Ariana Madix On 'Love Island USA' Season 8 & Manifesting Her Career

Ariana Madix and I are eavesdropping on the table next to us. We’re seated in the MO Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan, waiting for our coffees to arrive, and I’m telling her about an argument I just overheard at this apparent business meeting — something to do with a hotel stay gone wrong. “What’s the tea?” she wants to know, and we giggle over how much we love trying to guess. The vibes may be off at those strangers’ breakfast table, but over here, they couldn’t be more fun.

Madix is in New York for a series of back-to-back events, parties, and media appearances, including Watch What Happens Live and the NBC Emmys Luncheon. It’s 10 a.m. on a Wednesday, and though she says she’s tired, you wouldn’t know it — the 40-year-old reality star is fresh-faced and glowy, with her newly brunette hair loosely pulled back in a clip. She looks cozy in a black Adidas tracksuit and white sneakers, paired with a Min & Mon bag embroidered with googly eyes and florals and a fluffy turquoise bag chain. “I checked last night and realized I’ve been doing a...