Halsey Walks Us Through Her Favorite Beauty Looks of All Time
A celebrity coming out with a makeup line is usually as noteworthy as a basketball player
introducing a new pair of sneakers. But when that celebrity is Halsey, a person who also does her own makeup… at every event… always (including her Allure cover shoot), well, then you start to
ask yourself why you never see Steph Curry sitting at a sewing machine and making those high tops himself.
"Makeup has always been my go-to form of expression," the singer tells Allure. "Makeup allows me to try on a new persona for the day." And it's true: The only constant in Halsey's beauty repertoire is that they're constantly switching things up. With so many great beauty moments to choose from, we asked Halsey to walk us through some of the most noteworthy looks she's ever worn — and to tell us the whole story behind them.
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BMI Pop Awards (2017)
"This award was particularly special to me because it was the first award I received for my writing. This was one of my first times walking a carpet with my head shaved and I just remember feeling so confident. Looking back, I wish I had used contour! But at the time I loved this look. I got super into fake lashes when I shaved my head and never felt like a look was complete without them."
- Pierre Suu2/8
Paris Fashion Week (2019)
"This day was crazy busy with multiple makeup and outfit changes in between
fashion shows at Paris Fashion Week. They cram so many people into small rooms at these shows, I knew I had to come up with a look that embraced being sweaty and greasy. I love to show off my natural freckles. The simplicity of this look is still so cool to me. This is probably one of the quickest makeup looks I've ever done."
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MTV EMAS (2019)
"I really loved this look. I actually took inspo from Kate Winslet's character Rose in Titanic and looking back, I think I nailed it while still making it my own. I didn't have a lot of time to get ready because I had so many look changes this day which probably ended up being for the best. I didn’t have time to be a perfectionist, I had to work quickly and be cool with the results."
- Jeff Spicer4/8
Visiting KISS FM (2019)
"This hair took a suuuuuper long time. My hairstylist Marty did it at the hotel. He makes long hours in the glam chair so much fun. I had much more freedom with my sense of style for that album [Manic] because it wasn't a concept record, and I was playing around with different looks. This one was unlike anything I had ever done before. As for the makeup, I wanted to go super understated and natural to let the hair really shine."
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CMAS (2019)
"I jump at any chance I can get to go work in Nashville. It's such an amazing music city and everyone there has always been really welcoming. After a lifetime of idolizing her, I finally met P!nk for the first time [at this event]. I completely lost my cool and didn't know how to handle myself. I think I just told her I loved her a million times. I loved the juxtaposition of really glamorous makeup with a suit. [Editor's note: Halsey wore a suit while performing with Lady A during the award show.] Playing with that duality always makes me feel so powerful and confident. This one took a little bit longer. I'm not used to doing a proper, classic, full beat glam look."
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American Music Awards (2019)
"Oooh this was the night I won my first AMA! I wore this Marc Jacobs dress on the red carpet and then covered myself in paint for a performance. I bleached my own eyebrows for this look, which is always a bit of an adventure. I had to take a shower backstage at the AMAs because I had 20 minutes to go from being covered in paint to being on stage with Taylor Swift. We didn't have time to get all of the paint out of my hair so we just covered it up with glitter. This is my favorite makeup look I've ever done. I was really proud of myself for pulling it off. Without eyebrows and with my hair pulled away from my face I was able to achieve a look that was so structurally different from anything I had done before. But I would have liked more time, this day was so hectic."
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Manic (2020)
"This is the cover of my third album Manic. This picture wasn't supposed to be
the cover; I hated it at first. I think sometimes we hardwire our brains to believe that we
need to look sexy all the time but this photo is the opposite. It's so vulnerable and so is
the album. Why I hated it originally ended up being why I chose it in the end. I love that my fans understood the symbolism of the glitter black eye right away, without explanation. They also made it their own; I saw a lot of glitter eyes on the short-lived Manic world tour." - Courtesy brand8/8
About-Face (2021)
"This day was a whirlwind. It was taken at our first About-Face campaign shoot. I did four full wig, look, and outfit changes that day, and was also running around styling models and giving creative direction while they were shooting. For one of the shots that day I had to look like I was spitting. Instead of just, you know, having me spit, they actually brought in fake spit. I didn't know that existed; it was pretty disgusting. [For this look] I love the white dots! I've repeated them a few times since."
Additional reporting by Danielle Pergament.