Gabe Stone Shayer’s daily beauty rituals: extra shea butter, Tems and Chanel holy grails
The American Ballet Theatre soloist lifts the curtain on his skincare routine for a dose of balletcore beauty.
Life
Words: Olive Pometsey
Fashion has fallen hard for ballet over the past year or so. MM6 Maison Margiela sent leotards and tights down the runway for SS23, It Girls started wearing legwarmers and Miu Miu’s ballet flats became one of the hottest items of 2022. Call it dance fever, but it seems like everyone wants to look like they’ve just walked out of a 14-hour rehearsal for Swan Lake – minus the sore feet, obviously.
It’s only right, then, as the world scrambles to nail ballerina style, that we feature some of the people who are actually putting the hours in at the studio. Enter stage right: Gabe Stone Shayer, the 29-year-old American Ballet Theatre soloist who makes pushing ballet boundaries look like easy work.
Not only is Shayer the first ever African American to graduate from Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet Academy (a huge deal), but most recently, he also made his way onto the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for his exploration of Black vulnerability in his work. With that in mind, it will come as no surprise that his collaborators include Misty Copeland, ABT’s first Black principal ballerina, and Alicia Keys, with whom he choreographed a dance to Love Looks Better during the pandemic.
Safe to say, Shayer is working up a sweat on the regular. How does he keep his skin fresh and mind clear in between his crazy schedule? We’re so glad you asked…
The first thing I eat and drink when I wake up is…
I usually chug water and always keep a bottle by my bed. Then coffee and a carb – toasted bagel in New York, croissant in Paris!
My morning skincare regimen looks like…
Now that I don’t have adolescent breakouts, I keep it very simple. I rinse my face very well to remove overnight build up, then add a small amount of Barbara Sturm’s foam cleanser, followed by traditional Ghanaian shea butter.
The soundtrack to my morning routine is…
Anything by Aya Nakamura.
My go-to beauty hack for when I’ve pulled an all-nighter is…
Exfoliate and [apply] extra shea butter which I let sit on my skin before massaging it in, so as not to look greasy when I leave.
The product I’ll reach for when I’ve got a pimple is…
Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum as a spot treatment. Don’t tell them I use it like that!
My favourite brand of sunscreen is…
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch.
My holy grail skincare product is…
Honestly, it’s between shea butter and the Drunk Elephant night serum.
Because…
The shea butter may seem cliché, but it sinks in very well and my skin responds to it like it’s a secret elixir. The glycolic serum because when I use it overnight I always wake up with clear baby skin.
My best kept beauty secret is…
The less chemicals, the better.
My first beauty-related memory is…
My mum’s Chanel products and her Trish McEvoy perfume.
The last life-changing product I discovered was…
The Boy De Chanel Fortifying Gel Moisturiser.
The best tactic for getting rid of stubborn waterproof mascara is…
Ugh, coconut oil and elbow grease.
I keep my lips moisturised with…
The bougiest beauty product I own is…
N°1 de Chanel Revitalising Serum.
The face mask that never lets me down is…
Dr. Barbara Sturm Clarifying Mask.
My signature scent is…
Bleu de Chanel mixed with rose absolute essential oil.
My top tips for having a good hair day are…
Washing two days before and overnight leave-in conditioner. I will put a plastic bag on my head and tie it to keep my hair wet all night. It’s not the most comfortable, but my hair becomes manageable and feels like butter the next morning.
A hair product I can’t go without is…
SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Masque.
My evening skincare routine looks like…
Barbara Sturm Darker Skin Tones Enzyme Cleanser, Drunk Elephant glycolic serum and shea butter.
The secret to a good night’s kip is…
Surround yourself with calming smells. I’ll sometimes put on Costa Brazil Lua Moonlight Body Oil because it relaxes me, followed by the Costa Brazil Aroma candle and some Brazilian jazz music or Tems.
