The days of roaming CVS’ makeup aisles with your phone in hand to look up reviews and swatches are over. The drugstore chain just announced that it’s making some substantial changes to its beauty perks program, meaning it’s about to become even easier to cash in ExtraBucks and find the products you’re looking for.
If you’re already part of Ulta or Sephora’s loyalty programs, some of the new rewards will sound similar—like free samples and birthday gifts, which will become available to CVS ExtraCare Beauty Club members starting this July, a rep for the brand confirmed Glamour. Also coming are exclusive deals and events like early online access to new beauty launches, so no more waiting for a release to reach your store only for the display to sell out. A monthly beauty trend report is likewise launching, along with a change to the way ExtraBucks are calculated. With the new system, for every $30 you spend on beauty, you get $3 ExtraBucks Rewards back. If you weren’t paying close attention to how the system worked before, you used to get $5 for every $50 spent, so the brand says you’ll now reach rewards nearly twice as fast. And in the unlikely case that you need help spending your money, CVS will begin hosting themed shopping events for Beauty Club members each month.
Real beauty goes beyond the surface—and so do we. Sign up for our newsletter to get honest reviews, personal essays, and more every day.
If you’re not following Ariana Grande’s every move, your mental picture of her probably includes a half-up pony or high, swinging one, liner that makes her already-big eyes look huge, and if you’re clicking through her stories on social media, more often than not an animal-face filter. It’s fun, and it’s her thing, and that’s respectable.
But on the cover of British Vogue‘s July’s issue, Grande’s done a 180. Replacing her signature vibe is long, blond hair—wore down—and natural makeup that lets her freckles pop through. It’s the kind of raw, stripped-down beauty look that’s come to signify women reclaiming their identities in the pop music world.
By now, it’s a familiar routine. Just look at the stack of newsworthy popstar beauty moments from last year, and you’ll see stars swapping their highly-styled, glamorous images for beauty looks that really do seem like they could’ve woken up like that. The list is long: Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and Ke$ha have all embraced this move to a more pared-down look recently. It’s like a visual acknowledgement that these women no longer have to spend thousands of dollars to look larger than life. They can present themselves as themselves, and still be the pop powerhouses ruling the industry.
Of course, it’s hard to say whether anyone’s really wearing makeup or not on magazine covers, and how much of the decision came from Grande’s camp or Vogue‘s. But from the looks of it, Grande’s wearing at most some blush, lipstick, face makeup that lets her freckles shine through, and a gorgeous color of blond in her hair. Even outside of the pop music world, it’s what people are feeling; just the word “freckles” calls to mind Meghan Markle and her nearly barefaced walk down the aisle.
As ever with celebrities, it’s hard to say what inspired Grande’s switch from her old look to this one—or whether this will look will even extended beyond her cover. But we do know that this year has been a big one for her. Especially in the wake of the Manchester bombing, she tells Vogue that it’s been difficult to express how deeply she was affected.
“It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss. But, yeah, it’s a real thing,” she says. “I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well. Time is the biggest thing. I feel like I shouldn’t even be talking about my own experience—like I shouldn’t even say anything. I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.” As the saying goes, a picture speaks louder than words. So maybe this is Grande letting us in; looking strong but delicate, young but wise, and wholly herself.
The other day, I found myself staring at the latest collection from Melt Cosmetics online. I’d been eyeing it on Instagram for weeks. Did I need it? No. But it’d been at least five months since I last bought myself makeup, so I clicked add to cart and got all $200 worth of the line.
While this might seem like a common splurge for many makeup enthusiasts, it definitely feels like something others might judge me for—honestly, it’s something I judge myself for at times. Despite the fact I that usually only buy makeup around three times a year, as someone who’s unemployed, I don’t exactly have money to spare.
After being diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses—the biggest being Lyme disease—I’m now living at home with my parents at the age of 27 because my illnesses have taken over my ability to go out and live my own life. While other twentysomethings joke that “adulting” is hard, I’ve had to ration the $12,000 I saved as I pushed my way through internships and entry-level jobs. But I’m lucky that’s not always on my mind. I’ve got too many other things to worry about.
