On My Vanity: DeuxMoi

In Linger Magazine’s On My Vanity series, we chat with DeuxMoi, the modern age’s Lady Whistledown.

For context, if you’re not one of the 1.4 million followers on Instagram, DeuxMoi is, and runs, an eponymous celebrity gossip social media account that “publishes rumors & conjecture” AKA tea on Hollywood's famous faces submitted by its readers.

Lore has it, DeuxMoi was formerly a dormant fashion account when a lull in quarantine gave the handle a new meaning. Its proprietor posed a question asking followers about any interactions with celebrities. “I didn’t know what kind of feedback I would get at the time,” DeuxMoi shares. But anecdotes poured in and soon set up the formula for what’s to become today’s buzzed-about society papers. From reported sightings to salacious blinds and Q&As across celeb-adjacent topics: wild rider requests, “coolest celebs” and intel on star-studded hotspots and coffee orders – Nicole Kidman apparently loves a super foamy bone dry cappuccino, today, hundreds of submissions flood in daily.

Safe to say, the life of DeuxMoi is a jam-packed one. The zeitgeist’s gossip queen continues to hold down a “vanilla” day job by day, while evenings are dedicated to the flurry of DMs and submissions that fill up her inbox. Not to mention, podcasts “Deux U” and “Deux Me After Dark" hosted weekly, featuring guests across the pop culture sphere, round out Deux's ventures. But despite the 24/7 gig, the joys of running DeuxMoi, the founder credits are to the community of readers that’s been built, which she says is the “best part” of it all.

While DeuxMoi’s identity will remain a mystery until the foreseeable future, perhaps for another “twenty or thirty years” -- ahead, we at least get to know DeuxMoi a little deeper. In Linger's chat, we unravel the complexities of entrepreneurship, how the gossip guru unwinds, and for the first time reveals who her dream guest would be for “Deux Me After Dark,” followed by a roundup on which favorite products sit upon DeuxMoi’s vanity.

First off, how’s it going? How are you?

It’s a busy time, you know? It’s a little overwhelming, but I’m chugging along.

DeuxMoi has such a massive presence. It’s grown so much over the past few years.

The account has gone through so many stages. I was so surprised by how many people started sending in their stories. I wasn’t like let’s turn this into a gossip account. It was out of boredom and I had a lot of time on my hands. I read all my DMs, which are probably in the hundreds. I don’t really have a choice but to open all the mail.

I’m going to assume you have a Type-A personality.

Exactly, yes. There is a part of me that needs to do certain things in order to move on with my day. I think it helps. I really have to prioritize. I don’t think I’d be able to run the account if I wasn’t like that.

How do you unwind from being DeuxMoi?

I’ll take some weed [laughs]. I don’t really drink that much anymore, which is weird. I don’t want to be hungover – I don’t have time for hangovers. With a little pot, you just fall asleep and it’s fine in the morning. I am also genuinely a fan of the entertainment that I recommend, so in my spare time, I’m watching those shows or movies.

What are you watching currently?

I’m watching The Dropout, which I’m obsessed with – Elizabeth Holmes. I’m really into all the real-life scammers like Super Pumped on Showtime and obviously Bad Vegan. I watched it in like a day. I watched Deep Water – I got so many emails about this movie. I was expecting it to be so bad. Maybe I just have low brow taste [laughs] but it’s not that bad. Have you seen?

[Laughs] It was interesting. I wish I understood what things meant more deeply, but I thought the performances were great. Anna is very captivating.

That’s so funny. I literally tweeted that she’s captivating in it but a little annoying.

Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas paparazzi walks will live rent-free in my head. There’s quite a split on the legitimacy of their relationship. Whether it was PR or genuine.

They seemed to really like each other. And so I was like, “Well, is it real?” After they broke up, somebody messaged me that it was a total PR relationship and she wants nothing to do with him. Then I heard a rumor that they were at a Golden Globe afterparty together – before he got back together with [Jennifer Lopez] – and he was trying to rekindle but she wanted nothing to do with it. I’m going to say 80% of the relationship was for the movie. That’s what I think.

