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“When I was growing up, I was obsessed with Beyoncé and Janet Jackson. I saw the breadth of what being a female artist could be through them—they were so commanding and they held this energetic spirit that helped me imagine what my life could be like if I ever made it out of my hometown. Dance was the path I took first because I got praise for it early on—and, I was quite self-conscious of my voice. But after 2017, I felt like I had reached the peak of my dance career when I was in Rihanna and N.E.R.D.’s ‘Lemon’ music video. I knew that that opportunity, to be a soloist and have a full creative concept devised around you, was so unique. To me, it doesn’t get bigger than that, so I threw myself into film and landed in Hustlers and Barbie. Through these experiences, I finally garnered the confidence to pursue music. I figured I had to get out of my own way and do away with the narrative in my head that I wasn’t ready. Since then, I’ve come out with my EP, Mettenarrative, and I’ve worked with producers like Zone who have helped me identify my sound, which is sticky pop and alternative R&B. And I’ve been fortunate enough to perform my own shows, but also to open for artists like Jungle and Taylor Swift.
SKINCARE
A lot of beauty secrets aren’t necessarily about the products you use but about your lifestyle—little habits, like sleeping on the opposite side of the pillow every night, are important to me. I don’t touch my face unless I have clean hands. I try my best not to pop a pimple. I don’t ever put my phone on my face to take a call—I use my Airpods. I had bad acne as a teen and my self-confidence really struggled because of it. I took Accutane for a while, and that was brutal in a different way. I had these bad breakouts and then I was dealing with the side effects of the medication. But I learned that I needed to have a consistent routine.
I double cleanse with Skinfix’s foaming oil cleanser. My skin is really sensitive. One time, I used a vitamin C serum that caused my skin to burn, and this was the only cleanser that didn’t make my skin feel tight and flaky. I cleanse in the morning, but especially at night. Or even if I have a rehearsal in the middle of the day, I cleanse after, too. If I’m taking makeup off, I grab Clinique’s Take The Day Off balm. I used it a lot when I was filming Barbie and the makeup was so heavy. For my eyes though, I like Novehea’s cleansing wipes because they’re so good for sensitive skin.
Actives are so popular right now, but I don’t really use them. Just once or maybe twice a week, I’ll exfoliate with Oskia’s Liquid Mask, a lactic acid micro-peel. I leave it on for 15 minutes maximum.
Embryolisse’s Lait Crème Sensitive is a three-in-one for me—it’s a primer, it’s a moisturizer, it’s a mask—and I love that because I can take it on the road with me and not overpack. It’s also non-comedogenic. My makeup artist, Aimee Twist, put me on to it. And then I’m really careful about wearing sunscreen. I love Ultra Violette’s Queen Screen SPF 50+. It gives me this dewiness that shines through even under foundation.
Body-wise, I love Glossier’s Body Hero Dry-Touch Oil Mist. I love that it’s in a spray bottle because I hate having to unscrew oil bottles and worry about it spilling on my clothes. It gives you a nice glow, but most importantly, because it’s dry-touch, it doesn’t have this slick quality where I have to worry about it on stage. Like, if I wear a regular body oil and I get on my knees on stage, I have to worry about slipping on that spot when I get up again. I have to think about technical things like that. I also love Glossier’s Crème de You. It smells so good. I don’t like to wear body lotion when I’m about to get in bed, but after I work out and shower, I like to moisturize heavily. There’s a tactile nature to applying the cream that gives me a lot of comfort. I also can’t have my phone in my hand when I’m putting lotion on, so there’s an introspective element that I appreciate, too.
MAKEUP
When I’m on stage, I wear a cat eye because I need a little something extra. Otherwise, my makeup is pretty minimal. I wear Glossier’s Stretch Fluid Foundation and Glossier’s Stretch Concealer in Light 5. I only really use the concealer to hide the redness under my nose. I just got into makeup during the pandemic, and my girls in London were obsessed with Stretch [concealer]. It’s creamy and never appears too heavy or cakey. I love to use my clean fingers to apply it.
I love to contour with Tom Ford’s Shade and Illuminate Duo, which I apply with Glossier’s Stretch Face Brush and blend with my fingers. I sort of use it as a bronzer, too, and put a tiny bit on my temples and brow bones. And if I want some sparkle, I reach for Surrat’s Artistique Liquid Highlighter in Chichi. It gives you this incredible sunset glow. Again, I kind of want to look like a disco ball, so I add Freck’s Slimelight [discontinued]. Those two go on stage with me every single time. But if it’s a no makeup day in LA and I just want a little something, Westman Atelier’s Lit Up stick in Nectar is the one. I put a little bit on my lids, lips—honestly, everywhere. It’s perfect.
Huda Beauty’s Quick ‘N Easy liquid liner in Very Vanta is my go-to for eyeliner, and MAC’s Semi-Sweet Times Nine Palette [discontinued] is my go-to for eyeshadow. It has every shade I need. I love a ‘90s supermodel brow moment, so I carve those out with this palette since it doesn’t have any shimmer whatsoever. But the best thing about this palette is that I can also use it in my hairline. If I need to build volume or if I need to create more of a part in my lace front, I can use the shades in here.
HAIR
Day-to-day, I keep my natural hair back and spray a touch of Göt2b’s Glued Freeze spray to keep a few flyaways down. But when I’m performing and I want to look good, I have my hair down when I’m wearing my wig—I love her. It makes me feel larger than life. Cory Moreno, who used to work under Vernon François and has since worked with people like Lil Nas X, is my hairstylist. He helped me figure out how to bring in hair as another element on stage. It just adds this drama that I never knew I needed. After I got my wig, I was like, ‘I’m going to need fans on stage because I want the hair to move. It’s a part of it.’”
—As told to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Anete Hiie in London on August 21, 2024