Scroll through rapper Rico Nasty’s Instagram page and you’ll be met with so many bright and bold beauty moments: colorful eyeshadow, rainbow-hued hairdo’s and unique, daring looks that look straight out of an episode of Euphoria. And now we know a little about how it all happens.
The beauty maven created a video for Vogue’s Beauty Secrets series on YouTube to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the hard work that goes into her stage makeup. Think highlighter and lashes than can be seen from miles away.
Nasty stresses that since she has to pack on the makeup for shows — and sometimes change it up three times a day — skin care is very important to her. Instead of layering each of her products with a few minutes in between, she applies them all at once before rubbing them into her skin. She uses a cocktail of Makeup Revolution Star Primer, Pink Label Face Oil and Anastasia Beverly Hills Priming Oil to help her foundation glide on seamlessly.
After that, she keeps things relatively simple, perfecting her complexion with Huda Beauty Foundation, followed by concealer and Huda Beauty Setting Powder. She contours and then starts in on her brows.“Fun fact: I shaved [them] so I can make them go any direction that I want,” Rico says, pointing to the shaved outer end of her eyebrows. The musician is currently loving a natural, straight shape, which she effortlessly draws on.
Next, things take an exciting turn. Nasty layers Fenty Beauty Kilawatt Freestyle Highlighter in Wattabrat and Sangria Sunset to create a holographic glow in seconds. “When I’m onstage, I feel like a lot of people can’t see the details in my makeup, so it’s super important to make sure my makeup is extra,” she says.
She then creates fake freckles using a cream contour palette and a tiny eyeliner brush to decorate her cheeks with itty-bitty dots, inspired by her friend and fellow music artist, SZA. Once that’s done, she reaches for a star-shaped tattoo stamp from Milk Makeup and applies two underneath her left eyebrow.
To complete the look (which she says is her go-to when her makeup artist isn’t around), Nasty applies false lashes to her upper lash line and draws fake bottom lashes on with a liquid eyeliner pen to mimic the look of hairs. She coats her lips with glossy pink lipstick and uses a spoolie brush to style and lay down her baby hairs.
“I never really was crazy about my natural face, so in doing makeup and constantly being able to change and look different,” says Nasty, “it’s become a coping mechanism and a way to love myself and feel beautiful.”
