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Trends may come and go, but a signature beauty look will stand the test of time. “I’m sort of anti-trend,” Ariana Grande tells me over FaceTime as she runs her fingers through her trademark ponytail. The biggest influence for her brand, r.e.m. beauty, is classic ’60s-inspired makeup. “I love when people use eyeliner to tell a story or create a character,” she adds. Having recently wrapped filming for Wicked, the singer and actress knows a thing or two about utilizing products to transform into a role.
Case in point: To become Glinda, Grande bleached her eyebrows weekly to make them light blonde. And since leaving set, she’s taken an active interest in her brows and toning them herself. “I’m really enjoying my gingery, light brown-slash-dark blonde eyebrows—I don’t know when I will have dark eyebrows again,” she confesses. Her brow color may change, but one thing that’s remained consistent in Grande’s beauty routine is her penchant for a cat eye.
“My whole mood board is Audrey Hepburn movies, like Barbarella—super hippie, Beatles inspiration, and ’60s girl groups,” Grande says of the era. To help her fans create graphic eye looks, r.e.m. beauty’s latest release, a gel eyeliner pencil, comes in 10 shades. In addition to the standard black and brown, there’s white (Knee Socks), creamy nude (Shag), cobalt blue (Mood Ring), shimmery plum (Plumage), reddish-brown (Flower Power), champagne (Babe), lavender (Far Out), and baby blue (Pixie). “It was important to us to expand the color story and improve the formula. We wanted to make sure it’s the best version of a vegan eyeliner,” she says.
After testing all the eyeliners in both formulas, I was surprised by how vivid the colors appeared against my cocoa-brown skin. It can sometimes be difficult for me to achieve a clear color contrast with gel formulas, but r.e.m. has managed to develop a liner that can be applied easily and deliver the impact of a liquid formula. It goes on smoothly and doesn’t tug, which is important, given the sensitivity of the eye area. The liners also play well with the rest of the collection, particularly the metallic eyeshadows, allowing for an array of eye-catching combinations. “Our color story is very unique, exciting, and futuristic, but also nostalgic and modern, ” Grande says. “We’ve been looking forward to it for a long time.”
Below, more from Grande on the new liners, available to shop now at rembeauty.com, her favorite beauty ritual, and how she indulges in self-care.
You named your beauty brand after one of your favorite songs, and in January, you dropped a limited-edition collection inspired by your debut album. What song on your most recent album, Eternal Sunshine, would you use to define this era?
“Imperfect for You.” There’s a lot to lean into there. That’s part of the beauty of makeup and storytelling through makeup—it’s not to perfect something, it’s to highlight what is uniquely us and celebrate our imperfections and our perfections and the things that make us who we are. Also, “Eternal Sunshine.” I love what that lends itself to aesthetically and [the] colors we could play off of.
How did you maintain your bleached hair and brows while shooting Wicked?
I have coarse Italian hair. It’s thick. And it has really been healthy this whole time! It’s all about finding a team of colorists that you trust and love. Francesco De Chiara was responsible for my blonde [while] we were shooting. He’s just so gentle and amazing. My hair is really strong, and I am grateful because I’d like to keep my blonde going.
What’s your most extravagant beauty ritual?
I love baths. I’m a bath addict. I know that’s the most boring thing ever, but I’m a Cancer and love to be in water. I do a whole ritual with essential oils. I love lavender; I love my Epsom salts. I really love to be submerged. I find it restorative and calming for me. Whenever I have time [for] a proper ceremony, that’s my favorite thing.
Do you read a book or listen to music in the bath? Or do you prefer to be alone with your thoughts?
You’re going to laugh at me; it’s really psycho. I’ll take a little stool and put it right up against the bath, and I’ll bring my laptop so that I can work while I’m submerged. I answer all my e-mails [and] texts. I’ll approve things. I work from the bath often.
Any other ways you indulge in self-care?
I meditate. I’m [on] a streak. I have an app I use, Insight Timer, [that] really holds you accountable. It shows you your consecutive streak [of meditating]. It makes a huge difference in my mental health. No matter how little time you have, even if it’s just five minutes, it’s an offering to yourself, your mind, and your body. It makes the biggest difference in the world. I want everyone I know to be doing it [or] even just trying it. People will say, “I’m not good at it because I get distracted.” There’s no being “good at it” or “bad at it.” It’s the deepest act of self-care because everything starts and ends in our heads. If I have an early call time, I’ll bring my headphones in the car and even do it there. I don’t give myself any excuses to miss it.
Where is the weirdest place you’ve had to meditate?
An airplane while people are walking by.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Danielle James is the Digital Beauty Director of ELLE.com. Previously, she was the Fashion and Beauty Director of HelloBeautiful.com and MadameNoire.com. She’s written for The Cut, InStyle, Allure, The Business of Fashion, Nylon, Essence, Good Housekeeping, and more. She enjoys sailing, thrifting, Japanese whiskey, Naomi Campbell’s runway walk, and Rihanna in the comment section.