Right now my focus is on being less sick or perhaps just feeling “fine.” I’m often exhausted and lightheaded; starving and completely without an appetite. I have both insomnia and the inability to wake up. Sometimes my joints get so swollen, it hurts too much even hold my phone. And when I’m struck with a bout of intense nausea, I’m just happy I don’t accidentally throw up on my cat. Through all that, though, I still have to muster up the energy to go to weekly doctor appointments and treatments.
Most of this feels like a bearable discomfort, because I’m so used to it all by now. And yet, when I look at myself, barefaced, in the mirror, all I still see is a sick person.
While some may see makeup as frivolous—or worse, a costly, empty pastime that somehow makes you vapid—for me, it’s therapeutic.
I first started caring, like really caring, about makeup when I was 18. I’d just started to develop skin condition on my face. I couldn’t just cover it with concealer; I thought I needed full-on foundation. To not look gaunt, I thought, why not add some blush? Ooh, and highlighter? If I was going that far, I might as well enjoy doing my eye makeup and throw on some lipstick for good measure. Before long, makeup grew into a hobby. And then when I got really sick, my use for it evolved again. It became my armor—a shield to protect my self-esteem. I might be sick, but I don’t have to look it.
More than that, it’s also a ritual that helps calm my mind. While some may see makeup as frivolous—or worse, a costly, empty pastime that somehow makes you vapid—for me, it’s therapeutic. It’s a soothing, creative outlet that doesn’t drain my energy. And believe me, energy is a precious commodity when you’re dealing with chronic illness. One night out, and I can sleep until the evening of the next day, or worse, I’ll wake up in twice my normal pain. As I’m constantly bombarded with the ramifications of my illnesses, finding small things I can enjoy from the comfort of my home is essential.
I think deep down it bothers me because I wish I were well enough to work and actually afford these things like a person in “good health” would.
While I spend time every day, twice a day, on skin care, I only actually do my makeup when someone is coming to visit or when I’m leaving the house. A lot of the time, this means I’m putting my best face forward for my weekly hospital visits, where I get stabbed with a needle to receive much appreciated saline infusions.
I try my best to schedule at least one hour to take my time doing my makeup and I always look forward to it. I find real joy sitting down in front of my mirror, eyeshadow brush in hand to sweep a luxurious shade over my lids, followed by a flick of liner to create the perfect cat eye. When I do this, my illness isn’t at the forefront of my mind. Sure, I think about covering up my dark circles, and my face often looks puffy or swollen because of my illnesses, but apart from that, beauty truly is an escape.
By this logic, I know I shouldn’t feel shame or guilt when I do decide to buy makeup. But it’s the same feeling I get when I travel or go to a concert or even just to the movies. I think deep down it bothers me because I wish I were well enough to work and actually afford these things like a person in “good health” would.
So when I do choose to spend $200 on makeup, that ability comes down to my privilege of having family who can offer the financial and emotional support that every person with chronic illness desires. They worry about me, they care about my overall wellbeing, they make sure I get all the treatments I need, and they try to help me have a semblance of a normal life when they can. But still there’s that little voice in my head that tells me I don’t deserve nice things. Because if it weren’t for my parents’ support, I wouldn’t have them. I’d probably be thousands of dollars in medical debt, except I have zero credit and no job so I’d probably just have to forgo essential treatments and visits to my Lyme-literate doctor instead.
Without my parents’ financial aid, I’d probably be struggling to talk and living with excruciating pain. Once I start thinking of those what ifs, I have to back way up and remind myself I’m lucky. So, yes, still having savings that I can spend on small pleasures is a privilege, but I take it as it is and try very hard to just live my life.
