“Read my lips, I need a boy with a big cock. There is no one who speaks well,” raps musician Shygirl on the opening lines of her new song “BDE”, with Slowthai. is a bold statement and fits the life mantra of the East London native: it’s all about freedom. “If someone told you, you can do whatever you want in this room, you’d do something. something you wouldn’t usually do, “Shygirl says to Zoom, where she speaks from her home in South London.” It’s about being able to run away with some aspect of yourself, less of being something. different, but in each of those spaces you have a little more room to breathe. ”
The artist, who creates very low, club-ready tracks straddling electro, pop and hip-hop, is known for her fashion and beauty looks that match her extravagant music. Her deepest fantasies and fantasies are both aesthetics and music, and fashion brands like Burberry have taken note. (The brand’s creative director, Riccardo Tisci, chose Shygirl in his latest Burberry Beauty campaign after stumbling across one of her clips on Instagram.) We caught up with Shygirl a few days before the release of “BDE” to discuss her penchant for skin care, her beauty tips from grandma, and why eating a big meal is the ultimate form of luxury.
How did you come to make your last single “BDE” with Slowthai?
I wrote this single a long time ago with Karma Kid. We were in the studio and I was actually up the night before at a warehouse party. I was really hung over – I think I was probably still drunk when I got to the studio, so I was still in the mood to party. The words came very quickly while I was recording, which is not always the case. Sometimes I think of a hook and we flesh it out later, or there’s a funny turn of phrase I’m playing with, and I start like that. But this one was based on a frustrating encounter I had with someone. And I was like, I’m just gonna put that out in a song.
I really wanted to work with a male singer and I have loved the energy of Slowthai for ages. I’m so objectifying the men in this song, I thought it would be good to put the mic on and say to myself, okay, I said this, what do you have to say for yourself- even ? Ty is the person on this platform because he doesn’t talk much about sex on his tracks. So it was nice to have that Shygirl effect. We met in the studio, spent some time together, and I was like, okay, the theme is sex, turn it around and be as rude and vulgar as you can because that’s how I got it. prepared the ground.
I love the fantasy of Delicious video. What was on your moodboard, especially regarding beauty looks?
Growing up, my mom really loved 80s music. And I loved that 80s look: a strong blush on the face, and how expressive it is, especially when you look at the queer community depicted in the picture. music. There’s something about it that speaks of freedom and playfulness, and there’s a huge synergy with where I’m from, which takes me seriously in this space, but not so seriously. . There is also something exciting about not being within the limits of my facial features and pushing those limits. That’s why I bleached my brows and changed the space we can use with all the makeup we do. I sent a lot of references, but I’m really drawn to the color palettes; I have different color phases which make me feel comfortable and happy. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some really good makeup artists who take my distorted references and the moods I tell them and make them look sexy. Because there’s something sexy about not staying in the lines.
On Beauty Notes issues. When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first thing you do, on the beauty side?
The first thing I do is wash my face, because I’m probably still wearing the mascara from the day before. I use Garnier Micellar Water as a cleanser, and bought some because it is pink. Then I put on the Aliver Gold Collagen Eye Mask eye patches. I bought a pack of, like, 100. They make me feel like a modern American psychosis. Then I use Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, because there is something watery about their products, they are just light on the skin. And my skin is very sensitive, so I usually don’t wear much. I have a rose quartz roller that I use after hydrating, which I find so relaxing. I should also mention that when I wash my face I wash it with lukewarm water and then with cold water.
What does it do?
Something about opening your pores with lukewarm water and then tightening them with cold water. My grandmother told me that when I was younger my dad’s mom gave me this obsession with fair skin from a young age. We kind of have it naturally and she really takes care of it, just like my dad. Usually people get beauty advice from their moms, but my mom was a bit more tomboy.
What one skin care tip you received from your grandmother that changed your perspective on beauty?
My grandmother comes up with a lot of non-PC phrases. One of the non-PC things she used to say was never trust a man with bad skin. I remember telling her about boys I liked and she was like, oh no, her skin is horrible. Additionally, she uses oils on her body, but not on her face. She’s big on oils. I have naturally curly hair, so I went through such a period of using many different oily hair products, and she told me everything affects your skin. Whenever I FaceTime my Grandma and Dad, it’s the first thing they ask: Are you eating right? I can see on your skin that you haven’t had enough of this or that.
What’s the one product you can’t live without?
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Night Cream. It is literally the best money I have ever spent on a beauty product. It just does what it says, and I don’t feel like I have to use it so religiously, but I need to know I have it, especially when I travel a lot. And even in confinement, I traveled a lot for work. The air dries my skin, and sometimes I need it before I wake up, just to start the day fresh.
What is your favorite product at the moment?
I only wear mascara for eye makeup every day, and right now I’m wearing this really good mascara that Burberry makes. I like a spiky and wider mascara because if it’s the only thing I’m wearing I’m going to make sure it’s visible. I’m not too comfortable with that – I like a slightly messy mascara look because there are clues there, where you tell people who you are. I want to be expressive.
What’s the best makeup or skincare tip you’ve found on set?
Exfoliate my lips. This is something that I haven’t done enough; Sometimes when I’m on set we use wipes with a bit rougher texture before we put anything on my lips.
What is your ideal spa day and where?
I recently found this place called Beaverbrook in Surrey, just outside of London. In December I just needed to get out of my house, I needed a spa break, I needed a massage, I needed to be in a hotel, I just needed to Something. It’s a bit of a big spa, which I didn’t know about, but got a room after someone else canceled. It was really nice, it’s in the countryside and it rained all weekend, so I felt like I was in The Wuthering Heights. I looked out over the fields watching the rain and I felt so British.
Is going to the spa your favorite form of personal care?
I take more care of my mind than my body, which is sometimes good for the soul is not always good for the body. I am indulgent to myself, and the biggest thing that feeds me is to do something spontaneously. The idea that I can just pick up and do anything I want to do is what gratifies me the most. It could take the day, cancel a bunch of meetings to remind me that I am in control of my life. More often it’s going to a restaurant and eating something obscene. You know in Parks and recreation when they are like “making you happy”? It’s my life. I really love a beautiful meal, and there is something so opulent about being served in one form or another and having someone else prepare your food.
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