Courtesy of Sallia Goldstein.
I know I’m not the only one curious about celebs and influencers’ favorite beauty buys as well as who and what shape their view of beauty in the biz.
Social media has totally transformed how we make and consume art. Whether your media of choice are inks and oils, shadows and glosses, or a plethora of pixels, there is a slew of platforms designed to showcase the works of novices and professionals alike. While Instagram has become a home for personal style bloggers and YouTube has become a haven for beauty influencers, Snapchat has become the app of choice for a slew of artists to show off their skills, interact directly with their fans, and even Snapchat storytellers by creating brand-sponsored doodles. In fact, it was a brand sponsorship that led me to meet Sallia Goldstein, aka the Bill Nye of Snapchat.
I had learned about the engineer-turned-Snapchat artist after she was quoted in a Refinery29 article on the platform’s budding artist community, in which she uses the platform to not post her art but also educate followers through some science-based stories as well. Plus, she recently branched out into animation (I still can’t get over the cute little corgis she shared earlier this year). But I got to meet her face to face when she partnered with Twentieth Century Fox to cover the premiere of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and post doodles featuring the stars straight from the red carpet. We quickly became friends, bonding over our appreciation of great concerts but also of beauty. I even helped Goldstein quickly curate a slew of amazing drugstore beauty buys during one of her recent trips to the Big Apple!
With Goldstein gearing up for Coachella this weekend (so jeal!), I wanted to discover what she packs in her bag for big trips like the upcoming music festival, how her fellow artists inspire her style, and the one palette she can’t get enough of.
Courtesy of Sallia Goldstein.
On her approach to beauty and style: “I feel like I normally have terrible style, but I strive to be a mix of Babs Tarr and Hayley Kiyoko. Recently I’ve been trying to go for @Zephanijong eyeshadow look for going out. Overall, I guess I’m consistent: Blond hair, jacket, and strong eyes. Baggy on top and tight on [the] bottom.”
On her beauty idols: “I used to have the biggest crush on Shay Mitchell in high school. I had a few blond streaks in my hair. I was on swim, so I was constantly tan. I wore a lot of shorts and shirts since it doesn’t get too cold in SoCal. Plus, it’s easy to strip for when you get into the pool.
“These days, thanks to social media, I can pick from a variety of beauty gurus and celebs. I love drawing inspiration from ‘celesbians’ (celebrity lesbians) on Instagram. They have this ‘I’m comfortable but I’m still fly’ thing going on that’s like my stylistic white whale. They always wear hats, some kind of fitted jeans/pants that look like they’ve gone through a food processor, and a pocket tee of some kind. Also, I’ll always idolize Babs Tarr.”
Babs Tarr Photo via @babstarr on Instagram
On her first beauty memory: “My mom was a fashion designer, so she’d always bring home scraps of polyester fabric in all kinds of ridiculous, bright colors. My sister and I would wrap ourselves them and pretend we were wizards.”
On her first beauty buy: “Throughout high school, I would always try on sample makeup at Sephora with my friends and walk out. I wasn’t really a makeup person in high school. My first distinct memory of purchasing makeup was my first week in college. You can’t really go to your local Sephora, throw on some samples, and walk out. That first week, in one trip, I went to a Sephora and just bought an entire makeup routine. Foundation, concealer, bronzer, eyeshadow, everything. I spent a decent amount of money.”
On the best beauty advice she’s received: “I don’t know if this counts, but I’m a fan of Roald Dahl’s advice on beauty: ‘A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.’”
On her favorite beauty tip to share: “Put tape (like scotch tape) from the corner of your eye to just below the end of the eyebrow. It stencils in this sharp line that makes your eyeshadow look like it was done by a pro.
“Application matters. Good makeup can look like crap on your face throughout the day if you don’t use the proper application tools like brushes or sponges. Brushes always outlive palettes and creams, and you don’t have to splurge on them.”
On her favorite beauty buys of 2018, so far: “Last year I backpacked through Europe on a nimble makeup kit. The clutch was an Hourglass foundation stick. It was small, travel size. I cannot stress how much I used it and how well it got the job done. I also got the Anastasia Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette for my birthday. I used to not care about eyeshadow, [but] the AMR pallette changed that. It’s kind of incredible how many looks you can get with one palette. I can gush for paragraphs on how much I love the AMR palette.”
Check out Sallia’s clutch beauty buys below!
Courtesy of Sallia Goldstein.
- Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation, $46.
“[It’s] compact, small, easy to pack/transport, indestructible, [delivers] full coverage, doesn’t feel cakey, [and] applies incredibly with…”
Courtesy of Sallia Goldstein.
- Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, $19-$54.
“I’m not going to gush about this one. It ain’t cheap but I got a deal on this with the other Hourglass products. It’s a great primer. Oil-free so it won’t add to my already oily skin. It’s incredibly light. Makeup just applies better with it on. I care a lot about prep.” -
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Brush, $46.
“[It’s] also small, compact, and indestructible, [and] applies foundation with no streaks.” -
Urban Decay Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion, $12-$22.
“I’m the type of person that spends more time and care into prep than actual makeup application. This primer just gets the job done and a little goes a long way. Good value.” -
Anastasia Modern Renaissance Palette, $42
“So many different looks. One palette. It has a fantastic selection of shimmer and matte, cool tones and warm tones, highlights, and shadows. Wowza. Just Google Image Search AMR eyeshadow palette looks. Be amazed at the variety of looks. It applies smoothly. It lasts for hours. I don’t gush over eyeshadow, but I will for the AMR palette.”