Charli XCX's beauty routine

Brat Summer is over. But Charli XCX's success, charm, and relevance remain. Whether you're a fan of the Essex-born singer from her MySpace days or just discovered her through hits like Von Dutch and 360, her beats make us dance, and her unapologetic baddie looks have made their way into our inspirations. Her style, rooted in the 90s, "half bubblegum pop and half depressing grunge," embodies what she describes as "the meeting of Teen Witch, Kurt Cobain, and cyberspace," while her makeup is a blend of indie-sleaze refinement and a luxurious take on grunge. With a perfectly imperfect smokey eye, a touch of lip gloss, and a messy,  rebellious hairstyle, she's recognizable on and off stage, combined with a blunt, unfiltered attitude, which the 31-year-old Brit might call "bratty." Her aesthetic captures the zeitgeist, kicking aside the clean girl trend to embrace authenticity and self-expression with all the nuances and contradictions of being a woman today. So, it's no surprise that her beauty kit mixes luxury with accessible products, Lancome and La Mer, Caudalie and Laneige. This ability to blend different elements, defying categorization and embracing individuality, makes her even more interesting, relatable to Gen Z, who listen to and view her as an icon to emulate. 

Charli XCX is the new face of Valentino Beauty

Valentino Beauty has appointed Charli XCX as its new face, choosing her for her bold, multifaceted style, perfectly aligned with the brand's vision of "offering a new approach to beauty where everyone can celebrate their uniqueness." The announcement coincided with the launch of Spike Valentino Buttery Matte Lip Color, a new lipstick line available in twelve intense shades. These lipsticks are made with cottonseed oil, providing a buttery texture, a matte finish, and a gold-studded metal case inspired by Valentino Garavani's Rockstud bags. During the Sweat Tour, co-headlined with Australian singer and actor Troye Sivan, Charli sports the shade It's Valentino Baby, a deep berry red, paired with the Colorgraph Eyeliner in Rockstud Noir, also by Valentino Beauty, creating her signature cat-eye look.

Charli XCX's skincare routine: luxury face creams and hydrating masks to recover from a hangover

The British singer has never been a skincare addict but began showing interest around age 25, after struggling with adult acne. After trial and error, she developed a simple, effective routine without too many steps or products. Charli starts with Ole Henriksen Truth Juice Daily Cleanser, a multitasking cleanser with orange water and PHA, which removes dirt, sebum, and long-wear eye makeup, leaving her skin feeling refreshed and energized. Next, she uses an eco-friendly reusable cleansing pad soaked with Dr. Jart+ Cleansing Toner, a serum with NP ceramides and panthenol to strengthen the skin barrier, hydrate, soften, and tone the skin. Then, it's the turn of Barbara Sturm's eye moisturizer; followed by Ole Henriksen's Banana Bright vitamin C serum, which Charli appreciates not only for the formula containing 15 percent vitamin C, 5 percent polyhydroxy acids (PHA) and hyaluronic acid, but because it "smells like Aperol Spritz." The true luxury in her routine is Crème de La Mer, recommended by her friends for the nourishment it provides, leaving her skin revitalized and energized. Occasionally, she alternates La Mer with Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream, featuring a blend of argan, avocado, and evening primrose oils rich in omega-6 fatty acids with regenerative and antioxidant properties, protecting against free radicals. After this beauty elixir, Charli doesn't forget her sunscreen, Algenist Sublime Defense Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SPF50, and finishes with a spritz of Caudalie Beauty Elixir Mist, which sets her makeup and gives her complexion an instant glow. Thanks to TikTok, Charli has explored face massage and found that sheet masks can work wonders, especially for recovering from a hangover. Her favorites are from Patchology and 111Skin.

Charli XCX's Makeup: Imperfection and Eye Focus

The key element of Charli XCX's beauty look is her cat eyes, smudged and light. It’s an evolution of the emo style Charli loved as a teenager, inspired by Avril Lavigne, which she now recreates with Valentino Beauty’s Colograph Eyeliner in Rockstar Noir or Charlotte Tilbury’s Rock ‘N’ Kohl Eye Pencil. She creates a line from the lash line and pulls the corner outward, thickening it along the lash line. Her hack? Using a cotton swab soaked in Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Cleanser to erase smudges. “It’s just nice to look a little tired, like you just woke up from the best night ever,” she says. That’s why another trick is to never use concealer under the eyes. For a realistic, almost tired look, Charli blends Pat McGrath Labs Eyedols Eye Shadow over her eyelid, finishing with a touch of Charlotte Tilbury’s Legendary Lashes Volume 2 mascara. For her lips and cheeks, she draws inspiration from E-girls and Tumblr girls using Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick, aiming for a “Harajuku and gothic Lolita mood.” For her lips, she mixes Glossier Generation G Sheer Matte Lipstick and Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in So 90s. She blends the products on the back of her hand and applies them to her lips with her fingers, giving a “bit of a grunge” effect. Lastly, she finishes her look with Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, her true beauty obsession, as well as the Lip Glowy Balm from the brand. Another little ritual of hers is brushing her brows upward and outward, inspired by Frida Kahlo.

Charli XCX’s Hair Care: Wild Curls and Rebel Mane

Charli XCX has shared that it took her a long time to embrace her natural curls. In an interview with Allure Magazine, she explained, "I think it took me a long time to accept my curls. When I was younger, I had such curly hair, and my mom did too, and because of that, I just really wanted straight hair." She explained: "Over the last few years, I don't know, I grew into them. I began to feel more confident showcasing them in their natural way." Now that she has gained confidence, she follows a very simple hair care routine. She loves her hair's natural texture and not only uses the minimum number of products but also avoids blow-drying. After showering, she lets her hair air dry. Sometimes she smooths the top part or ties her hair up for a day after applying a deep conditioning mask, like Kérastase Nutritive 8HR Magic Night Hair Serum. Her hairstylist, Matt Benns, takes care of the rest.

Charli XCX's Favorite Perfume

To complete her look, which perfume does Charli XCX spray? She revealed that she always carries a bottle of Bibliothèque by Byredo in her handbag. The fragrance stands out for its soft, velvety notes of peach, plum, and a bouquet of violet and peony, which fade into dark, deep nuances of leather, vanilla, and patchouli. Charli confesses to loving it: "My boyfriend uses it too: when I'm on tour or far from him, I spray it, and it reminds me of him."