When my package from Melt finally arrived, I could feel the excitement reverberate throughout myself. Once I got the box open, I wanted to touch all the pretty new products, but instead I opened each one with care, looked at it, then put it back. It felt like these were too nice to use, but I waited in anticipation for an outing where I would be able to show them off. As usual, someone would probably compliment my makeup, “Wow you look great, you must be doing better!” and I would give my go-to response, “No, that’s just the magic of makeup.”
By this point, it’s difficult to imagine there’s something we don’t already know about the royal wedding. Everything from Meghan Markle’s dress to her bouquet to her tiara to her hair to her wedding cake to the blisters she got from her Aquazurra heels has been dissected ad naseum. (Kidding about that last one—Meghan and Harry handed out slippers to guests so their feet wouldn’t hurt—but with the level of obsession we’re now at, it could be a tabloid headline any minute.) The one detail that’s largely remained a mystery, however, is Markle’s makeup.
We know it was soft, radiant, and—importantly—not used to cover her freckles. The Internet’s been so enamored by them, in fact, searches for freckle-friendly makeup spiked on Pinterest immediately after the wedding. Her eyes were neutral with just a sweep of brown shadow and her lashes somehow didn’t drip black at that lip bite. You know the one.
As Kensington Palace announced on Saturday, the look was created by renowned makeup artist Daniel Martin—a surprise to those who believed the rumors Meghan would be doing her own bridal makeup, like Kate Middleton, but not those familiar with Martin’s work. Repped by The Wall Group, he got his start with the legendary Pat McGrath, and went on to land contracts as a Dior brand ambassador and Honest Beauty’s creative color consultant. He’s worked with celebrities including Chrissy Teigen, Jessica Alba, Elisabeth Moss—and, of course, Meghan, whom he met during her Suits days.
Among the beauty community, everyone was in agreement: no one deserved the role more. (Truly, he’s an absolute delight to be around. You should watch some videoswe’ve done together!) And it’s in that spirit he’s sharing all of his details from the big day. Read on to get that Markle Sparkle.
Glamour: Everyone was obsessing over Meghan’s freckles. Why was it important to her that they show through?
Daniel Martin: She’s very much about keeping her skin as real and natural as possible. Right now in makeup, so much is covered up and masked by contouring, strobing, and creating this false dimension to what you naturally have. On your wedding day, you want to look back at your photos and think about how great you felt in your dress and not be distracted by how trendy your makeup was in 2018. I focused on bringing out her best self and elevating it to a level, that you’re not necessarily able to achieve yourself.
Glamour: What was your secret to sheering out her foundation so that her natural beauty shined through?
DM: Meghan has incredible skin. I started by prepping her skin with a clarifying toner, water-based moisturizer, and a Korean sunscreen that also acts as a foundation gripper to lock down foundation. Then I just balanced and neutralized any discolorations where needed with concealer and foundation. I like to use water-based foundations because it absorbs well into your skin without becoming oily over time.
PHOTO: Chris Jackson
Glamour: What did you and Meghan discuss for the look? Can you tell us more about that process?
DM: We text a lot because I’m always traveling and the time difference between our two countries is challenging to just hop on a call. So we basically did our trial over the phone! Because we know each other so well, it was actually easy.
Glamour: What was your inspiration for the look?
DM: We didn’t have a specific person as our inspiration, but our anchor descriptions were timeless, effortless, and chic. She wanted to look like her best self.
Glamour: What inspired you and Meghan to do a focus-on-the-eyes look?
DM: There’s something magical that happens to the iris’ of her eyes when you add warm tones of rusts or copper close to them (in the tight line or waterline). With this in mind, I wanted her eyes to almost “flutter” as she looked up at Harry (he’s 6’1″). I customized and shaped out some corner lashes to give her that doe-eye look, pulling them out on the outer corners. This added weight to her natural lashes without looking heavy.
Glamour: What’s your secret for such a natural-looking smoky eye?
DM: The trick to this technique is to lay down a base of cream color all over your lid and layer it with an accompanied eyeshadow. I used shades of warm chestnut, cocoa, and smudge of rust into her lash line. This melds and breaks down naturally over time, creating a depth that appears smudgy and smoky in pictures.
