How Alicia Keys Used Mascara to Fix A Bad Buzz Cut

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A pregnant Alicia Keys performed yesterday in New York City’s Central Park alongside artists like Sting and Beyoncé as part of the Global Citizen Festival. She also stripped (save for a peace sign painted across her stomach) in honor of the campaign and social media movement she launched this month: #WeAreHere. The singer is using her powerful and influential voice to make a generation consumed by its own #firstworldproblems sit up and pay attention to the real issues at hand: girls’ education, racial profiling, gay rights, global poverty, and seven other just causes.

When pop stars are singing about buying bottle service with your rent money and rapping about their bodacious bums, Keys is a welcome voice of reason. Her beauty philosophy is equally refreshing: “The best beauty trick I’ve ever learned, I would say, is that beauty comes from within. My mother told me that from [when I was] a little girl—all the time, she told me that.” And it appears that the message resonated loud and clear. “When you’re happy or you’re kind or you’re giving, your beauty transcends. It just becomes bigger, wider, more tangible, and more evident,” she added.

Here, the 15-time Grammy Award winner making a difference (and face of Givenchy’s newest eau, Dahlia Divin) shares her “no fuss” makeup routine, the celebrity baby her son smooched, and an unexpected way to use mascara.

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What is your first fragrance memory?

My first fragrance memory is probably laundry, which to me is just home, comfort, peace. My other first memory would probably be gardenias, because my grandmother loved them—they were her favorite flower of all time. But she didn’t think anyone should give her flowers, because she was like, “They’re going to die now!” Such a grandmotherly way to think.

I feel like laundry is one of the many signature scents of Manhattan, because you smell it coming from the basement vents.

You can smell it when you walk!

So why do you love Givenchy’s Dahlia Divin?

I love Dahlia Divin because first of all, it’s about being a modern-day goddess, which I think we should all say every day of our lives. And I also love the fragrance because it has an undertone of warm sandalwood and floral notes but it’s not overly flowery. I’m happy when I wear it during the day to go to a meeting or go to the studio. I’m happy when I wear it at night to go out. I feel like it really translates—it doesn’t feel like it has to be either or.

Where do you apply and when do you wear it?

I definitely go for a direct [spray] on the neck, and maybe if I’m feeling a little special, I’ll go for the [inside of my elbow].

By your elbow—that’s an interesting place.

Yeah, apparently that helps enhance it.

Courtesy of Givenchy

What are your beauty must-haves?

I love a bright lip, especially because I don’t love to always wear makeup. If I’m onstage, I end up wearing a lot, so when it’s just my life, I love to be as simple and natural as possible. I love a bright lip because I feel like it does a lot—it’s like  boom, and you don’t have to do much else. You don’t have to worry about your eyes or have all this stuff, so I love that. Also, water with lemon—I don’t love water as much as I probably should, but when I put things in it, I feel like I can take it. And another one is, well, shoes.

Are you a stiletto woman?

I do like a stiletto. It’s beautiful, it really enhances your whole walk, your whole thing.

Yes, I spotted you recently at a party, and I love that you paired your baby bump with towering heels. I’ve also read that as a reminder to drink water you used to set an alarm on your phone.

It’s still there! I did it for me and my mother’s phone, and now every hour on the hour it rings. It’s kind of annoying, but it makes you think, “You know what, I haven’t had enough water, so let me drink.” Fizzy bubble water has also been helpful.

How has your beauty routine changed since you became a mom?

Well, I’ve always been more of a no-fusser. I’m not a very fussy person, and I’m not one who is always getting something done, so I didn’t have to suddenly sacrifice that. If anything, my beauty routine has changed because I’m more conscious now of giving myself the time for myself. Like, “You know what? You deserve a massage. You need to go get a massage. You love a facial? You should go get a facial.” The hour that’s going to give you, that’s going to be beautiful!

Instagram/@aliciakeys

Do you have a go-to facialist?

I do! I like someone very much. I can’t tell you, because then you’re going to go there, and then she’ll be unavailable! She’ll be like, “I’m sorry, Alicia! There’s been an influx.”