Will you watch WeCrashed?

Yeah. All these entrepreneur shows are so good. I’m really here for that trend that’s happening right now. I always think if I was given $50 million to blow up DeuxMoi, how would I be? Whether it’s because of ego or bad management. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.

Is there an avenue you’d like to tap into next for DeuxMoi?

I would love to have my own platform of some sort. It’s really hard to just always rely on Instagram because it’s somebody else’s rules you’re operating on. I think the next step will be figuring that out. I mean, I’m never going to leave Instagram completely but I would love to have a home for my content whether the answer is a website or an app that would be the next step besides the exciting things that are happening now like the podcast and the live show. I have a couple of other things I’m working on but as far as content that would be the next step.

Are you a music fan?

I love music. I love rap music – Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Drake.

Any podcast recommendations?

I don’t really listen to podcasts but my own [laughs]. I work on my podcasts three days a week where I have to interview, listen, and edit so that’s all I’m listening to.

On “Deux U” and “Deux Me After Dark” guests like RHONY’s Leah McSweeney and the Enty Lawyer, a fellow blind item legend, made guest appearances. Who would be a dream guest?

Guests are a little bit different for the Greenroom [“Deux Me After Dark”]. Audiences can interview the guests and guests on [“Deux U”] are people that I would have a conversation with. I would say for the Greenroom, I would love to have John [Mayer] on there.

Oh! I feel like he’d have a great time.

Yeah, that’s the pipe dream. Maybe if people keep asking me and I keep saying it, I’ll speak it into existence. I think he’d be great because he loves his fans. He loves to talk to his fans and he’s really good at social media. He knows what’s been posted about him.

You are quite the mystery yourself. For the people, will you ever reveal yourself?

I really don’t have plans to. In the future like 20 or 30 years down the line when I’m retired and not doing this anymore it could be fun. But definitely not anytime soon. I would love for the account to grow and I would love to become more popular but that doesn’t mean I need to be. I want it to be about the company account, not about me. I’ve always wanted that.

Yeah, I think that’s the fun part of it too. It feels like you’re one of us.

I mean I am one of you, like really. There’s nothing really surprising about me. It wasn’t to be annoying or be mysterious. I didn’t think it would add anything to the experience. I kept my circle super, super tight so the people I hang out with are the people who know about the account already – I would say friends and family, maybe like 15 [people].

You’re very connected to the readers.

I love the community that [DeuxMoi] has built. I think that’s the best part. It’s the people.

- As told to Haein Jung

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Here are the top 5 products on DeuxMoi’s vanity, she shares with Linger Magazine:

Augustinus Bader The Cream

That’s the best moisturizer I’ve ever used on my face. I can’t think more highly of it. It’s a little bit pricey but it’s worth every penny. It evens out your complexion, moisturizes, and has the most beautiful faint, sweet smell. It makes my morning to apply it.

Isle Of Paradise Self Tanning Water

I try to stay out of the sun but I like a little bit of a glow. This doesn’t get really drippy, and it colors very evenly. If I’m super pale or I just need a little pick me up, I’ll spray it on my face and my chest then go back and put makeup over it. It gives you that, like, extra oomph.

Vacation Eau De Toilette

I’m a sucker for anything that smells like suntan lotion or coconutty or like the beach. This brand also makes suntan lotion. They have a really cool Instagram feed, like a vacation theme and it just smells like a vacation. Everything I just described, that’s what it smells like.

Moon Juice Acid Potion

I use the Moon Juice Potion at night after I wash my face or take my makeup off. I use it at night and it really just tightens your skin. It also helps even out your complexion. It’s a really good product. Moon Juice also does adaptogens and that’s how the company started but they also branched off into skincare and supplements and this product is a part of their skincare.

Leonor Greyl Masque Quintessence

So this hair mask, I don’t use that often. It’s tricky. I love the results but hate the process. Like, I hate sitting there with a mask on my hair. But the results with this particular hair mask come out so, so soft. It’s definitely the best hair mask I ever tried. I would recommend using it once every few weeks.