One thing you should probably know about me is that I’m a huge fan of Halsey. While I admire her lyrics, style, and authenticity, the best part about being in her fandom is that she’s always leaving a trail of clues to solve her latest mystery. For fans, that’s exactly how we found out about About Face. After a months-long scavenger hunt through Instagram and a plethora of theories, we found our way to the hidden, at the time, About Face website, confirming the popular suspicion that the next trick up Halsey’s sleeve was a make-up line.
Even though I’m not the most consistent make-up wearer, I was immediately intrigued by the inventive products and the formulations created with Halsey’s typical attention to detail. The collection was created to answer all of the pitfalls she found in the products she’s used to do her own make-up for stage and red carpets over the years. Halsey also made sure they were all vegan, cruelty-free, and without dangerous phthalates, parabens, or synthetic fragrances so often found in make-up. As someone who is vegan and generally wary of what’s in cosmetics, it’s a relief to know she paid attention to all those details.
The mission statement of the brand is equally inviting. With the tagline “multidimensional make-up for everyone”, About Face makes it clear the products exist to foster creativity and self-expression above all. The line is gender-neutral and doesn’t offer any foundations or concealers because About Face isn’t about changing yourself or covering perceived imperfections. The promotional photos even included Abril Rios, a model who works towards destigmatizing acne in the beauty industry.
I eagerly gathered my favorite items into my shopping cart, ready to experiment with these new products. From hydrating yet matte lipstick to a glowy highlighter stick to liquid eye paints that turn your eyelids into a canvas, they immediately got my curious brain spinning with ideas.
In the end, it was the free gift that became my favorite part of the About Face line- the Shadowstick.
In a brilliant blending of eyeshadow and eyeliner into a single crayon-like pen, Halsey creates the ultimate way to add a pop of color to your eyes. They’re ultra long-lasting (their website claims 10+ hours), and my eye make-up even survived the few times I rubbed my eyes throughout the day. I was shocked that an eyeshadow-like product wound up being my favorite of the whole line. Most days I only wear lipstick, but the ease of use and brilliant colors immediately won me over.
I’m someone who gets a bit squeamish about products going near my eyes, particularly eyeliner, but the soft, cool feeling of the Shadowstick proved far less intimidating than a traditional eyeliner pencil. I also love that these sticks are totally self-contained, so there’s no need for brushes. They’re easy to control and use to create editorial, graphic looks as well as softer pops of color depending on your vision. Unlike the fluid eye paints that offer a world of possibility to already knowledgable artists, the Shadowsticks don’t require any prior knowledge or ability to use. They’re inviting and easy to play around with, and they even come with a sharpener on the end to keep them fresh.
As far as colors go, there’s a broad range of options from a bright, bold blue called Creature and a yellow aptly named Chaos Theory to shades that offer a bit more subtlety like the pearly pink Baroque or silvery blue 2002. Both Creature and Baroque have been my go-tos in the last week. I was surprised to discover I’m also a fan of a glittery orange shade called Inferno. I never thought orange would work on me, but it adds a fascinating pop, particularly when paired with blue. That’s another advantage of the Shadowstick. These colors make a surprising impact and somehow look stunning on everyone from all the looks I’ve seen of fans and friends posting online. The color swatches of the Shadowsticks online are also the most true to life of any of the About Face products I’ve tried. This makes it a little easier to take the plunge of buying make-up online.
While Halsey has come up with a broad range of intriguing products, the Shadowsticks have completely captured my heart. They’re the one product from this first drop that every make-up lover should consider adding to their personal collection. Whether you’re an experienced make-up artist or just someone like me who’s always admired people’s inventive looks, the Shadowsticks truly invite you to simply create instead of worrying about the tools you’re using.
If you want to see more looks created with the Shadowsticks and the rest of the line, @aboutfacebeauty on Instagram has been reposting tons of amazing fan creations. I’ve also been sharing what I’ve come up with on my Instagram, @mslaurenbrice.