see The Millers. That looks so funny, I'm really excited about that. I saw 10 minutes of it at the CBS Upfronts and I cannot wait to watch it.

I'm a little obsessed with Top Chef and Top Chef Masters. My husband and I love those. 

What apps are you into right now?
Being a mom of two girls, I love to take pictures, so Instagram is one of my favorite apps. And that is one of the reasons that partnering with Tylenol for the Smiling It Forward campaign was such a no brainer for me, because I love my kids and I love taking pictures—they're cute!—and sharing them with everyone now

It is a great idea to share your feel-better smiles with everybody and raise money for a great charity, which is the Children's Health Fund. So all you have to do is go to SmilingItForward.com and post the cute pictures of your kids or photos that made you smile and for every photo shared Tylenol will donate a dollar to the Children's Health Fund, which is an amazing organization that provides healthcare for children that don't have it. And who doesn't like posting their pictures?

What's your favorite fashion item right now?
I'm sort of trying to figure out the whole Indian summer thing. I took a risk today and I was like ‘It's fine, I'm not going to get photographed because I'm going to the Valley for a meeting,' and of course I park next to some workout place where I don't know who, but somebody very popular was working out, and I got out because I was going to check out a baby store and there were literally 20 paparazzi right across the street, and they're like ‘Oh great!'

Hopefully, I didn't make a mistake with my outfit. It's fall colors but summer [style]: shorts and a short sleeveless blouse with a fall hat. It's hot but I still want my fall colors because it's fall. It's after Labor Day and fall is my favorite season because the color palette is so good for me. I'm rocking my green hat, which is really good, and I'm getting a lot of compliments on the hat. It's a wide-brimmed hat.

Is that one of your favorite trends for fall?
It is! I just might have made a mistake [wearing it now]. I do love the hat. 


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Do you have a favorite restaurant or meal?
[My husband] surprised me and took me to The French Laundry in Napa Valley. It was a four, four-and-a-half hour meal. It's just one of those—it's just beyond. Beyond! One of the most amazing meals I'll ever have in my life. You can't even describe it. There's like 12 courses and each one is just a work of art. There's something called oyster and pearls. Is that even food? It's just magic! Magic in your mouth.

Is there a song that you'vebeen playing on repeat?
Pink. She always makes me want to work out.

Do you have a favorite Pink song?
They're all so good. When I'm in my car without my kids I try to pretend that I'm Pink. And it's not pretty because I'm not Pink. I definitely spend a little too much time pretending I'm Pink. I'm obsessed with that one, "Just Give Me a Reason."