let's makeup

10 Beauty Enthusiasts on the Looks They Can’t Wait to Apply

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images

When the world closed, so did our makeup bags. The pure joy of putting on our favorite lipstick vanished, and those thrilling hours before going out that we spent carefully applying a full face of makeup were lost. Even when we did leave the house, our faces remained dutifully covered. And when masks came into the picture so did maskne, lipstick mask smears, clogged pores, and so many other beauty frustrations that made it difficult to commit to our full routines.

While this time did provide an opportunity to shift our focus to skin care, a lot of us missed the things that were once our everyday essentials, like that lustrous lip gloss we would reapply every hour, or the favorite foundation that seamlessly blended into our complexion. The eyes got a lot more time to shine over the past year and a half, but some people (like me) prefer a nice glide over the lips.

I missed my favorite bold liquid lipstick, The Lip Bar’s Bawse Lady, the ultimate red that complements my complexion in the most pristine way. While my skin-care rituals held me down and still had me feeling like a “bawse,” I didn’t get the instant confidence boost of applying my daily red lipstick. Needless to say, now that I’m seeing friends outside again, I wear it every chance I get.

The Cut spoke to ten beauty experts — from makeup artists and company founders to everyday obsessives — to see what they’ve missed most, what trends they’re looking forward to, and how the pandemic has altered their perspectives on beauty.

Shantal Martin, beauty influencer

Photo: Courtesy of Shantal Martin

What post-quarantine beauty looks are you most excited about?
I’m incredibly excited to start wearing lip gloss again. I have always hated liquid lipsticks and if you wanted to have a lip color during the pandemic it had to be matte or it would be a disaster.

Is there a product on your shelf that has been patiently waiting to be used? 
Cream blush!! Specifically from Rare Beauty. Their melting blush is so nice but definitely not maskproof.

How has your experience with beauty changed during the pandemic?
I think everyone realized how ridiculous wearing a full face of makeup everywhere was when we were all sitting at home getting dressed for Zoom meetings — in my case, auditions. So [now it’s] light-coverage makeup that is formulated primarily with skin care in mind.

Brooke DeVard Ozaydinli, host of Naked Beauty podcast

Photo: Courtesy of Brooke DeVard Ozaydinli

What post-quarantine beauty looks are you most excited about?  
I’m most looking forward to creating a full beauty look. With the masks there was so much focus on the eyes, but everything I pick goes together — a certain eye look is pulled together by the lip and vice versa. I felt like I could never really serve FACE the way I wanted to with the mask.

Is there a product on your shelf that has been patiently waiting to be used? 
Blush! I’m a blush girl, but it always rubs off on your mask so I stopped bothering. Whether it’s the Tower 28 BeachPlease cream blush, the contrachroma blush from Kosas, or my new favorite, the Merit blush in Mood — I love the way blush brings color to my face.

How has your experience with beauty changed during the pandemic?
Like a lot of us, the pandemic really allowed me to focus on skin care! I also spent more time makeup-free this last year and a half than I have probably since I was 15, and that’s just a glorious experience. I’ve learned to embrace my skin, treat it well, and let it thrive.

Melissa Butler, founder of The Lip Bar

Photo: Courtesy of Melissa Butler

What post-quarantine beauty looks are you most excited about?
I am most looking forward to not having my damn makeup come off on my mask! I still wore lipstick with my mask. I’m also really looking forward to seeing people smile. I love a good lip color and a smile. It really speaks to femininity and happiness.

Is there a product on your shelf that has been patiently waiting to be used? 
You know, I never really stopped using my products, but I’m excited to start using one of The Lip Bar’s soon-to-be released products. My normal routine at night when I’ve been wearing makeup is to take a wipe and wipe off my makeup. And the truth is that it is causing a lot of waste. In thinking about the environment and how consumers are thinking more consciously about sustainability, I’m excited to soon share The Lip Bar’s solution to excess waste.

How has your experience with beauty changed during the pandemic?
I imagined that I would wear more eye shadow because of the mask, but I really haven’t. I’ve always been a minimalist, which is why we created simpler makeup systems like the Easy Beauty Bundle. I’ve become less glamorous in the pandemic, but I still wear makeup.

Angel Lenise, co-founder of AMP Beauty LA

Photo: Courtesy of Angel Lenise

What post-quarantine beauty looks are you most excited about?
I’m embracing all things gloss. I tend to be a matte-finish girl, especially when it comes to my signature nude lip. Now, I really want to shine. I want a dewy finish. I want glitter. I want glisten. It’ll also be a prime opportunity for me to experiment with color on my lips. I love an electric-blue waterline, exaggerated smoky eyes, and going to the max when it comes to my lids, but I tend to balance it out with that signature nude lip. This season, I’m going for reds, oranges, pinks, and purples — all vibrant everything.

Is there a product on your shelf that has been patiently waiting to be used?
I can’t wait to swipe on AJ Crimson Beauty’s Ruby Who? Liquid Lipstick. I’ve been really conscious about adding more Black-owned beauty to my shelf, and this hits all of my aforementioned marks: It’s glossy, it’s vibrant, and it’ll polish off my look without having to wear a full beat.

