She’s one of the most sought-after, talked-about models in the industry — from the world’s most conspicuous family, no less — but Kendall Jenner still buys beauty tools on Amazon, giggles at her mom’s hairstyles, and swears by a meditation routine even she was skeptical of. For Allure’s March issue, the 23-year-old shared her favorite products, tricks, tips, and more with editorial director Kelly Bales.
ALLURE: If you could use only one makeup item, what would it be?
K. J.: I have this Armani foundation called Face Fabric. It’s a little tube and it's so light. You feel like you can breathe and like you don't even have anything on. Most of the time when I'm wearing it people are like, "Are you even wearing makeup?" It's really great.
ALLURE: One beauty product you couldn't live without while traveling?
K.J.: I always need a good Chapstick, you know you get dry in the air. I have Avene Cold Cream Lip Cream in the squeeze tube.
ALLURE: What’s the last beauty tool you bought?
K. J.: A roller that you use on your face to get the puffiness out. I used it on set the other day and liked it so I bought one.
ALLURE: Manicure you want to try next?
K. J.: So there's one that's like cow print. I know that sounds really weird but it's actually really cool. So we'll see if that happens any time soon.
ALLURE: Your favorite bold beauty look that you've done recently?
K. J.: I loved my New Year's look with my neon green eyeliner. And also my look at People's Choice Awards. I was wearing an all black outfit but a bright neon-green eye, with stripes and dots around [it]. No makeup otherwise. I had no other eyeshadow or anything. I don't even think I wore mascara. I'm really into green these days...I'm just drawn to it. I don't know what's happening.
ALLURE: What are the best tricks you’ve learned from your makeup artist Mary Phillips?
K. J.: I die for Mary! She is a genius at contouring and making your face look alive and fresh and glowy. We actually collabed on this highlighter trick. We combine a creamy highlighter with the powder highlighter on top just to make me extra highlighter-y, we're glowing over here. I think that skin is half the battle when it comes to doing makeup, maybe this relates to me having skin issues occasionally. Like, if your skin isn't on point then it doesn't really matter what eye you have, you know what I mean?
ALLURE: What is the best hair tip that Jen Atkin has taught you?
K. J.: It's funny, 'cause Jen always wants me to do some wild look and I'm always like, "No, I want to keep it simple." And we have this back and forth that’s really entertaining. She wants me to look so bomb every day and I'm just like, I'm tired. I'm going to get a coffee. I want to put my hair in a ponytail. I've never been a hair expert, but Jen has helped. I’m still learning.
ALLURE: Tell me all about your skin-care routine.
K. J.: I always wash my face in the morning and at night. I have an obsession with keeping my face clean and feeling clean. I use ProactivMD which is basically a face wash, and then an acne fighting advanced retinoid, which is new for them and something that's never been sold over the counter before, and then a moisturizer with some SPF in it.
ALLURE: So what’s your biggest skin-care concern, and how do you treat it?
K. J.: I’ve always struggled with a bit of acne since I was around 14. It killed a lot of self-esteem and I had to really work past that. It started clearing up for me probably when I was 17 [when] I was modeling a lot, then it all kind of came back when I was about 21 again — really bad, and that's not a nice feeling. I get really easily stressed out, but there's obviously a lot of factors to it. It's a fact that, as women, our bodies change, so that includes hormonally and everything, so for me, I might just be in that cycle. I've had an ongoing battle with it, so it’s a constant thing for me, but I'm in a good place right now, which is awesome.
ALLURE: Social media had quite a lot to say about your breakouts. How do those responses to your skin make you feel?
K. J.: I mean, it's something that I look at myself in the mirror every day and see. Like, I don't want it there, but you have to deal with what you have right in front of you, and I had to deal with it, and it was probably a once in a lifetime thing for me to go to the Golden Globes (in 2018). I don't know if I'll ever go again, 'cause that's not usually my event to go to, you know? And so I went and I was super excited about it, and I'm not gonna let something so little (and big) as acne stop me. I was feeling good about myself, and then when people say mean things I'm like, "I know I have a zit. I know I'm breaking out. You guys don't have to keep pointing it out. I obviously see that, but let me live."
