Indie Musician Lia Ices on Motherhood, Self-Care, and Her Natural Beauty Regimen While on Tour
Since dropping her debut LP Necima in 2008, singer-songwriter Lia Ices has been busy to say the least. She released two stunning follow-up albums, 2011's Grown Unknown and 2014's Ices, as well as married vintner Andrew Mariani in Martha's Vineyard in 2015. Then, in 2018, the she and Mariani launched Una Lou—an adorably-packaged natural rosé named for their daughter, Una. Fast-forward to now, and you'll find Ices touring the U.S. and Canada to promote a newly remastered version of Necima while preparing for the release of her next album. Oh, and she oversees creative direction, design, and the musical elements of Mariani's vineyard, Scribe Winery, too.
It's enough to make anyone's head spin, but not Ices's, it seems. "Becoming a mother is such a mind- and heart-opening experience," she tells Vogue following a recent performance in Vancouver. "I think I feel a little bit more patient about everything I'm doing, and a little bit more strategic. I used to be really concerned about things happening quickly and now I feel like I can trust the process."
When the process becomes hectic, as it's bound to for a touring musician who also happens to be a parent, Ices is hardly fazed. "You have to find these moments of sanctuary, otherwise you will go crazy!" she says with a laugh. "You don't know where you are, you don't know what the hotel's like, and you might not even get to shower before the show. So, I have a few things that help keep me grounded."
If she's near a major city, Ices will head to a Pilates reformer class or practice on a mat in her hotel room to get in the right headspace. "It's such a good antidote to my creative life," she says. "I can't look on my phone, so it's just this way for me to be present with myself and my body." The singer also enjoys the aromatherapeutic effects of essential oils (her favorite is Young Living's Sacred Mountain blend) and Palo Santo.
To lay the foundation for her signature look, best described as soft bohemian glamour, Ices turns to an assortment of skin-nourishing oils and clarifying treatments. In the morning, she begins by using Arcona's Raspberry Clarifying Pads ("They smell really good and wake me up," she says) to cleanse and tone her complexion, then she supercharges her skin with the Living Libations Rose Glow Serum, followed by 8 Faces's multi-tasking Boundless Solid Oil, which she also uses to nourish her dirty blonde lengths. "Instead of having all of my face and hair products, I like to have just one thing that that's really nice," she explains. "At home you have all of your little things that you do, but being able to consolidate is so valuable on the road."
When taking the stage for a performance, Ices favors a few key products to accentuate her natural glow. For light coverage, she dabs Westman Atelier's Vital Skin Foundation Stick on as concealer and blends Kjaer Weis's Cream Blush into her cheeks for a youthful flush. And to define her eyes, she rims black eyeliner on the waterlines and swipes a few coats of YSL's The Curler Mascara on her lashes. The last step is always gliding one of Charlotte Tilbury's deep pink lipsticks on the mouth.
When Ices's skin is really in need of a refresh, she turns to the queen of green beauty, Tata Harper, and her cult-favorite Resurfacing Mask. "You leave it on for 30 minutes and then when you take it off, it looks like you just had a facial," she explains. "It's so dehydrating to be on tour, especially if you had a couple drinks after a show, and this really makes my skin feel alive again!" At the end of the day, when her makeup is removed and the last of her face mask has been wiped away, Ices is grateful for her path. "I'm really lucky to be doing what I feel I was meant to do on this planet," she says. And as a mother, musician, and entrepreneur, Ices continues to be a true modern renaissance woman.
Originally Appeared on Vogue
