It feels like I get a press release for a new celebrity-founded beauty brand every single day. And most of the time, I’m forced to ask of said brand: Why? What the hell does this person know about hair or makeup or skin care as compared to their own professional glam team? These types of makeup brands are usually backed by celebrities that wear beautiful beats but rarely inspire me to try something new with mine. So, in an age where just about anyone can launch a new makeup or skin-care or hair-care company with the right resources, the market can feel oversaturated with products that, sure, are of great quality — but mostly look the same, just with different actors’, singers’, models’, and influencers’ names and images stamped across them.
When I read the announcement for Halsey’s About-Face, however, I knew things would be different. I’m certainly not what you would call a Halsey stan, but I’ve been aware of her since the start of her music career (in other words: I was on Tumblr). I might not be the biggest fan of her music, but I’ve always respected the unashamed love of makeup she’s carried throughout the years. What she wears in her music videos, on red carpets, and on her album covers is more often than not bold, colorful, and abstract. She constantly makes me question what I’m doing with my own face, and that is what I consider a qualified candidate for a makeup brand founder.
To no one’s surprise, About-Face’s product selection is rife with in-your-face colors and textures that could be likened more to finger paints than traditional makeup. That alone impressed me at first glance, but then I tried the entire range and found that the product quality lived up to the hype, too (other Allure editors will back me up on this; we’ve been Slacking about it for weeks now). It’s hard to pick a standout product among my many favorites, but the one I can tell I’ll be using the most is undoubtedly the Shadowstick.
Nicola wears About-Face Shadowstick in Acidic.
Nicola Dall’Asen/Allure