Kelsea Ballerini Is Totally Fine With Being Overdressed, FYI

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I’ve been a stan of country-pop singer and CoverGirl ambassador Kelsea Ballerini since I saw her on tour with the Jonas Brothers in 2021. Yes, Kelsea is funny, down-to-earth, and writes total bops, but as a beauty editor, her makeup game is what really stands out to me. The stunning glitter eyeshadow look she rocks at nearly every one of her shows? Umm 10/10. Her signature sparkly stage look is the inspo for her latest collection with CoverGirl—a collection of glitters called Exhibitionist Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow that comes in five gorgeous shades.

I was lucky enough to sit down with Kelsea and get all the details on the new launch, including what this collection means for her and how she chose each shade name. We even got into how she does her own tour makeup (like?!?! icon) and what she’d wear on a date night (maybe with a very famous BF of hers, idk!). Keep reading for the full interview and shop the new collection below.

CoverGirl is such a legacy brand that’s been around forever. For many of us, myself included, it was the first makeup brand we ever wore. What inspired you to start wearing makeup?

I am a girly girl to my core. I’m an only child, so I just was always like, “Mom, let’s play dress up.” As a kid, my playtime was rummaging around my mom’s makeup bag and frolicking around in putting glittery dresses. As I got older, my mom would let me pick out one piece of makeup I could start wearing each year. So I remember at first it was clear mascara, and then it was lip gloss, and then it was blush. Each year, I would get to add something, and it always felt so special. For me, makeup has always kind of been a form of self-expression and play rather than something that I felt like I needed. So it’s really fun to align with a brand that shares those same values all these years later.

Exhibitionist by Kelsea Ballerini Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow in Nashville Dream

Exhibitionist by Kelsea Ballerini Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow in Sparkly Boots

Exhibitionist by Kelsea Ballerini Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow in Forever

Exhibitionist by Kelsea Ballerini Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow in Golden Magic

Exhibitionist by Kelsea Ballerini Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow in Glitter Up

Growing up in a small town, what was your experience with makeup? Was it just this way to cover up zits or to look pretty or something that was fun?

I really hope that makeup is presented to the younger generation as something that is a tool of self-expression, not something that you need to feel or look beautiful to maintain a kind of cultural or societal standard. I think that that is a very outdated projection that we had put on women for a long time. I’m lucky because I have wonderful friends and family that really sheltered me from that narrative, so I’ve always had a healthier relationship with that, but I do hope that the way that it’s presented to younger girls is like, “Take it or leave it if this feels like something you want to do.” And if you’re insecure about a pimple, cover it up or don’t. It’s all your choice. If it’s presented in that way, I think it’s a really beautiful thing.

You’ve worked with CoverGirl for a few years now. Did you always know that you wanted to create specific products with the brand? And how did you decide that it would be eyeshadows?

Well, when I moved to Nashville when I was 13, I had a goal list. I’m a Virgo, so that really checks out. On this list were things like “play the Grand Ole Opry,” “have a #1 country song,” “be a CoverGirl.” I just really, really wanted to be an easy, breezy, beautiful CoverGirl. And so to be able to take that step a couple of years ago was such a dream come true. And then when they came with me with the idea of doing a product collaboration, I was like, “Okay, you know, the thing that I love about CoverGirl is that it’s approachable. It feels like it’s for everyone because it’s affordable.” And then for me, it’s like when I’m onstage, I like to kind of play into the dramatic and larger-than-life ideas of makeup. So I thought about what would be the perfect combination of those two things and decided it was glitter. CoverGirl doesn’t do glitter, but glitter can also be approachable. It doesn’t have to be like in these, you know, big makeup looks by makeup artists. It can be with one-swipe, easy application products. And so it was just like the perfect collaboration. I’m so, so excited about it.

I remember being in awe the first time I saw you in concert because all of your outfits and makeup were so sparkly. Have you always loved sparkles and shimmer?

I’ve always been drawn to it. Like I said, I think it’s just the “girly girl” in me. I’ve always been drawn to glitter, but yes, I think when I’m offstage now, I just do the least the bare minimum. But when I’m onstage, I do feel like I get to almost play a character of myself, and to me, that always translates to glitter, so the people in the very back row can see my eye makeup.

What is your process for doing makeup for performances like?

I’ve always done my own makeup on tour. I’ve gotten to learn some really good tips and tricks from the makeup artists that I’ve worked with over the years. I go to the back of my bus, put on a podcast or music, and I shut the door. I have, like, an hour, and that’s kind of my me-time, and I do my hair and makeup. I’ve really enjoyed doing it.

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to wear glitter and sparkles but is afraid of feeling “too much” or too overdressed?

Be too much. Be the person who’s overdressed at the party. Do you! I used to be so nervous, like, if I was gonna be the only person that wore heels to dinner or something like that. Who cares?

What was it like naming the products in your collection? What was the process like?

I will say it is very hard to get five names cleared by Legal. It took a lot of back-and-forth, but I tried to honor my Nashville roots and add some hints to lyrics. There’s one shade called Golden Magic that I actually just wore for the People’s Choice Awards for my performance, which was super fun—but that one is from a lyric and my song “Legend.” There’s one called Sparkly Boots for all the bachelorettes coming to Nashville. I just wanted to have really fun names that kind of hinted at things that were dear to my heart and dear to my roots.

What’s your biggest trick for taking off sparkly makeup without getting it everywhere?

It’s always helped me to do either a makeup wipe and then a proper wash or an oil cleanser and then a normal cleanser. It’s a two-step process.

Do you have any beauty nonnegotiables that you have to always do or wear?

I’m a sunscreen girly now. Maybe it’s ’cause I’m in my 30s, but over the last few years, that’s really become my one nonnegotiable. I always, always, always wear a tinted SPF every day. Even if I wear nothing else and I’m just running errands or dropping my dog off at the farm or whatever, I’m always wearing tinted sunscreen. No excuses. Put on the sunscreen, y’all.

What is your go-to makeup for a date night?

Oh, I had a date night last night and I did glowy skin with a little winged eyeliner and a glossy lip. Yummy Gloss from CoverGirl is my go-to. It’s like very Y2K. But if I’m in just, like, Nashville mode, I will do tinted SPF, brush up my brows with a gel, do a little a cream blush, and then add a good gloss.

When you’re onstage, you’re obviously running around and getting v sweaty. How to do make sure that your makeup stays all night?

It doesn’t. By the time I get offstage, I am melted. Sometimes there’s just no way around it. I have like a little tent behind the video wall where I do my costume changes, and I’ll have a setup of a few products in there to freshen up. Especially before I do my crowd walk so people aren’t like, “Oh my god, she’s literally melting.” But, yeah, it happens!

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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