“I recently had a really bad breakout,” singer Nessa Barrett confesses at the start of her skin care routine. “It was the first time in my life, and it got me to start taking good care of my skin.”
Much of her product choices are influenced by K-beauty. Her routine begins with a double cleanse (her wonder duo is Softymo’s Speedy Cleansing Oil and a bacteria-battling sulfur bar soap), followed by a favorite of Beauty Secrets stars and Vogue editors alike: the two-step Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel. “I’ve been using these for three years. When I get lazy, I’ll go back to these and they save my life.”
Next up, Barrett doubles up on toners. First she pats on the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, followed by Etude’s SoonJung pH 5.5 Relief Toner. “This is another one of my K-beauty products.” Then a little spritz of Mario Badescu’s Rose Water Facial Spray. “I use this to rehydrate my face because the next step needs moist skin. Snail Mucin has helped my skin so much,” Barrett says of the CosRx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. After a few more skin care steps (an acne-clearing serum, eye cream, sunscreen, and lip balm), it’s time for makeup.
“My first step is the brows,” she says while swiping on Anastasia Beverly Hills Strong Hold Clear Brow Gel. “I love the ’90s brow, and sometimes I will pluck way too much.” Next she accentuates her natural freckles and moles by adding more with the ColourPop Cosmetics Dark Brown Freckle Pen. “Do you see this pimple right there? Sometimes I’ll put concealer on it, but you can also make it into a freckle.”
Barrett continues to contour her nose with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit, “to lift it a little bit.” Then she uses the Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Liquid Lip Blush & Cheek Tint for a sun-kissed look.
“This next step makes my natural makeup look more glam,” Barrett says. “It’s all about the lips.” She uses two of Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Lip Liners to get the finished plump look. “The moment I turned 17, I got lip filler. Then I became embarrassed about the lip filler, and now I feel very pleased with (my lips).”