If you’ve ever attended a ballet performance, you’ve probably noticed the stunning, dramatic makeup worn by the dancers. In addition to adding an element of glamour, heavy layers of contouring and eye makeup ensure that the dancer’s expressions can be seen by members of the audience. I’ve often wondered how dancers manage to maintain naturally glowing skin while doing one of the most athletic things ever *and* wearing a so much product. Surely there is some witchcraft afoot—that or these dancers are as good at skincare as they are at pirouettes.
Mary Elizabeth Sell
Lucky for us, New York City Ballet dancers Isabella LaFreniere and Mary Elizabeth Sell recently shared a few of the ways they keep their skin healthy performance after performance.
Isabella LaFreniere
Taking It All Off
After a show, removing makeup and sweat is a must to maintaining a healthy, glowing complexion. Isabella LaFreniere swears by natural skin care brands Eminence and Omorovicza. After an initial wipe with a makeup removing cloth, LaFreniere turns to Eminence to get completely clean followed by soothing treatments from Omorovicza.
“After a performance, I’ll use a makeup wipe to take off my makeup. Then I’ll go home and I’ll use my Eminence Coconut Milk Cleanser and my Strawberry Rhubarb Exfoliant. Then I’ll put a little bit of the Omorovicza [Instant Perfection] Serum and Omorovicza Balancing Moisturizer after that.”
Eminence: Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant
“My exfoliator. It’s Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant. It’s all-natural and fresh. It gets off all the grit and grime from the day—makeup and everything. I use that every night,” La Freniere says.
Omorovicza Instant Perfection Serum
Omorovicza Balancing Moisturizer
Sell also combines cleansing techniques, opting for a micellar water, which can be used on even the most sensitive skin, and a foaming cleanser.
Keeping Skin Moisturized
Stage makeup can be drying, especially if several layers of powder are involved. Therefore, it’s essential for dancers to reintroduce moisture into their skin.
LaFreniere gives her skin a rest from makeup when possible and keeps a hydrating mist handy. “I use the Omorovicza [Queen of Hungary] Mist in-between rehearsals to freshen up. You can put it on over makeup—although I usually don’t wear much makeup during the day—and I’ll spray it for a hydrating, refreshing boost.”
Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist
Sell adds that she has stubbornly dry skin, so instead of doing purifying masks, she turns to something that would make most skincare addicts shudder—“I don’t do many face masks, but I do like to slather my face with a nice thick layer of Vaseline at night when I’m feeling extra dry and dehydrated—it’s my old-fashioned quick fix.”
If your skin is prone to congestion, however, consider a non-petroleum cream that still delivers serious emollients. Edible Beauty Coco Bliss Intensive Repair Moisturizer
Sell also uses Omorovicza Gold Flash Firming Serum as a protective layer between her skin and her stage makeup: “I fell in love with the Gold Flash Firming Serum right away. Because of my exceptionally dry skin, I always want to wear a moisturizer under the heavy and severely drying stage makeup. I’ve tried dozens of products, and most will make the foundation smear right off. This serum is the first and only product that actually allows me to put my pancake foundation over it.”
Mary Elizabeth Sell
What natural skincare brands do you swear by?
Related: 3 Stunning Ballerinas Share Their Favorite Vegan Foods (Must Copy STAT)
*This* Is How To Manifest Your Dreams—5 Tips From Misty Copeland’s “Ballerina Body”
Get Ballerina Gorgeous With ABT Principal Isabella Boylston’s Skin & Makeup Secrets
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Photo: Mary Elizabeth Sell via Instagram, Isabella LaFreniere via Instagram, Respective Brands, Pexels
