Kristin Chenoweth is pretty much happiness personified. With her vibrant personality and unmatched singing voice, the actress has been making us smile and keeping us entertained for years through her roles in "Wicked," "Schmigadoon!" and Christmas favorites like "Deck the Halls" and "Four Christmases."
That's why she's the perfect person to be spreading the joy of the holiday season. And for her, that starts with decorating. So she's setting the record straight: Yes, you can put your holiday decorations up before Thanksgiving. (She's planning on starting in early November.) "No shame here," Chenoweth tells Shop TODAY.
"In today’s world, there is a lot of negative to focus on," Chenoweth says. "There are [also] lots of reasons to be undivided. I hope this year is special and we can unite ourselves a little bit more with grace, forgiveness and joy. And what better way to start than decor? It just gets you in the mood ... And I think we deserve now, more than any time ever, to look for ways to make us happy."
Chenoweth has partnered with HomeGoods to help celebrate the retailer's Deck The Everything Day. On Nov. 1, all HomeGoods stores will open one hour early, so shoppers can start grabbing their decor as soon as the holiday season unofficially kicks off.
For anyone in New York City, HomeGoods will be hosting a Deck The Everything Day HQ pop-up on Nov. 1 and 2 in Madison Square Park, featuring a life-size gingerbread house and plenty of decorating inspiration. People will also get the chance to meet Chenoweth in person, as she will be there on Nov. 1 between 10 and 11 a.m.
Chenoweth will be spending a fair amount of the holiday season working and traveling for performances in cities like Los Angeles, New Orleans and Atlanta, as well as going between her homes in New York and Nashville. But, like many of us, there's another thing that she's looking forward to about this holiday season in particular — the new "Wicked" movie.
When we spoke back in September, she hadn’t seen the full movie yet. (Though just this week, she attended a screening with Ariana Grande, who will be playing Glinda, the role that Chenoweth originated on Broadway.)
“I’m so excited for her,” Chenoweth told us at the time. “I was there when she found out she was going to audition. I’ve known her since she was a little kid. So, this is a full circle moment for her and for me.”
During the conversation, she reflected on her time playing the iconic character, saying “I really wanted a show that would last. I wanted my Les Mis, I wanted my Phantom. And I got it. Here we are, 21 years later, getting to celebrate the movie. That tells me that I was in something that lasted. And that was my prayer, that was my wish. And as artists, we don’t get those very often. If you get one in your career, you are lucky. And I’ve had a couple and Wicked is one of them."
"It’s emotional — I’m not going to tell you it’s not emotional," Chenoweth continued. "I did that, Idina [Menzel] and I did that. We created that. And now we get to see two other wonderful artists put their stamp on top of what we put our stamp on. It just means it lasted. And I’m going to be celebrating it, I’m going to be celebrating those two girls, they deserve it."
As a part of our Shopping Diaries series, we asked Chenoweth to walk us through some of her current favorite products, from her backstage essentials to the book that she loves to gift.
Shopping Diaries: Kristin Chenoweth
"The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren
Chenoweth says that she often gifts this book, "The Purpose Driven Life." "Though it is written by a minister, it’s not necessarily Christian-based. It’s really about finding your purpose in this world and how to get it. And I love that. It’s just a really fun book. I give that a lot."
Simple Modern Tumbler, 40-Ounce
When we spoke, Chenoweth was sipping from this tumbler. "I love Simple Modern ... they're amazing. They also happen to be made out of Oklahoma, so I’m supporting my Oklahoma girl."
Fontus Green Apple Dry Mouth Lozenges
As a singer and performer, she says that these lozenges (which were developed by another Broadway singer) are one of the things that she uses to help her prep for a show. “These things are sugar-free, but they taste good. They have different flavors, my favorite is green apple. So think about a green apple Jolly Rancher, if you will. It’s like that, but it has glycerin, so it helps the throat keep moisturized. And I don’t go anywhere without them.”
Vicks Sinus Inhaler
Chenoweth counts her throat steamer as another one of her backstage essentials. "You can put medicine in or you can just have distilled water, it just keeps the throat lubricated."
While she didn't mention a specific brand, this option is a popular pick among Amazon shoppers.
Tarte Maracuja Juicy Glow Primer
"There is a primer by Tarte, it has a little bit of color to it. So, in some cases, when I don’t want to do a full face, I just use that primer, put on a little chapstick, curl my eyelashes and it looks so good. It’s even. Everybody has their tricks with their lip liner and eyeliner, but I’m finding how important a good primer is."
