As much as we may try to fight them, large pores are simply a fact of life for most people, an often too-visible, bothersome side effect of being human. So according to this fairly straightforward logic, Justine Skye's skin is simply... superhuman. By her own admission she's entirely poreless (at least in appearance), and even through a computer screen, with its pixelated imagery and unreliable WiFi connection, I can tell this isn't just a subtle flex. The multi-hyphenate artist really does glow like a light bulb, albeit a perfectly airbrushed one, with nary a pore in sight. With her dewy luminosity and minimal makeup, she is exactly the type of celebrity that we need spilling her best skincare secrets for the masses, that way we can at least try to replicate her enviable complexion.
With her newly minted Cetaphil campaign, three studio albums (and more music on the way), and a Hollywood friend group that includes Rhode mogul Hailey Bieber, Skye is certainly no stranger to the beauty industry. Ahead, she sat down with Marie Claire to discuss all her top skincare and wellness essentials, from the strangest beauty treatment she's ever tried, the natural deodorant she bought for the name alone, and the critical skincare trend to ignore if you want to follow in her poreless footsteps.
Marie Claire: When did you first become interested in beauty and skincare?
Justine Skye: I think as a woman growing up in a single mother home, just [her being] obsessed with every detail of her skincare, her makeup, what she's wearing, it just naturally became something that I was interested in. And as I got older and people started to admire my skin, I would use way too many products and I'd start to experience acne. I realized later on that I just needed those key products. I scaled it back down. I don't eat all these products with fragrance, so four or five years ago is when I started to really dial into my skin.
MC: What products will we always find in the bottom of your everyday bag?
JS: I like to have a big purse so I have a bunch of things, naturally. We will definitely be finding the Rhode blush. The Toasted Teddy is my go-to. I don't like to wear makeup every single day, which is key for making sure that my skin is great, so my daily things would just be my blush [and] my Fenty Heat clear lip gloss. The Cetaphil Ceramide Serum too, because I'm always traveling, [or] in the studio late. If I'm on the plane my skin is dry, [so I need] something to hydrate and protect the barrier of my skin. Oh, and facial mist! The Amuse Bouche spray. I actually got that as a gift from one of my friends. Obviously, you need to have deodorant on you. So I have this Donna Karan Cashmere Mist. The name is what got me. People always talk [that] natural deodorants aren't the best, but it's actually been really good for me.
MC: What would you say is the least sexy product that makes the biggest difference in your skin?
JS: I'm a Virgo, so I'm very [into] aesthetic, but I have this scrubby thing to make sure your feet are nice and soft. And I have a cream for calluses. Maybe I should do something real, but, like, whatever, you know? It's life. We're all human.
MC: If you have five minutes to get ready in the morning, what products are you reaching for?
JS: Definitely washing my face with Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. Then I'm going in for my Vitamin C Serum and absolutely SPF. I didn't think that it was important growing up, and now I do, because, you know, hyperpigmentation. As a dark skinned woman, I'm always looking for something [without] a white cast, and I was scared to try different SPFs. I just started using the Vacation face SPF stick, It's really cute; it's been great. Then my blush and my lip gloss and ready to go.
MC: Are you into any supplements for skin health?
JS: I haven't necessarily gotten into oral supplements. I like more of the topicals; I feel like that works better for me. I'm not trying to have acne, so I feel like I can control the amount I'm applying to my skin [with topical products]. I didn't think that I had sensitive skin at first, but as I've gotten older, I realize I kind of do. And so I have to be conscious about the products that I use because this is the money maker. I'm not gonna play around with the oral stuff.
MC: What's the strangest beauty treatment that you've ever tried?
JS: I got a four-handed massage. That was very strange to me. It was over-stimulating. Just too many hands! Or, I remember one time my friend tried slugging on me, and I was just like, "It's gonna get on the pillow!" It's crazy. I feel like it's gonna clog my pores. Let me not speak too soon because I don't really have pores.
MC: When you have time for a relaxing spa day, what's your favorite go-to treatment?
JS: Getting a lymphatic massage is just icing on the cake for anything self-care. There's this woman in L.A., Vivian Lieberman. She's the best.
MC: When we're talking about skincare, there's so much emphasis on "anti-aging" products and treatments, but what are you most excited about as you get older?
JS: Well, I look at my grandmother and my mom, and I'm just like, Wow, that's what I'm gonna look like when I get older. They don't do too much to their skin, to be honest. So it's great when you find a brand that doesn't have too much in there, and you know exactly what you're getting. I get that people want to experiment but you don't know the effects of what this is going to have on your skin years down the line. I'm just excited to see how my skin forms throughout the years.
MC: Do you feel like that helps alleviate some of the fear about growing older, looking older, just knowing you have products that work?
JS: I think that having a fear of growing older is just setting you back. It's natural; it happens in life, and I think that fear ages you, to be honest. So if you feel good about yourself and you're confident, you take care of your skin, you take care of your body, and most importantly, you are making sure that happiness is a main ingredient in your life, the rest of the things don't matter.
MC: What's making you the most happy these days?
JS: Honestly, I'm so excited for my new music and the new era of my career. I just feel free.
