The Glow Up: How Rina Sawayama Gets Her Skin So Glossy
Welcome to The Glow Up, Highsnobiety’s series examining the bathroom shelves of beautiful people.
Braces, green hair, bangs — throw anything at Rina Sawayama, and she'll sport it with aplomb.
The London based alt-pop star is equally adored for her music as her daring aesthetic. Never shying away from a full beat (and admitting when she forgets to blend her contour), Sawayama is a natural choice for Make Up For Ever's latest campaign, #FocusOnMe.
Fronting the brand's new foundation, HD Skin, Sawayama and her perpetually glossy complexion convinced me to give the product a shot.
I'll defend my trusty BITE Beauty to the end, but Make Up For Ever makes a damn good foundation, too.
In 1N14, HD Skin blends seamlessly with my light skin tone and neutral-yellow undertones (a feat in and of itself, given that foundations suited to Asian coloring are few and far between).
With a finish that finds a happy medium between dewy and matte, it feels moisturizing and keeps excess oil at bay (by mid-afternoon, my blotting papers tend to look like the bottom of a McDonald's bag).
And, as Sawayama notes, it's buildable — so you can go full airbrush mode, or dab a little on for a tinted moisturizer-like finish.
There are certain boxes that a good foundation must check — color matching, texture, finish — and HD Skin puts a big old "X" through all of them.
For more "add to cart" inspiration, we got Sawayama to share her favorites in skincare, makeup, and wellness.
First-ever beauty purchase
"I always hoarded skincare when I went to Japan for my summer holidays, so I remember getting a lot of drugstore makeup and skincare. I think one of my first purchases was eye makeup — clear mascara and light blue eyeshadow."
Biggest splurge
"I have a skincare subscription from Dermatica which, across the year, is a splurge. I also use Athletic Greens to get my vitamins and minerals for the day."
Holy grail
"The original Make Up For Ever HD Foundation and now, their new HD Skin."
Drugstore favorite
"Maybelline's waterproof mascaras are the only formulas that keep my straight, Asian lashes curled — nothing else works! Also, La Roche Posay sunscreen. It doesn't break me out so I wear their Factor 50 every day."
Best under-the-radar brand
"I love Krave Beauty. Their face wash is so gentle."
Beauty hot tip
"Don't smoke. Don't drink alcohol excessively. Always wear sunscreen!"