How has your experience with beauty changed during the pandemic?
I have always been a skin-care-first girl, but this past year, I adopted a new philosophy: Skin care doesn’t stop at the neck. I’ve been more mindful of the products I use on my body, and have made sure to treat my body with the same delicacy and care that I apply to my face. To date, all of my body and personal care products are Black-owned and natural or nontoxic!

Anastasia Soare, CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills

Photo: Courtesy of Anastasia Soare

What post-quarantine beauty looks are you most excited about?
Doing a full face without worrying about transfer, smudging, and clogged pores.

Is there a product on your shelf that has been patiently waiting to be used?
Definitely lip color! During the pandemic, I was relying on our maskproof Lip Stains, but I’m so excited to have access to my full arsenal of lip colors this season.

How has your experience with beauty changed during the pandemic?
For me, the pandemic reinforced the belief of beauty as a personal ritual. Ultimately, our routine is such an intimate experience, and it’s something we do just for ourselves. It’s a way of choosing ourselves every single morning, and I like the idea of looking at that time in our day as the opportunity to pause and thank ourselves for everything we’ve been through.

Keys Rebelle, NYC-based makeup artist

Photo: Courtesy of Keys Rebelle

What post-quarantine beauty looks are you most excited about?
Definitely looking forward to wearing a full makeup look and my favorite glosses. Most liquid matte lipsticks stay well under a mask, so I’m looking forward to wearing more of a glossy lip from Fenty, Mented, TLB, Pat McGrath, MAC, and NYX cosmetics.

Is there a product on your shelf that has been patiently waiting to be used? 
Yes, products that add luminosity to the BODY! Particularly Danessa Myricks Illuminating Veil Highlighters. Due to the pandemic, I haven’t been able to dress up and enjoy the NYC streets. I’m so excited to use this product on my décolletage, legs, and arms!

How has your experience with beauty changed during the pandemic?
Honestly, I can say I was forced to slow down and do more research on Black-owned brands and brands that truly support black makeup artists. The pandemic gave me the time to strategize on how I was going to add my contribution on social media by showcasing these brands.

Jacinda Pender, Makeup Artist

Photo: Courtesy of Jacinda Pender

What post-quarantine beauty looks are you most excited about?
I look forward to seeing the beauty world focusing more on the reimagination of what y2k makeup looks like in 2021 and beyond.

Is there a product on your shelf that has been patiently waiting to be used? Right now, I’ve been holding off on Kilian Le Rouge’s Parfum Scented Matte Lipstick, this gorgeous scented lipstick that smells exactly like perfume — I wish I could spray it on myself. I may only use it on holidays and special occasions because it’s too beautiful to use right now.

How has your experience with beauty changed during the pandemic?
My makeup style has dramatically changed and improved. Pre-pandemic, I dealt with a lot of eyeshadows and ’80s inspired looks. Now, I’m really into wet liners and heavy-pigmented facial paints. My work is really inspired by the future and what it could possibly look like. It’s interesting thinking about it now, because my old work was inspired by the past and my new work is inspired by the future. I feel like I’m time traveling via makeup. Beauty is never linear, but has many timelines that we piggyback off of from time to time to create new, innovative looks.

Hayley Kassel, makeup artist

Photo: Courtesy of Hayley Kassel

What post-quarantine beauty looks are you most excited about?
Just seeing all the amazing makeup looks people are going to do. There is now a freedom when it comes to makeup, like wearing an editorial look as an everyday look. Creative liners, snatched smoky eyes, bold colors on eyes, lips, and cheeks! I love it all, and I love how people are playing with new looks and experimentation.

Is there a product on your shelf that has been patiently waiting to be used? Probably every shade of lipstick I’ve received since the pandemic started. I haven’t worn ANY lipstick because of masks! I’m ready to rock a bold lip again.

How has your experience with beauty changed during the pandemic?
Skin care has become a HUGE staple. During the pandemic, less was absolutely more. I didn’t want to wear anything on my face that would just get suffocated by a mask, and then lead to breakouts. My go-to look for the past year and half has been skin care, mascara, and brows. That’s it. But like, I now enjoy wearing little to nothing on my face. It’s just a personal preference, but now when I put a full beat on myself, I don’t really like how I look in the end. I now much prefer fresh skin, and then playing up the eyes or lips.

Lauren Giraldo, beauty influencer

Photo: Courtesy of Morphe Cosmetics

What post-quarantine beauty looks are you most excited about? Being able to show off the other 50 percent of my face.

Is there a product on your shelf that has been patiently waiting to be used? Morphe’s Glowstunner!! It’s the perfect tinted moisturizer. I feel hydrated, glowy, and like I have the perfect amount of coverage. I’m also a sucker for anything that makes remembering my SPF easier.

How has your experience with beauty changed during the pandemic?
I’ve learned to appreciate getting dolled up and having a place to show it off in real life.

Sean Harris, makeup artist

Photo: Courtesy of Sean Harris

What post-quarantine beauty looks are you most excited about?
The lips are one of my favorite features to work on and I am glad they will be visible and at the forefront once again.

Is there a product on your shelf that has been patiently waiting to be used?
I can’t wait to use the beautiful new shades of Rouge Dior Lipstick. The creamy texture is unbelievable and leaves the lips soft and supple.

How has your experience with beauty changed during the pandemic?
The pandemic has made me realize how truly important a self-care ritual can be. Now, I like to decompress with a daily cooling KNC Beauty face mask.

What Makeup Are You Excited to Wear Again?