Beauty Detail

How 'Euphoria' Got Barbie Ferreira Out Of Her Makeup Rut

The actor shares her approach to beauty and go-to products.

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Barbie Ferreira on her favorite makeup looks and beauty buys.
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images
Beauty Detail
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In Bustle’s Beauty Detail, we dive into the beauty bags of our favorite talents for intel on the rituals that keep them glowing and the MVPs (most valuable products) they can't live without. Here, Barbie Ferreira tells Bustle about her first makeup memory and how her role on "Euphoria" changed her relationship with beauty.

As fearless Kat Hernandez on Euphoria, actor Barbie Ferreira isn't afraid to rock a bold makeup look — and turns out in real life, the star's approach to beauty isn't so different from that of the character she plays on TV. "I've worn makeup since I was 10," she tells me over the phone. "My school didn't like it, but I would wear a blue smoky eye in eighth grade with fake lashes, and that was kinda my thing."

Ferreira, who's been modeling since she was a teenager, hasn't always felt inspired to experiment with beauty. "I was modeling and people were always putting makeup on my face, so I didn't want to wear it on my days off," she says. Then came her Euphoria role, which the actor credits as the motivating force behind her renewed interest in playing with color. "It's definitely opened up my creativity with makeup again — I'm using it as a tool of expression for how I'm feeling any given day," she adds. "It's almost as important as my outfit."

Glancing at her Instagram feed, one's greeted with colorful, Pinterest board-worthy eye candy: There's Ferreira decked out in the perfect highlighter, modeling a vivid green eyeshadow, and trying different eyeliner looks, for just a few examples. Serendipitously, her enthusiasm for makeup led to a gig as global spokesperson and collaborator with Becca Cosmetics, a brand known for its cult-fave highlighters, bronzers, and palettes, among other makeup essentials.

Just in time for the holidays is the recently launched Becca x Barbie Ferreira Prismatica Collection, which includes pearlescent lip glosses and an ultra-shimmery, multifunctional face palette, all of which the star helped create. Ferreira says she wanted to make products that she would want to wear all the time. "My favorite eyeshadows are always purple," she says. "It was very important to me that I have a purple-y, kind of eyeshadow-highlight moment because I love to do a holographic look. Then I love a good neutral color and a bronze-y color as well, so [the Prismatica Collection] encapsulates all of it."

Even during quarantine, Ferreira loves wearing a done-up makeup look because... why not? "It's a costume — I love feeling like I'm a different person every day, and makeup has definitely been a tool for that," she says, adding that there are days when she decides to throw on a wig for even more glamour. Ahead, Ferreira shares six beauty MVPs that keep her feeling glowy and fresh.

Her Go-To Scent

"I just got this new fragrance that I love. It's by Saint, it's a roll-on called Turkish Rose — I've been using it a lot. I usually don’t like a lot of perfumes because of the alcohol smell in it. But Saint has that musky rose smell I’m obsessed with, so it’s been a staple."

Her Beauty Device

"I like to play with skin care tools, and the Dermapore has been great for applying moisturizers. I like to run it across my face to apply any kind of cream or serum. It's kind of like a little electrified spatula thing."

Her Makeup MVP

"When I wear makeup, I really want it to make me feel powerful and cool. I've actually been doing more of a toned-down look, which I love. My favorite way of wearing eyeshadow is kind of doing a wash of a color up to my brow and doing it very romantically — just a light wash that's super pretty. I'll use any of these — sometimes I'll do a neutral with a little glitter, or the purple-y color. Putting it on my eye with a fluffy brush and blending it out to the brow bone is my favorite look."

Her Bath Essential

"For self-care, I like to use these bath bombs that have chamomile and dried lavender in them. They're my go-to after a workout and before bed to calm my muscles. They're great to just unwind."

Her Hair Product

"For my hair, I use the Biolage hair mask as a conditioner, and it's so amazing. I've been bleaching my hair recently so I've been having to take care of it a lot more, and this product has been a lifesaver."

Her Favorite Lip Balm

"I've been using a lot of the Becca lip balms, especially the berry-colored shade. That's my favorite thing in my bag — it gives you a little stain without having to make sure it's perfect."

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