Here’s What Keke Palmer Eats, Drinks and Cleans—Yes, Cleans—on Her Nights In (and She’s Not Sorry for Any of It)
Perfect Night In is a series where we ask actors, artists, entrepreneurs, and beyond how they’d spend the ultimate luxury—a blissful evening at home.
It’s fair to say that Keke Palmer had an eventful summer: Not only did she co-star with Jennifer Lopez in “Hustlers,” but she also joined Michael Strahan and Sara Haines as a host on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” But if you grew up in the early 2000s, you might have first seen Palmer in Disney Channel’s original movie “Jump In” or Nickelodeon’s sitcom “True Jackson, VP”.
Just recently, she walked her first New York Fashion Week runway as part of her partnership with Olay Body and rocked a bedazzled Christian Cowan dress—and still had time to create a meme-worthy moment.
While she’s not slowing down anytime soon, everyone needs a night to stay in and unwind. So when we asked Palmer to paint the perfect night in, she knew exactly what she would be doing—hanging with Aaliyah and Whitney Houston, among many other things. See the full interview below.
Set the Scene
Describe your perfect homebody scene in five words: Old movies, bed, wine, phone.
Are you alone or with someone else? I’m alone.
What’s your night-in uniform? My birthday suit.
What two people, dead or alive, would you let crash your night? Aaliyah and Whitney Houston, love. That would be a night to remember: a slumber party for the queens, okay?
Favorite thing for a cozy night: Saying my prayers before I go to bed and make sure that I try to get into a sense of peace before I close my eyes. Then I can be woken up into a bright day.
Now Playing
TV or a movie? A movie.
What are you watching? My favorite movie is called “The Wood” because it’s a coming of age story. It’s really dope and the comedy is fabulous. If I’m going down another lane, it’s going to be something in that same era.
Silence or music? Quiet unless I’m watching something, I like everything to be quiet.
E-books or the real deal? I don’t mind eBooks, they’re fine. I love real books, but they’re not as easy and accessible.
What are you reading? Right now I’m not reading something, I’m actually doing a lot more journaling.
Board games: yay or nay? Yay! Monopoly, even though it causes fights.
What’s Cooking
Order in or cook for yourself? If I’m going to be alone, I’m most likely ordering in.
What are you eating? I’m ordering pizza and pasta. I don’t order sushi because that’s just a bad idea, although I love sushi.
What drink are you pouring? A drink I’m always pouring is rosé. When I was a little bit younger I used to be about the shots, but ever since I turned 26, oh no honey. I’m definitely a wine girl.
What’s for dessert? I’m not really a sweet eater, but if I’m going to it’s something along the lines of a doughnut or a butter cake, every now and then a crème brûlée.
Late-night snack? Guacamole and chips or plantain chips, but mostly water.
Take Care
Do you have a self-care ritual? Yes, I usually do everything the night before, especially when it comes to how early my schedule starts. I’ll do my skincare routine in the shower. I usually use my body wash Olay Ultra Moisture. Sometimes I do a hair treatment, I go under the steamer, and I take my behind to bed.
What do you try to avoid at all costs? I’m staying away from anything that I have to unsnap or become completely naked in the bathroom for. That’s such a drag.
Candles: yay or nay? (if yay, what’s your favorite?) Yay! Love candles. Alexandra Winbush, great candles.
Face masks: yay or nay? Yay! I don’t have a favorite face mask, I’m the kind of girl that goes in and picks whatever looks and smells good.
Bubble bath: yay or nay? Most definitely yay. When it comes to bubble baths, [I use] whatever smells good, whatever I know is a good product.
Chores: yay or nay? I’m the kind of person where my house has to be clean or organized. It’s hard for me to feel really relaxed if there’s a lot of chaos going on wherever I’m staying. The chores would be making sure my clothes are at least in the laundry bin, any food that I’ve eaten is not around while I’m sleeping and I’ve already thrown it away, and make sure that my shoes are in a specific spot. I like everything to have its space.
Ideal bedtime? At the latest, 12 a.m. I don’t play around, I gotta get up too early.
Thanks for chatting with us, Keke!