I think she’d probably make room in her schedule for you. I’ve seen your son, Egypt, dancing on the sidelines at the Knicks games, and I heard he even gave Blue Ivy her first kiss.

Yes to both. He’s an incredible dancer, and apparently—I wasn’t there—he did [kiss Blue]!

Did he get those moves from his momma?

I think it’s a good healthy mixture [of both of us]. But you know, he has all that inside of himself. He’s just a really confident kid. And it’s only if he really  feels it. He’s not just doing it to do it. If he really, actually feels a connection, then he’s connected!

So he doesn’t go around kissing  every girl. Blue must be a special lady.

She is!

Instagram/@aliciakeys

Can you walk me through your skincare routine?

It’s pretty simple, nothing too crazy. But I do have a great wash that I use called M.D. Forte, and then a simple lotion—the simpler, the better. I’ll do a scrub on my face once every couple of days, but other than that, not too much.

Do you have a favorite scrub or face lotion that you like?

The scrub that I like is from a brand called Epicuren. All of their [products] are natural, so there’s not a bunch of stuff in them. I also use the acidophilus lotion—it’s like probiotic for your face!

Your hair has been long, short, buzzed, and braided. Which look do you think is the most you?

I really love short because it’s just so simple, fearless, and no fuss. That’s my new motto—just really be yourself, claim who you are and be totally cool with it. So I really love the short, and I have to say I also love the braids, too. Braids are a part of who I am.

Why are braids particularly meaningful?

From being a little girl, to first starting in the music business—it’s like braids really resonate with me and are a connection [to my past] that I love.

Instagram/@aliciakeys

What are your go-to hair products?

I have really curly hair too, so I’ll blow it out and it becomes straight, but when I brush it, it becomes really, really curly. So I’m always looking for good products to help the curl and just the health of the hair…I love Mixed Chicks. They have really good shampoos and conditioners—I use them on Egypt, too.

I used to have the back of my head buzzed, and the grow-out period is the worst. How often do you have to shave it?

You know, I don’t have to shave it as much as I always think I do. I’m always like, “Oh, man, in a week I’m going to need it.” And then I don’t. Usually [a cut] can last me two or three weeks, so that’s cool. If it starts to kind of grow out, I’ll just put on a hat.

Do you shave it yourself, or does somebody do it?

Somebody does it for me because I’ll mess it up. Somebody messed it up one time. It’s scary, when you mess up the shaving part—it seems like you wouldn’t mess it up, right? How could you mess that up? But when you do, and it gets blotchy and patchy, it’s awful. Like, really bad.

It’s hard to believe someone could mess up a buzz cut.

It was the wrong blade on the razor. Now they do it with scissors, which is beautiful. Scissors are better. The whole razor thing, you could definitely have an issue.

Instagram/@aliciakeys

When you had the bad buzz, what did you do to camouflage it?

I used black mascara. It’s a secret. I just brushed it on to cover up little spots.

You gotta do what you gotta do.

Every time I’d do it, I’d be so upset!

I suppose you have to be really careful with who you let lift a razor to your head.

Yes, because if it’s bad, it’s bad. It’s just the truth.

How do you keep your nails from chipping when you’re playing the piano?

I can’t! This manicure I just got last night. I promise you by the end of tonight [it will be chipped], I can already see it happening, there’s nothing anyone can do.

Instagram/@aliciakeys

And then, what’s your biggest beauty splurge?

I’m not sure what that would be. I guess the one splurge I really love is the couple’s massage at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. You have a special room where it looks out onto the whole city. There’s also a bath and steam room. Plus, they bring a bento box with the food. I would call that a splurge!

Since you are inspiring people to make a difference in the world, who inspires you? Do you have a beauty icon?

There are a few, but I really love Bianca Jagger’s style. I just like people who are brave and themselves and kind of march to their own drum. I tend to gravitate toward people like that. I also think of Nina Simone, just her brilliance of being totally herself.

Instagram/@aliciakeys

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