Nicole Ari Parker on “And Just Like That” and Beauty Habits

An entire generation of “Sex and the City”-watching women grew up relating to either Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, or Charlotte. But if you didn’t fit into the mold of “the romantic one,” “the brainy one,” “the sexy one,” or “the conservative one,” you were left out of the conversation — not to mention the fact that there wasn’t a single person of color in the main cast. But nearly 20 years after the show aired its last episode, the “And Just Like That. . .” revival brought us an entirely new crop of characters to relate to, including the fabulous Lisa Todd Wexley, played by Nicole Ari Parker.

If you’ve seen the show, Lisa’s character needs no introduction. But if you haven’t, know that she’s a mega-wealthy documentarian who’s happily (and sexily) married to a financier-turned-politician, has three kids, and shows up on time to everything (including school drop-off) decked out in four-inch heels and an Alexander McQueen suit.

She’s so fabulous that even Parker is impressed. “LTW is what I thought I looked like as a mom, but I never really looked like that,” she tells PS. “But I’m proud to be a woman of color on the show — a Black woman from the Upper West Side, a woman that I know and everyone in my family knows — and to have her represented so well.”

Though, unlike her character, Parker probably isn’t wearing YSL on a Wednesday morning, she’s an inspirational woman in her own right. She’s been acting (in TV, movies, and on Broadway) since the early ’90s, started a line of natural hair-friendly sweatbands, and has two children with her actor husband of 19 years. Now, she’s added another line to her supermom resumé with her latest collaboration with Jergens.

The actor partnered with the, in her words, “iconic” body-care brand to relaunch a limited-edition version of its original Cherry Almond Lotion ($8) in honor of Mother’s Day alongside a gold bracelet she co-designed with Adina Eden. “The scent brings back all kinds of great memories, between getting ready for church on Sunday with my grandmother and my mom not letting me out of the house in my school uniform before rubbing it on my elbows and knees.”

As an adult, this simple practice of applying lotion continues to be an act of love for Parker. “The lotion and perfume are like the last touches of loving myself before I go out into the world,” she says. “It’s affirmation and protection at the same time.”

Now that her kids are on their way to adulthood (her daughter is 19 and her son is 17), it’s become a whole lot easier for Parker to find these moments for herself. “Now that I have actual time to meditate, my spiritual practice has kicked up, and I’m really seeing how important that centering time is,” says Parker. “And sometimes it overlaps with when I get out of the shower and put my lotion on and have time to close my eyes and be grateful for my life.”

It’s small luxuries like these that Parker’s on-screen character has inspired her to embrace in her everyday life off-screen. “One of the gifts that the show has given me personally is that it reminds me to wear my good stuff on a Tuesday. . . I don’t save it for a special occasion anymore. I put all my jewelry on, I put my good shoes on, and I just enjoy the day,” she says. “But you can make your own luxury, too. Perfume can be luxurious, and a good body cream like Jergens can be luxurious. I embrace it all.”

Parker may not be in stilettos at school drop-off, but she’s got all the best parts of Lisa Todd Wexley.

Zoë Weiner is a freelance beauty and wellness writer. Her work has appeared in Bustle, Byrdie, Cosmopolitan, POPSUGAR, GQ, Glamour, Marie Claire, Allure, Self, Brides, and Teen Vogue, among others, and she was the senior beauty editor at Well+Good.