There are some pop culture moments that bring the world to a halt, only to be forgotten days later, and then there are those that remain permanently seared in our minds. Teyana Taylor’s solo sweaty locker-room dance in Kanye West’s “Fade” video is one of the latter. It’s been over a year since her choreography set the Internet ablaze, and Taylor is no less magnetic now than she was immediately following the video’s debut. We witnessed this firsthand when the Harlem-born singer feted the Beauty Bar by Kiss pop-up in NYC—a haven for two of Taylor’s favorite things: faux lashes and bold nail looks. We had a chance to chat with the multi-hyphenate entertainer, touching on everything from her favorite drugstore find to the one product her husband, NBA player Iman Shumpert, always asks to borrow. Amid posing for photos and snacking (she was enjoying gelato when we sat down with her), here’s what she shared.
How old were you when you started wearing makeup, and what were you into?
“I think the first time I wore makeup—serious makeup—was at my sweet 16. I was so nervous. I hated makeup, and I didn’t know what it was going to look like. I remember one time I got all this free makeup, and my mom said that every time I came out of the bathroom I was a shade darker [laughs]. I kept piling it on and piling it on and piling it on. It was so funny! I didn’t know what I was doing.”
My Super Sweet 16 was one of your first times in the public eye. You entered your party in a Barbie box. What comes to mind when you think about that time?
“I was such a tomboy. I was like, ‘I don’t want to wear makeup!’ But you can’t be in a Barbie box and not have a beat face. So I put on makeup, but I wound up wearing a grill with it, so that made me feel better.”
If you had to choose between brows, lashes, and nails, which one do you absolutely have to have done?
“What if I say lashes, but I’m at least able to razor my brows?”
No, sorry—you can only pick one.
“[Sighs.] Lashes and eyebrows are both so important, but I feel like...if your lashes are short that can get real crazy. So I would probably say my lashes for sure.”
What’s the least glamorous beauty product you swear by?
“I love Eco Styler Gel. And I love [Ampro] Pro Style—the brown gel. Especially for short hair.”
Who are some of your beauty icons?
“My mom. She has the the most perfect cheekbones, the perfect [bone] structure, the perfect complexion... Her skin is like chocolate, like Hershey’s—it’s everything.”
What’s your favorite spa treatment?
“The vampire facial. Have you heard of [it]? It’s so good! The only part I don’t like about it is having to get the needle. They take your blood and spin it and use your plasma [on your face], but I hate needles. But it’s so worth it because afterwards your skin is everything.”
Is there a product that you’ve gotten your husband into?
“Yes. Urban Skin RX is actually the product that I’m using right now, and I’ve been using it for a couple of months. It’s so good. They have this cleansing bar that comes in a little jar with a sponge inside of it. It’s so convenient. You can travel with it.”
Tell us about your nails.
“These are Kiss Gel Fantasy nails. I’m not a big fan of press-ons, but these are the only ones I wear because they actually stay on. They’re perfect, especially for a person like me. I always break my nails, so the moment I break a nail, I just put another one on.”
Does your daughter, Junie, ever play with your makeup?
“Yes! You know the Beautyblender? She [pretends to use it]. And when she’s ready for lip gloss, she [puckers her lips]. It’s so cute. She’s so observant, so she does everything that I do.”