The ongoing global pandemic has separated people from their friends and families, jobs, and favorite restaurants. But if there's one thing the pandemic won't separate Zoe Kravitz from, it's her red
lipstick. Of course, with global mandates requiring people to wear masks out in public at all times, Kravitz—like many of us—has found it increasingly difficult to work up the enthusiasm to apply lipstick or any beauty product for that matter.
"Honestly, there was not a lot of makeup for a long time," she tells me over the phone from London, where she's currently shooting The Batman in which she stars as Catwoman opposite Robert Pattison's Batman.
"I was putting on my makeup like, Oh my God, this is exciting. It was just so interesting to remember how to apply makeup and how much I love doing it. And I realized I missed the ritual of it. I missed putting on music and getting ready; it's such a fun thing to do," she says.
Then, there's the not-so-fun part of the makeup routine, which usually occurs after you've applied your base and eye products, and it's time to move on to the lower half of your face. Like Kravitz, you wonder if applying red lipstick is even worth it since they'll be covered by a mask and will likely rub off. Kravitz says go for it—always. "I love a red lip. There's a theme that follows the color red, and it's synonymous with beauty," she adds. As for mastering the art of wearing transfer-free lipstick under your masks, Kravitz cracked the code. "The best masks to wear are the N95 masks," she says. "They protrude out a bit, so they're not sitting directly on your lips. I always double up and dab a little powder on top of the lipstick to keep it intact."
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It's no secret Hollywood's coolest girl is a crimson lip connoisseur. Last August, the actress and YSL ambassador stepped into the creative chair to curate an exclusive collection of lipsticks—three of which were shades of red—for YSL. But the red lippie she finds herself reaching for these days is YSL's Rouge Pur Couture The Slim in Rouge Paradoxe.
Her tip for long-lasting red lipstick? "Start on the outside of your lips with a matching liner or one that's slightly darker than the lipstick. Start lining your lips and the corners and then fill in with lipstick and rub the lips together," she explains. But she advises not to go overboard with the overlining. "Obviously, there's lots of tricks now to change your lip shape a little bit, but I just encourage people not to go too crazy because there's a very fine line between illusion and looking insane."
Kravitz understands a red lip may be too much for some people, but one product she's sure will offer people a piece of comfort is her all-time favorite perfume, YSL's Black Opium set, which she says is the gift that "always feels appropriate."
"Right now, all we're talking about is what the world's like right now," she adds. "But I think even if you're going to be in sweat pants at home, on the couch by yourself or with your partner or whatever, it's just fun to smell sexy and cozy. And I think [Black Opium] makes you feel good. I love the idea of you wearing something or someone wearing something, and then someone being able to smell you on them later. It's always appropriate."