Lola Young: “I stole mum’s makeup to make YouTube videos”
Daily Beauty Rituals: South London’s light-fingered pop star talks us through her best beauty bits, from fleeting influencer aspirations to heavy duty lashes.
Beauty
Words: Olive Pometsey
“You said that I’m really fucking boring,” Lola Young shout-sings in her South London accent. “Well, that’s rich coming from you.”
On screen, Bella Hadid scrunches her nose as she mimes the lyrics. A couple more swipes down TikTok’s FYP and Kylie Jenner takes a more sultry approach to lip syncing the song. Madonna, meanwhile, folds her arms and scowls down the lens for her take on Don’t Hate Me, Young’s angst-ridden, grunge-laden, stream-of-consciousness freestyle that went viral earlier this year and has since been streamed more than 14 million times on Spotify.
“Seeing Madonna using my sound to make a video has been really amazing in moving everything forward in my career,” the 22-year-old says.
Many would argue that Young’s career was moving at lightning speed long before her big viral moment. Only two albums in, she’s already been nominated for a Brit Rising Star Award in 2022 and brought the nation to tears by soundtracking last year’s John Lewis Christmas advert with a rendition of Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey’s Together in Electric Dreams.
Mind you, this is an artist who studied at the prestigious performing arts incubator BRIT School (abridged alumni: Adele, FKA Twigs, Raye) and convinced Amy Winehouse’s manager Nick Shymansky to come out of retirement to represent her. What else would you expect?
If you somehow missed the wave of Don’t Hate Me TikToks and are wondering what all the hype is about, Young’s latest project My Mind Wanders And Sometimes Leaves Completely, which dropped in May, is a good place to start. A 10-track rumination on what it’s like to be a young person battling everything from depression to love-bombing, Young’s lyrics are relatable without feeling contrived, introspective but never self-indulgent.
“Working on the project was really important to me, as I was able to express all of those feelings, insecurities and problems that I was dealing with and put them into a body of art,” she says. “There were a lot of things that I wanted to get off my chest that I hadn’t yet been able to translate musically – it was a way of me creating a project that felt super real and honest.”
That ethos of authenticity trickles into everything Young does, from her music to her personal style. Typically seen in baggy jeans, tracksuits and oversized tees from flea markets and charity shops, the South Londoner’s approach to fashion is, as she puts it, simultaneously “simple” and “statement”.
As for makeup, it’s all about the lashes. “I always try to have huge lashes and a fresh glowy base,” Young says. “I like to ensure I have at least one thing that pops whether it’s my lashes, blush or my lip.” And sometimes, she properly goes for it and makes a statement with all three. See: Young sitting on the ground, peering up at the camera from beneath heavyweight falsies, all bright rosy cheeks and pouty red lips.
“If I do an all-nighter I’m usually sleeping in my makeup and then going to work in the same makeup”
The first thing I eat or drink when I wake up is…
An iced oat latte.
My morning skincare regimen looks like…
I wash my face in the shower with a Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Face Wash from CeraVe, which you can only get in America, so I buy loads and bring them home. It’s got 5 per cent benzoyl peroxide in it, which basically dries out and does some crazy shit to your spots!
Three times a week, I use my Paula’s Choice Liquid Skin Exfoliant, then a couple of serums and the Caudalie Face Resveratrol-Lift Firming Cashmere Cream. I also go in with my moisturising cream, which changes, but at the moment it’s Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream. I also always put La Roche-Posay SPF on every morning!
The soundtrack to my morning routine is…
Anything trap, so Gunna or Lil Yachty. I’m loving Hak Baker’s recent album, too!
My go-to beauty hack for when I’ve pulled an all-nighter is…
If I’m very honest, if I do an all-nighter I’m usually sleeping in my makeup and then going to work in the same makeup.
The product I’ll reach for when I’ve got a pimple is…
Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion.
My favourite brand of sunscreen is…
La Roche-Posay.
My holy grail skincare product is…
Paula’s Choice BHA Skin Exfoliant.
Because…
It gives my skin such a nice glow, and keeps my acne and blackheads at bay.
My best kept beauty secret is…
My beauty secret that no one knows is that when I put on fake eyelashes, I put the glue straight on the eyelid instead of my natural lash. Once the lash is applied I pull the skin from my eye down and it hides the lash line completely.
My favourite feature is my…
Eyes… or my bum!
Because…
My eyes are green [her bum, reader, is not].
My first beauty-related memory is…
Stealing makeup from my mum and making YouTube videos back when I wanted to be an influencer.
The last life-changing product I discovered was…
The Huda Beauty powder and, even better, the Huda Beauty loose powder. Also the Maybelline Infallible Concealer because it’s the best and their shades match really well.
The best tactic for getting rid of stubborn waterproof mascara is…
I don’t know ‘cos I don’t wear mascara.
I keep my lips moisturised with…
Bog standard Vaseline or Carmex, nothing fancy.
The bougiest beauty product I own is…
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream.
My favourite budget find is…
Anything ELF or Collection, they are such good dupes of high end products.
The face mask that never lets me down is…
Caudalie’s Instant Detox mask tightens my skin and leaves it super glowy.
My signature scent is…
At the moment it’s Jimmy Choo’s “I Want Choo”. It’s a very sweet scent.
TikTok made me buy it…
Embryolisse Cream, ELF Halo Glow Liquid Filter and La Roche Posay sunscreen.
My top tips for having a good hair day are…
TikTok also made me buy this, but it’s called Color WOW Dream Coat. It’s basically waterproof and gives your hair a nice sheen when blow dried in.
A hair product I can’t go without is…
Frizz-Ease by John FriedaFrizz-Ease by John Frieda.
My evening skincare routine looks like…
I start with cleansing my face with the Elemis balm to remove makeup, then go in with another cleanser, which is the same CeraVe one I use in the morning. I then use my regular cream again and a couple serums.
The very last product I apply before going to sleep is…
The Dewy Skin Cream by Tatcha.
The secret to a good night’s kip is…
I usually sleep really well, but always make sure I have no caffeine for a while before bed.
My Mind Wanders And Sometimes Leaves Completely is now.
