Rico Nasty On Shaving Her Eyebrows & Other Beauty Hacks That Will Electrify Your Routine
The rap industry looks a lot different than it did a decade ago, and thanks to women like Rico Nasty, it'll never be the same again. After being expelled from her affluent boarding school for smoking weed and becoming a teen mom at only 18 years old, Rico had no clue what was in store for her life. Little did she know, her life would one-day be comprised of NYFW runways, mosh pits, and a whole lot of empowerment. Rico Nasty, born Maria Kelly, is the epitome of electric and her makeup routine keeps that same energy.
For Rico, there are no limits, and this is a mantra that is consistently reflected in both her music and her electrifying beauty regime. In a makeup tutorial for Vogue, the punk rock rapper revealed that she only became interested in the makeup world after becoming a mom at only 18 years old:
"I started doing my own makeup when I found out that I was pregnant. My son used to give me these really, really, real bad red blotches. I would never want to go anywhere, so my friends were like, 'Why don't you just learn to do your makeup?' After I had my son, the blotches went away and the makeup skills did not."
Rico said that for her, makeup is a form of therapy that she's cultivated over the years by studying influencers like Makeupmouse, Sonjdradeluxe, and Alissa Ashley, and making well-known application techniques her own.
"Makeup became a way that I could relax and meditate before a show. I never knew how much I needed that. I watch a lot of makeup tutorials. I like Makeupmouse—I think she's in London—Sonjdradeluxe, Alissa Ashley. There's this girl on Instagram called Melovemealot, and I like her stuff, too. I grab inspo from them, but they've also taught me about making the face what you want."
When it comes to beauty, there is no boundary Rico won't cross, even if that means shaving off her eyebrows to create a fresh canvas:
"Fun fact: I shaved my eyebrows so that I can make them go any direction that I want."
From her bold platinum eyebrows to her edgy and eclectic style, Rico Nasty is the punk rock goddess that lives inside of us all, but according to her, some of her craziest looks have evolved out of a desire to fall in love with her flaws, one of which includes her eyelids (or lack thereof):
"Sometimes I feel like it draws away from the real shit that I'm insecure about. For me, that's probably my nose and my eyelids—once I started doing makeup, I wished I had bigger eyelids. I know, it's fucking weird. But my best friend has eyelids like Cher—the sunken in kind—and it's like a big canvas. With makeup, I can get bigger lids. The more I've gotten into it, the more I learn that it's about whatever makes you comfortable."
Rico recently sat down with Into The Gloss and gave us the details on all her favorite beauty products. Here's what we learned:
Bioderma Micellar Water
"To take off my makeup I've been using Bioderma, the micellar water. Then I use the Bioderma serum—it's like a gel, and it's clear. I feel like it's a drink of water for my skin. After that, I'll put on the lotion version of it to seal everything."
TONYMOLY Panda's Dream Rose Oil Moisture Stick
"If I have two shows in a row and I've been sweating, it might cause a couple bumps that makeup won't sit right on. I put the rose oil where I get dry, and then put foundation over it. It's so bomb."
BLK/OPL TRUE COLOR® Skin Perfecting Stick Foundation SPF 15
kasha-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com
"I was using Huda Beauty foundation for the majority of the summer, but now my skin has gotten a little bit darker, so I'm using Black Opal stick foundation."
Rude Cosmetics Mimosa Highlighter Palette
"A lot of times when I get palettes I only use one color, but with this one, I run the brush up and down, up and down the whole thing. If I'm going somewhere with my kid, I'm going to do a more natural glam."
To read her beauty routine in full, check out Rico Nasty's feature with ITG here.
Featured image via Giphy
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage