Beauty Detail
The $14 Beauty Product Emira D’Spain Wishes She Could Gatekeep
The trans model and content creator shares her must-have beauty products.
In Bustle’s Beauty Detail, we dive into the beauty bags of our favorite talents for intel on the rituals that keep them glowing. Here, Emira D’Spain tells Bustle all about her fave makeup trends, her special relationship with her followers, and the product that makes her eyes “sparkle.”
Beauty influencer Emira D’Spain has a lot to be grateful for. She’s gotten brand ambassadorships with mega beauty houses like NARS, Lancôme, and Clinique, and recently signed on to be the first Black trans Victoria’s Secret model. But she’s also happy to have fostered such a supportive community amongst her over 1.2 million followers on TikTok — many of which look to her for more than just beauty advice.
“A lot of my followers just follow me for the makeup [tips] — they didn’t really have an idea that I was trans until I would share about it,” says D’Spain, 26, who posted about her gender confirmation surgery in March. “I felt like I’m in such a position of privilege to live the life I do and have the experiences I have that I should talk about it. Being more open about it opens people’s eyes to different trans experiences, which I think is important.” Now, she says her followers will check in on her when she goes Live. “That relationship I’ve built is so special — it could be 10 million people or 100, but the fact that it’s such a space of love just makes me so happy,” she shares.
This is the same authenticity D’Spain brings to her beauty content, which is something her followers — whom she calls her “besties” — love her for. “I tell it how it is when it comes to beauty,” she tells Bustle. “I will never bullsh*t a product to sell it — I just want to put everybody on to the good stuff.”
As a former beauty editor, D’Spain knows when something’s worth gushing about. Her overall vibe? “Snatural,” she says. “It means snatched and natural, and it’s a term that’s been around in the industry forever. It’s like a bigger lash and a bolder lip — a more natural glam.” The model is also really into the revival of early 2000s-era makeup, save for thin brows. “I was born in ’96, so I never got to live out my Y2K fantasy yet. I remember my babysitters always had that whole aesthetic and I thought they were so cool,” D’Spain laughs.
For self-care, she’s all about the TikTok-beloved everything shower. “I have a Sonos in my bathroom and a 30-minute hype-up playlist that takes me through the whole thing,” says D’Spain. “I’ll dry brush, get in the shower, do body exfoliation with the African Net Sponge, then I’ll use the [First Aid Beauty] KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub, my Dove Sensiive Skin Body Wash for a sensitive skin girly shave. After that it’s the Summer Fridays Lotion followed by the Sol de J’anerio Body Oil, which I’ll let marinate. People will touch my arm and be like, ‘oh my God, how is your skin so smooth?’”
Below, D’Spain shares more of her beauty essentials, including the makeup hack that makes her look more awake.
The Cleanser
“I start my skin care routine with the First Aid Beauty cleanser — it’s like my holy grail. I have very dry, sensitive skin, so it’s hard for me to find a good cleanser that doesn’t mess with my skin. It gets nice and foamy.”
The Serum
“I’m very cautious with vitamin C since it’ll often irritate my skin. At night, I like to use the Caudalie Vinoperfect, which is a good alternative since it has the same brightening effects. The brand sent me a custom jumbo-sized one because I was going through them so fast.”
The Face Cream
“I think this is the best moisturizer on the planet. I wish they made a body version.”
The Makeup Essential
“I like to use a white pencil on my waterline. This one is so good. I’m about to post a video about it because I get so many questions about my white liner, but I know when I post it’s going to sell out and I haven’t had the time to order 50 of them. But it really makes your eyes sparkle. I know that sounds cheesy, but it really does. When I have it on, it’s so enticing — it draws everyone’s eyes in.”
The Glow Giver
“This product is so good. Get a shade darker than you would normally, because it sheers out, then just use concealer and bronzer for the prettiest glow.”
The Blush
“I like this pH-changing blush because all you need is a little dot and you can just use your fingers to blend it out. I’ll use it on my lips, too.”
