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In matters of the heart, Ella Mai is admittedly deep in her feelings. But when it comes to her daily beauty regimen, the British R&B singer is much more laid-back. Always on the go, Mai eschews a tedious number of steps in favor of the bare minimum to keep her skin glowing and curls luminous. And ahead of the Grammy Awards, where the 24-year-old star’s infectious hit “Boo’d Up” is nominated for Song of the Year, Mai takes us through her morning routine. “My skin-care routine is super quick, so you can do all of this in less than five minutes if you’re in a rush,” she assures us.
Mai begins by massaging Burt’s Bees Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin into her skin, leaving it on for a few minutes, and then rinsing it off with lukewarm water to open up her pores. “I have sensitive skin, [so] I’ve always had to make sure I don’t use anything that makes me break out or makes me get rashes,” Mai explains. “Otherwise, I’d be walking around like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
Spritzing her face with Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist, she gently taps the toning elixir into her face, explaining that inside-outside hydration is the secret weapon for a healthy complexion. “I drink a lot of water,” she says. “You’ll always see me with a bottle of water in my hand.” After smoothing on a few drops of a supercharged serum, it’s onto the lips (“I think [they’re] probably my best feature!” she says), which call for a generous layer of Burt’s Bees Vanilla Bean Lip Balm. “I always have this in my pocket; you will never, ever catch me without this in my pocket,” she says. “I hate chapped lips.”
Switching gears to hair care, Mai makes a point of paying special attention to her waist-grazing raven mane. “You’ve got to make sure you keep your hair moisturized—especially if you have curly hair,” she explains while misting her lengths with water and carefully dispersing a nourishing oil pomade with her fingertips. “I hardly ever use a hair dryer [and try to] keep heat out of my routine because when I was younger, I . . . ruined my curl pattern. So for ages, I’ve tried to use no heat, let it air-dry, and just use water really.” To complete her sleek half-up style, she lays down her baby hairs with a small, densely bristled brush and matte molding paste.
The last step before Mai steps out the door? What else but a quick slick of Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb in shimmering rose nude Fenty Glow. “It’s my everyday, simple but effective [gloss],” she beams. Puckering up in front of the mirror, Mai’s mission—maximum impact with minimal effort—is complete. “I’m ready for the day!” she declares with a smile.
Filmed by Talia Collis
Filmed at The Ludlow Hotel