Glamour: What did you do to make her cheeks look so radiant and glowy?
DM: I used a luminizer with a dual fiber brush to stipple on top of her foundation. I then used my finger to lightly tap a cream coral color on the apples of her cheeks to add a slight flush as well.
PHOTO: JONATHAN BRADY
PHOTO: Karwai Tang
Glamour: What did you use on her lips?
DM: I made sure her lips were well hydrated, but I opted for a tinted lip balm that gave color without looking like heavy lipstick. We wanted a natural flush.
Glamour: What tricks did you use to make sure Meghan’s makeup stayed in place all day?
DM: We used blotting papers for her forehead, around her nose, and chin. And makeup-wise, I only used powder on her forehead, that’s it!
PHOTO: WPA Pool
Glamour: Did you give her any products or touch-up advice for the reception?
DM: After we got her ready for the reception, she was on her own. I gave her her favorite blot papers and lipstick and she was off!
Glamour: Did you do anything to accentuate her shoulders or collarbone in that gorgeous Givenchy gown? What about her Stella McGartney evening dress?
DM: The same luminizer that I used on her face, was also on her body. You have to keep the continuity for it to appear harmonious from head to toe.
Glamour: How did you make sure her makeup looked good both in person and in photos?
DM: Because I had to think about live TV, in the church and high noon light, I needed to understand what I could and couldn’t do on her face. With that being said, it’s important where you create the depth and add light. Too much of both can look overdone in both situations and not flattering on a big screen. My advice is to choose your best asset and accentuate it. That helps keeps the balance on camera as well.
Makeup artist Daniel Martin
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
For nine non-stop months, we speculated about what Meghan Markle’s wedding makeup was going to look like, and on Saturday, she did not disappoint when she rolled up in her Rolls sporting her signature glow (and those freckles!). It was rumored that she might do her own makeup, but in the end and in true Meghan style, she opted to have her long-time friend and makeup artist, Daniel Martin help her out. Lucky for us, Glamour, too, has been a long-time friend of the Dior Brand Ambassador and Honest Beauty Creative Color Consultant, so we rounded up the best insider tricks he’s given us about glowy skin over the years. Here’s how to get it right.
Prep Your Skin Even the fanciest foundation with major moisturizing and illuminating properties in the world won’t look good on dry skin. Before any kind of makeup, you need to “wake up your complexion” with a non-greasy moisturizer, said Martin. (Try Dior Hydra Life Hydration Rescue Intense Sorbet Creme.) Smooth on a pea-sized amount, then massage your face for a few minutes to plump things up and boost circulation. Ditto for your eyes. “Hydrate with an eye balm or eye cream first to build up resistance to the layers it takes to cover up dark circles,” he once told us. (We love Honest Beauty The Depuffed Eye Gel.) Once your skin is properly hydrated, anything you put on top—foundation, concealer, powder—goes on a lot smoother and lasts longer.
Color Correct a Touch Sure, sheer makeup is the goal, but sometimes a girl needs a little coverage. And to do that in the most natural way possible, you need to neutralize—not just camouflage with concealer—spots and discoloration. “Unbalanced undertones and uneven skin texture are distracting and not appealing to the naked eye—the benefit of color-correcting products is being able to put your skin tone back to a blank-canvas state,” he said. To cancel out pimples and uneven patches of redness, try applying a whisper of green-tinted cream like Dior Fix It 2-in-1 Prime & Color Correct in Green on bits that need evening out. If you want to counteract sallowness or hyperpigmentation, lay down a thin layer of peach color corrector like Dior’s Fix It in Apricot. “Once your canvas is treated and prepped, you can use less of everything else,” said Martin.
