Meghan Trainor: "I Want My Skin to be Like Butter"
Meghan Trainor’s had a big year—the biggest year of her life in fact. The 21-year-old released one of 2014’s most ubiquitous songs, “All About That Bass,” and famously landed a record deal after performing said song on a ukulele for producer L.A. Reid. The tune hit number one in 58 countries and is already one of the best-selling singles of all time. Now, Trainor’s taking it to the next level. Her new record, Title, comes out today and she’s about to embark on her first major tour. As if that’s not enough, Trainor’s partnered with typically celeb-shy Clinique to design a limited edition makeup bag. We sat down with Trainor to talk makeup lessons, cats, and the man of her dreams.
Yahoo Style: Clinique doesn’t usually work with celebrities—how did you two hook up?
Meghan Trainor: They approached my management and I was super pumped to be working with Clinique. I picked all my favorite lipglosses, the ones that look good on everyone, and I designed the bag around my “Lips Are Movin” single, so it features a pair of lips, and a lot of sparkle and glitter. Because what’s better than sparkle and glitter? I want to bring this little bag on tour and turn it into fanny packs and make all the guys wear them.
Related: ‘All About That Bass’ Singer Meghan Trainor Loves Ariana Grande’s Thigh Gap
YS: I know that you were a tomboy when you were growing up, were you into makeup then?
MT: No. I had two brothers; I didn’t have any sisters to teach me. My mother was very young when she had us, like 23 or 24, and she never drank or smoke, and so she just never aged and she never wore makeup. I started wearing makeup in high school, and I was terrible at it.
YS: Who were your beauty role models then?
MT: My besties! I was like, “Please teach me!” I would do a hard eyeliner, my parents would always make fun of me and call me raccoon eyes because I would go all around the eye. My mom would be like, “You don’t have to go all around! You’re blonde, we get it, you have eyeliner on!” I’ve gotten better now, I never go inside the eyelids anymore.
YS: What other tricks have you learned now that you get your makeup done professionally all the time?
MT: That eyebrows are a thing. I didn’t know you had to color them in! They totally complete your face. I told my mom about it and she was shocked. Also, contouring really changed my life. I got a kit that taught me how to do it. I did it the other day, and there was terrible lighting at the house and my brother said, “You’re going out like that? It looks like you got punched!” and I was like “Bro, it’s contouring, it’s fine.” But my number one thing is to wear powder all the time, I never want to be shiny. I want my skin to be like butter.
Related: Jingle Ball Hits New York
YS: You’re about to embark on your first tour, how are you preparing for that?
MT: It’s so crazy to be headlining a tour. And it’s sold out which is unbelievable. It’s an amazing feeling knowing that all those people are there to see me. My main plan is to get a picture book to put pictures of my friends in it and look at them when I feel homesick. And I have two blankets with pictures of my cats’ faces on them: Cody and Mittens. Mittens is Siamese and he has extra thumbs so he looks like he’s wearing mittens.
YS: Do you binge-watch any shows on the road?
MT: I watch a lot of Walking Dead and Modern Family. I love Phil Dunphy; he is everything! I want to marry a Phil Dunphy. I think that’s a realistic goal!
YS: Speaking of goals, you had an insane year last year—what are your goals for 2015?
MT: This year, I would like to just be able to relax in airports, a very simple goal. I do vision boards also. Last year, the wife of this big songwriter in Nashville came up to me and said, “Make a vision board,” and I was like, “Ugh, I don’t want to do this.” But I watched The Secret, the movie, and I made a vision board right after. I had all my dreams and goals on there: a picture of a Grammy, a picture of the world—because I wanted the biggest song in the world, pictures of artists who I wanted to know that I exist—and they have all reached out! It’s completely miraculous that they have all come true. I need to find this woman again and thank her, now I owe her my life!
