- Hi Allure, I'm Amanda Gorman,
and today I'm going to be snapping
[finger snaps]
to some of my favorite beauty and self care products.
[light music]
[fingers snap]
[hands clap]
I'm like snapping and doing all of it.
If my house was on fire,
I would save my journals, my dog, and a scrunchie,
because those things are miracle workers.
[fingers snap]
I like using kind of metallic pieces that look like gold.
So for example, at the Inauguration,
I wore a few kind of golden beads in the front
and kind of around my hair.
[fingers snap]
I was so excited to see that the search for headbands
like skyrocketed up after the Inauguration.
So I'm proud that they're having a resurgence,
because they deserve it.
[fingers snap]
I use edge gel a lot,
mostly because I love my edges and care for them tenderly.
I do try to walk the line,
because there are some which can be drying,
and a bit graying,
and so ones that can hold the shape of my edges
and protect them while also being a little bit tender
and keeping them the color and moisture they were born to be
is the edge gel I like.
My biggest hair tip is,
one, really figure out protective styles
that will work for you.
I think that's a great way to kind of keep your hair
healthy, especially if you're working or busy.
My second tip, especially for women with curly hair,
but generally everyone,
is to invest in a good pillow case, maybe silk,
because we spend so much time thinking about
how our hair looks in the day when other people
are around us, but it's also making sure we're taking care
of it at night.
When I was growing up, I didn't watch a lot of TV.
The shows that I was able to watch though,
were Star Trek, The Original Series
as well Star Trek, The Next Generation.
So I took a lot of style inspiration from characters
like Uhura, who was basically a Black Cuman
on the Enterprise.
I loved her kind of ponytail and like winged eye look.
[light music]
[fingers snap]
I love to use scents in my self-care routine
because it's a great way to use my senses
to key my body into the fact that now is the time
to rest, to relax.
I will say I do have asthma,
so I have to take that with a grain of salt,
and kind of just be a little bit gentle and tender
with the air that I'm breathing in.
[drums beat]
I mean, crystals are pretty, they're nice,
but whenever I'm in a store and they're priced for like $45,
I'm like, 'To what end, I could pick up a rock outside'.
[fingers snap]
I love fuzzy socks so much.
I only have fuzzy socks.
I don't know any other form of sock.
So soft.
These are great.
And they're yellow.
I'm gonna just keep, yeah.
Please. Thank you.
[Amanda laughs]
For me, self-care encompasses so many things.
Something that is critical for me to prioritize,
is my cool down.
Sometimes I spend all my days keyed up,
or working, or writing,
and so being able to kind of have a psychological
and physical space and time where I can begin
to turn away from anxieties and worries
and more so inward to rejuvenating myself,
it's so important.
And so I will sit by a fireplace,
I will read a book,
I'll drink some tea,
I'll do a meditation,
and I'll, you know, watch funny videos.
But it's really keying in to what makes me feel
whole and happy.
[light music]
[fingers snap]
I'm eager to see more sunscreens that work
for darker skinned people.
I think that's something that needs to happen,
and is happening,
and so I think the more that we have diversity in that area
of beauty and self-care, the better it will be.
[slow snap]
A bar of soap, is really to me like sliced bread.
It's there, it's classic, people use it,
but there's other ways of going about it.
[fingers snap]
So I will use a lot of different body lotions,
a lot which are for sensitive skin, which I do have.
If I'm using an oil,
I love this one by Melanin Hair Care
because it's a multi-use oil,
so it feels great and amazing kind of on my hand,
and on my body,
but also it can work really well in my hair
if I'm looking for a moisturizer.
The more I can use a product for everything,
the more I love it.
[fast snaps]
I cannot snap enough for night serum.
I love this Night Repair Complex by Estee Lauder,
it has saved my skin.
I love the way it feels.
It's kind of thick without being syrupy.
And so it feels, oh, so smooth.
And I can literally feel that moisture holding into my skin.
[light music]
[fingers snap]
I like to use a combination of foundations
as opposed to, let's say, just one shade all over my face.
[fingers snap]
Beyonce has 'hot sauce in her bag, swag'.
I would also add that I have lip gloss always,
as well, just to keep moisture in my lips.
And I love having the ability to take a matte look
and then make it, let's say, glossy for the rest of the day.
I mean, if waterproof mascara works for you, great.
It honestly, on my eyelashes, goes on very dry and stiff,
and it's really difficult for me to get off.
[fingers snap]
Blush isn't always made in shades
that kind of work with darker skins,
so when I 'use' blush,
I might not even be using products
that kind of qualify as that.
Sometimes I use a really nice lipstick that I like,
because it's deep enough,
or I'll use something that's supposed to be eyeshadow,
or eye gloss,
and that will actually be a more natural blush for me.
Like, maybe I wouldn't go with this peach one though,
that's a gorgeous shade.
I'd use that as an eyeshadow,
but something that kind of pinkish-purple.
Being in the makeup chair a lot for this past year
has been just a really interesting learning process.
I think I'm always trying to figure out
how do I wear makeup in a way that feels like me.
Me and my makeup artist,
will do what we call like a fake bake.
So instead of like really powdering the face,
and leaving that on for several minutes,
we'll, you know put that powder on,
and then immediately kind of brush it off to give it
just that kind of bare hint of a touch.
It can be very scary when you realize
that people are kind of imitating your look,
only because for me, that brings
about a fear of being criticized or not good enough.
But when I surmounted that kind of obstacle,
I grew more excited, and proud, and happy,
that by me wearing my hair natural,
or by showing up with makeup that works for my dark skin,
I was making an even larger statement about widening
our conceptions of beauty.
[light music]