Stipple (Don’t Swipe) on Foundation Smearing foundation over your color-correcting handiwork will only make a mess. Instead, “lightly buff and swirl your makeup brush dipped in foundation over your skin to create a flawless, diffused finish,” suggests Martin. “Think of it like waxing your car—minus the pressure. When you use light, short circular motions to achieve coverage, it ends up looking seamless and not streaky at all.” His three must-haves for no-fail blending: Dior Backstage Blender Sponge, It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Magic Eraser, and the Sigma F64 Soft Blend Concealer Brush that he uses as a foundation brush.
Spackle a Zit with Eyeshadow Primer What’s worse than a big zit? A big, flaky zit, which is usually what happens when you use a spot treatment and then dump on a ton of concealer over top. Trust us: When it comes to hiding a pimple, more is not more. His pro move for making an angry spot look less noticeable? “First, treat the inflammation with either a cortisone gel or redness-reducing eye drops. It really gets the red out!” he said. Wait a few minutes for the swelling to go down, then dab on some clear eyeshadow primer. It works two-fold, says Martin, by creating a smoother, less permeable surface (so bacteria stays out) and helps everything else stick and stay put.
Highlight Strategically The quickest way to glow up, says Martin, is to dust a shimmery gold highlighter (or gold eyeshadow if you’re feeling wild; watch him break down his best shadow hacks, below) all up on your cheekbones. But don’t just put it anywhere. For a believable glow, concentrate the color underneath your eyes and along your cheekbones to “brighten the complexion and add a nice radiance to the face without looking too much.” Add a dab of gloss and you’re good to go.
Whether you woke up bright and early (or more accurately, so early that it was still dark) to watch the royal wedding and Meghan Markle‘s official walk down the aisle or you stuck with your normal sleep schedule and are just catching up now, there’s one thing to know: Meghan Markles’s wedding day makeup didn’t disappoint.
For the occasion, Meghan went with natural, glowing skin, letting her freckles peek through. Her lips were subtly glossy, while her eyes had a minimalist, elegant sweep of shadow—a perfect compliment to her low, loose updo. (Yeah, the bun came back!) It’s a beautiful look, made even better by the fact that she looked very much like herself. (She’s said in interviews before she prefers not to cover up her freckles.)
It’s still unclear whether she did her own makeup, as was rumored that she’d do with her closest friends. But the move wouldn’t be completely unheard of: Lest you forget, Kate Middleton did her own wedding makeup back in 2011. Plus, as we’ve all witnessed, Meghan is a woman confident in her own abilities with a makeup brush. The bad news is that unless Meghan decides to resuscitate The Tig with a wedding day beauty recap, we may never know the exact products she used. Can you hear the sound of a million beauty sleuths and brands weeping in the distance? Same.
PHOTO: REUTERS
PHOTO: WPA Pool
PHOTO: WPA Pool
The saving grace is, we know a ton about Meghan’s skin and beauty routine from her days as an actress (thank you, Suits). Going by the law of common sense, once you find your go-to products, you don’t just jump ship. Especially when, as celebrities do, you’ve got a million things to choose from and finally find the things that work best for you. And for Meghan’s skin, we know she has a pretty keyed-in routine.
After that skin care routine, Meghan’s said she’s a fan of super-light foundations (again, so her freckles can show through). To get there, Meghan’s pre-engagement makeup artist, Lydia Sellers, says she would reach for Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation in shade 6.25 with a few drops of 5.5. Bounced on with a slightly wet Beautyblender, it gives light, dewy coverage. An eternal bestseller rounds out her skin go-tos: Nars Orgasm blush, which she says brightens her face. After paging through literally hundreds of images of her over the past few days, we can confirm: Meghan always has this warm, sunny golden flush, and that’s the trademark glow of an Orgasm lover.
Lip-wise, Meghan is apparently a fan of the Victoria Beckham-inspired lipstick in Charlotte Tilbury’s line, the matte, rosy pink Very Victoria. For a more relaxed look, she’s into Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment with SPF 15. From Meghan’s own, well-moisturized lips, she says it gives her “soft, kissable, buttery lips. I swear by it.” The newlyweds might not have gone for a highly public balcony kiss this year, but we’d highly doubt the Fresh got a break.
.jpg)