Westmore Beauty Body Coverage Perfector
Chenoweth is now in the new musical "The Queen of Versailles," which opened in Boston and is headed to Broadway. For the role, she needed to be tan, so she has been using this tanning alternative. "It doesn’t transfer on your sheets, it's amazing," she says.
Divi Scalp Serum
"I have plaque psoriasis on my head and it can get really bad, especially in the winter. There's a brand called Divi, they have a scalp relief serum that I've just found and it really helps," Chenoweth says.
Sunbeam Electric Heated Blanket
Chenoweth previously told us that she’s a “big cozy person,” and she just shared with us that this electric blanket is one of her comfy essentials for the season. “I take it on my flights with me, I fly all the time and it’s freezing on the planes.” She adds that she’ll likely be gifting a lot of people it this year.
More of Kristin Chenoweth's favorite products
We previously spoke with Chenoweth in Nov. 2023 and she shared some of her other favorite products, including some of her top gifting picks.
Nivea Shimmer Lip Care Moisturizing Lip Balm
Just like us, Chenoweth loves a lazy girl solution to feeling put together with minimal effort. "I love the Nivea [lip balm] in pink shimmer. It makes me look like I sort of have on makeup when I don't want to do anything."
Bio-Oil Skincare Oil
Bio-Oil Moisturizing Body Lotion
"I'm a huge fan of everything Bio-Oil," Chenoweth says. She says that the original oil is great for her "dry crepey skin." "I also like to put it in any parts that feel wrinkly to me. And I swear, I swear it works. They don't want us to know it works! But I swear it's literally helping."
She also uses the moisturizing lotion from the brand. "When I get out of the shower, I slather that on and I slather that on before I go to bed."
Command Clear Medium Wall Hooks
“I’m a fan of the [Command] clear hooks because you can’t see them. And there are ones that are clear hooks for lights. They’re great, they hold the lights beautifully and you can’t see them. So those are great gifts and a great gift for yourself.”
"Not That Fancy" by Reba McEntire
As an "avid reader" who loves autobiographies, Chenoweth says that she's recently been loving Reba McEntire's book, "Not That Fancy." "It has great easy, easy recipes in it, so [for] people like me who don't love to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, it's really fun. But all her anecdotes are just hilarious. She's an Okie like me."
7-Eleven x Crocs US Mega Crush
"This might be nerdy, but I love 7-Eleven and I love Crocs," she says, so the brands' limited-edition collab was right up her alley. "But Crocs are back. I also got the Barbie Crocs. People, those are comfortable, they're great for your feet, get them."
Editor’s note: While the 7-Eleven collaboration is now sold out, you can get the brand’s bestselling classic clog.
Crocs Unisex-Adult Classic Clogs
Badlands Ranch Superfood Bites
Chenoweth wants to make sure your furry friends aren't forgotten either. "My dog is like my child, so I'm a really big fan of Badlands Ranch Dog Food. It's very organic, great for your pet, and I give them to Thunder. Their Super Bites chicken food is what I give her ... she loves it every time I feed her."
Scarlett Dog Design Snow Globe Chunky Necklace
Don't forget about the accessories! "I just got sent two dog necklaces — not collars, necklaces ... If people have pets, there is a new company named Scarlett Dog Designs, you can go on their website and order what you like and they're so cute. So that's good for your pet."
Aviator Nation 5-Stripe Hoodie
Chenoweth says one of her favorite brands for comfy essentials is Aviator Nation. "I love the sweats and sweatshirts, all of them are super soft, as soft on the inside as they are on the outside."
One way to make any piece of clothing or a similar gift feel even more special? By bedazzling it, of course. "I have all my sports teams, all my sweatshirts bedazzled," she says. "I like my shoes bedazzled, sometimes purses, pants." For that, she turns to her go-to custom bedazzler, Haus of Crystals. "She's amazing, she's been bedazzling for me for several years and she does anything. She really does great if you have something that you're like, I'm never going to find that bedazzled, she'll bedazzle it."
Dagne Dover Dakota Neoprene Backpack
"I just recently bought something that's really cool. It's a backpack, it's neoprene — the material — and it's bright pink, but that's my taste. The company is called Dagne Dover," she says. "I have a bad neck and when I want to carry a bunch of crap around, sometimes I need to in the city, it's so lightweight and they're really sturdy."
