Last year was a big year for Kesha Rose, as she debuted her fourth studio album and launched her own vegan and cruelty-free makeup line in collaboration with HipDot. The singer-songwriter, whose party-hardy image had us singing about “pedicures on our toes, toes” over a decade ago has evolved into a multi-dimensional recording artist with inspirational songs that look deeper inward, like her latest release “Stronger,” which reminds us to take it day by day—a timely message for an uncertain world. Here, Kesha Rose takes a moment to catch up with NewBeauty about her new makeup line, her beauty evolution and how she’s gotten even “Stronger” in the last year.
Where do you get your beauty inspiration from?
“As I grow and learn more about myself and the world around me, I lean into that and let all of my experiences fuel my inspiration. I like to push my boundaries and test things out that push me out of my comfort zone. For example, at a younger age I wasn’t as comfortable with my freckles, they often got Photoshopped out, but as I grew and started to look for ways to embrace me for me, I began making them part of my look. Now they’re a signature part of my makeup. I also am so inspired by the beauty and awe of nature and what makes people unique, and I wanted to make a beauty line that was more about accentuating your uniqueness, instead of ‘fixing’ or ‘concealing,’ my line is about expressing your truest, happiest self.”
We love seeing your evolution. How would you say your style has changed as you’ve gotten older?
“I’ve really grown to appreciate my freckles, skin, brows and natural beauty. With my makeup line it wasn’t about having products that ‘transform’ you where it looks like a thousand filters had been used, but instead about enhancing your own stunning features, but make it fun and help people feel happy in their skin.”
What three words best describe your Kesha Rose beauty line?
“The three words I’d use to describe my line are playful, free and wild. When working with the HipDot team to create the Kesha Rose Beauty line, I wanted to create a collection that allowed my fans to explore their most creative selves and deviate from societal beauty norms.”
Did you have any non-negotiables? What was the most important thing you wanted represented in your line?
“Throughout my career, makeup has played such a crucial role in my evolution, and it’s been an expressive tool, that’s really helped me even manage stress and confidence. It was critical that this line gave my fans that same freedom— a no-rules makeup collection that was fun and ‘certified stage-proof.’ In addition to the products needing to be vegan, cruelty-free and made with the ‘most fab’ ingredients, there had to be lots of plastic-free glitter. My main non-negotiable was everything and anything I sell to my fans is something I do and will wear daily, onstage and on red carpets. And I do!”
What are you doing differently for your skin now that you weren’t doing before?
“I’ve developed more of a routine, plus throughout quarantine as I spent more time at home and less time on the road, I’ve gone makeup-free and let my skin breathe more often. I love the lip gloss from my beauty line, it plumps and makes them a soft baby pink and moisturized, and basically not much else most days in quarantine. But, I still love to use makeup as a way to have fun when I feel like exploring the more colorful side of myself.”
So much happened last year. You had another Billboard top 10 album and of course had to cancel your tour. Do you have any wellness practices that have helped you stay balanced and focused?
“At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a lot of pressure to be productive and achieve things, and I think the most important practice I’ve been focusing on is just being gentler with myself and not putting extreme amounts of pressure on myself to accomplish an extraordinary number of things. Take a moment to just breathe, smile and laugh a bit. Happiness and confidence, along with more water and sleep, have been my goals which coincidentally make me feel the most beautiful!”
