Singer and rapper Lizzo, 31, is one of the buzziest acts in music right now, what with her fierce lyrics, outspoken personality and fashion presence. She is also about to cross over into film, with a role in “Hustlers,” out Sept. 13. Lizzo, who is an Urban Decay brand ambassador, lives in Los Angeles. Here, she dishes on her skin rehab, impossible standards and what she does first thing in the morning.
Lizzo at the NoMad Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. (Alex Welsh/The New York Times)
On waking up
I’m real bizarre, but I believe in water first thing. Water is really important for face and hair. I go to the bathroom and, believe or not, hit myself with some Evian spray to the face.
Evian Brumisateur Facial Spray. (Alex Welsh/The New York Times)
Skin glow-up
So I was on the road, and I was sleeping in my makeup a bunch. It was so embarrassing. What am I, a child? And I was waking up and thinking I’m invincible, nothing can happen to me! Then one day my face broke out — not even broke out in acne, but red and irritated. I was like, “Oh my God, this is what happens when you party all night and you don’t wash off your makeup.”
I went through skin rehab. Listen, I was in face masks — the Peter Thomas Roth green tea face mask, literally every night. It was really scary. I thought my skin would never come back. I told my makeup artist, Alexx Mayo: I really have to get serious about my skin care, and he introduced me to the Sunday Riley products.
I have the C.E.O. Glow oil — it’s so sick. There’s vitamin C and turmeric in it. I’m obsessed with the way vitamin C smells — like oranges. I love oils in general. Black girls, we’re always using cocoa butter, coconut oil and shea butter on our bodies. I’m an oily bitch.
C.E.O. Glow by Sunday Riley. (Alex Welsh/The New York Times)
If it’s night, I use Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip face wash. I have the whole Sunday Riley system now. I don’t mix systems. I would mix if I felt like it, but if it works for me, I don’t mess with it.
Barely-there makeup
I just went to Hawaii and got burned because I didn’t use sunscreen. So I’ve been really adamant about having some kind of SPF in my tinted moisturizer. Right now, I use the Laura Mercier and the Nars ones. I do the tinted moisturizer, and then I do concealer — the Urban Decay Stay Naked.
Urban Decay Stay Naked concealer. (Alex Welsh/The New York Times)
Then I do mascara. I use Urban Decay Perversion. I used to do lash extensions, but my eyes got really swollen. So instead of the falsies, I just build a lash. You just got to take some time with it. Build a lash, baby.
I have Urban Decay brow powder. It’s hard to find a realistic color for my brows that’s thick enough but also has the right texture to look like the hair on my brows. Eyebrow pencils can be a weird color. This is so easy to apply.
Big hair don’t care
I’ve been really excited about my natural hair journey. I’ve been trying to rock more wigs — Dare to Have Hair has been amazing — to let my real hair breathe instead of putting in all these extensions and stuff and straightening my hair. My hairstylist Shelby Swain puts the Mane Choice Daily Hair Dressing in my hair every time she’s about to braid me down for my wigs. It smells really good — it’s got a lemon scent.
"Doesn’t Get Much Butter Than This" hair dressing. (Alex Welsh/The New York Times)
Then, you know, we got to do the baby hairs. I have Instant Control, which is better on my edges than what I used to use. I’ve gotten into DevaCurl shampoo. It’s really dope and smells so good. I also use Innersense. It’s a super-clean beauty brand. I went to the Curl Doctor — he’s based here in LA — and he brings curls back to life. He cut all my curls individually and put me on Innersense.
Instant Control Edge and Braid Gel. (Alex Welsh/The New York Times)
I’m just getting hip to the skin on top of your head being as important as your face. There are pores there. They can get clogged. Shelby has this steamer that I sit underneath, and we’ll put a little peppermint oil and jojoba oil and steam my scalp. That’s my favorite new hair practice.