#WCW: Former “Bachelorette” and Bestselling Author Andi Dorfman

There’s a very good chance you know of Andi Dorfman. She’s a former “Bachelorette,” but today we know her as a New York Times bestselling author, one of our favorite beauty mavens and a strong-willed New Yorker who is living her best life with one million followers on Instagram. We had the chance to speak with Andi Dorfman to learn more about her new book, her favorite moment in her career (thus far) and to find out what beauty means to her.

Tell us about your new book!

My book is called Single State of Mind, and it's the sequel to my first book, It's Not Okay. I was inspired to write this book for the same reason as I was the first one and that is because I wanted to talk about things that are taboo; things like heartbreak and shame and being single past a certain age. I had so many people reach out to me after they read It's Not Okay telling me how much they related to the book and how much it helped them through their own heartbreak, and I figured why stop there. So now once again, I am purging it onto paper and sharing with readers the ups and downs that come with what happens after you survive the heartbreak.

What moment in your career are you most proud of thus far?

I'd say my proudest accomplishment would be have written, by myself, a New York Times bestselling book. Yeah, never in my wildest imagination did I think I would say that, so I'm going to go with that as being my proudest accomplishment.

What's your favorite makeup product? Is there one that you can't live without?

My favorite makeup product is this illuminating primer by Smashbox. It goes under your makeup and I swear it's automatic glow for your skin. I'm addicted. The product I don't leave home without is my NARS tinted moisturizer. I'm all for the natural look, but I feel too insecure to leave the house with nothing on, this product has good coverage but still looks natural.

Aside from your wallet and phone, what do you keep in your purse at all times?

Hand sanitizer! Living in New York and traveling as much as I do, I am a compulsive hand sanitizer user.

What does beauty mean to you?

Beauty to me is two things. The first being confidence. I think confident people are secure in themselves and tend to be kinder and more accepting of others. They don't put people down, they raise them up and to me a strong, confident kind woman is beautiful. The second is individuality. I think we as women get so caught up in having our makeup look like a Kardashian's or having our bodies look like a model's but I think the most beautiful people in the world are the most unique looking ones.

What advice would you give to your younger self, if you could?

I'd tell myself not to plan for the future because it will most definitely NOT turn out the way I think, but that's the fun part of life, the unknown.

What's your favorite thing about living in NYC?

The energy, no doubt about it. There is something so energizing and magnetic about New York City that you can't replicate anywhere. On any given night a million different people are doing a million different things all in one city. It creates this buzz that makes you feel more alive than ever.

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