I have cried endlessly for days because of things people have said to me, and I've had to become stronger through it. I mean, don't get me wrong: I am not superhuman. I definitely feel, and the things people say online are very hurtful. You also just have to live your life and not pay attention to it. I think it can get pretty unhealthy if you really are deep in it and paying attention to it all the time. I think that that's what can really mess you up
ALLURE: Which sister has the best skin-care routine, and what does she do?
K. J.: I honestly might need to take credit for this one, only because they haven't really struggled with breakouts. Khloe did a little bit when she was really young, and then Rob a bit when he was really young but he's not my sister (laughs). They all have beautiful skin. So I will talk myself up and say that I might be the [skin-care] master in the family.
ALLURE: We still love Rob, though. We have to include Rob.
K. J.: Yeah, always include him.
ALLURE: When do you feel best?
K. J.: When my skin is glowing and I'm in my sweats watching a bomb movie with all of my friends.
ALLURE: Nighttime ritual?
K. J.: I got a new Everlasting Comforts humidifier that has an essential-oil tray. I liked it because it looked cool, honestly, and it had a good review on Amazon. I'll throw lavender or eucalyptus in it, then I'll sit and just chill out from the day with my crystals.
ALLURE: How do you define self-care?
K. J.: Self-care is a huge thing for me. I've really dedicated a lot of time to it in the last two years. A couple of years ago, I was working a lot — probably more than I should have, to be honest. It was really starting to mess with my mental and my physical health, and I came to the point where I was like, what am I supposed to do?
I kept hearing about meditating and was skeptical about it, but decided [to] just do it. So I sat down for four days with a teacher and learned TM (Transcendental Meditation) and really dove into it, and I started to see such a difference in my mental health.
I do still have moments of panic attacks and anxiety, but it was really, really bad. I mean, it would wake me out of my sleep in full panic, so much so that I thought I had heart issues. I went to all these doctors 'cause I thought something was really wrong with me. I didn't know what was happening.
But then I figured it all out. I haven't had one (panic attack) in at least a year. Knock on wood and I have been pretty good and pretty steady. It's become such an important thing for me, and I definitely find myself in moments where I'm like, ‘I need to sit down. 'Cause I'll go a couple of days or weeks without meditating, and I know that is wrong for me, I know I need to do it.
I think that [self-care] ties into our day and age and social media. We can't say that we all haven't fallen victim to seeing other beautiful women online and seeing this perfect picture that everyone creates, because you do create it, by the way.
ALLURE: And now a really important question: Are you ever gonna get the Kris [Jenner] haircut?
K. J.: Oh my god. I don't know, but it's so funny you just said that. I might, one day. The only reason I haven't thus far is because I feel like I look too much like her already. I've tried on wigs before and scared myself 'cause I really look like her.
ALLURE: Whatever, blessed to look like her. No one is over her bun photo on Instagram.
K. J.: The bun photo? Jesus Christ, it's legendary. Kourtney, Kylie, and me were all skiing together, literally two days ago, whenever she posted it, and we saw it and we were just like, "Oh my god, what level is she on right now?" it's amazing. I love that everyone loves it as much as we do.
ALLURE: What are the photos you save on Instagram?
K. J.: My saved album on Instagram is cooler than my actual page. Like, it's literally just all inspiration. There's one account called @sainthoax it’s is so funny and so genius, they clip videos together from different scenarios. There's a lot of Mazzy Star old videos, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe.
ALLURE: What's the first thing you do when you wake up every morning?
K. J.: I drink water, 'cause I don't know if everyone else relates but I wake up and I feel like SpongeBob when he got all watered out, and I just feel like I need water, so I just down a whole bottle right then and there.
Fashion stylist, Jorden Bickham. Hair: Tamara McNaughton. Makeup: Romy Soleimani. Manicure: Michelle Saunders. Set design: Becket Cook. Production: PRODn.
A version of this article originally appeared in the March 2019 issue of Allure. To get your copy, head to newsstands or subscribe now.
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