Shay Mitchell Is the New Global Ambassador of Maybelline

For Glamour’s Big Beauty Questions, we always ask the same question: Do you remember the first beauty product you ever used? But before I’m able to ask Shay Mitchell, the actor and entrepreneur has me beat.

“One of the first things my mom ever bought me was Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara with the green cap,” she tells me over Zoom. “That image is permanently ingrained in my mind: my Caboodle and that one product.”

It’s an appropriate answer given the exciting news: Mitchell is the new global ambassador of Maybelline. But more important, it’s a believable answer. Who among us didn’t use the same iconic green and pink tube growing up?

Maybelline’s long legacy is not lost on Mitchell, who is passing down the same beauty traditions to her own daughters, Atlas and Rome. “When you have such nostalgic images ingrained in your head from really iconic brands, those stick beyond,” she says. “Now, having daughters who are also interested in makeup, who go through all my bags and use my Maybelline products, it’s wild. These are the core memories I had when I was younger that now I’m going to have with my daughters.”

In a similar way, Mitchell’s career carries the same kind of special nostalgia. After all, she starred in two of the most beloved young adult drama series of the past two decades, Pretty Little Liars and You. Mitchell has been in and out of glam chairs since her twenties, which has helped her pick up beauty tips over the years—something that has also rubbed off on her four-year-old daughter Atlas.

“She’s always constantly trying to steal my makeup artist,” says Mitchell. “That’s always fun when she sees Ash [K. Holm] or someone come over. She wants to run up on the chair and get some lip balm put on. It’s very cute. Kids look up to their parents and want to emulate the same routine that they see their parents doing.”

Early fame also taught Mitchell lessons that go beyond skin deep. She gained recognition when “filters were just starting to come out,” an experience she reflects on. “My twenties were hard for me when I was on Pretty Little Liars and I was on social media heavy and it was all kind of new to me,” she says. “Instagram was really heavy, all of that. It got to a point where I was in my thirties, wondering, Why am I feeling not the greatest when I’m on this app? Why am I jealous? Am I insecure? Why am I feeling some type of way about the content I’m seeing? I don’t know what’s actually true in this person’s life.”

Now, Mitchell hopes to pass down the same wisdom to her daughters. “If I have a good life, that’s what I should be focusing on, not what I’m missing, not what I don’t have. I would tell my girls when they get to that age—when it inevitably happens and they go on social media—do not compare yourself. There’s so much that goes into it. And I know from shoots and all of that.”

Ahead, Shay Mitchell talks about her must-have beauty products, raising her daughters Atlas and Rome, and the surprising way she loves to unwind—plus, what she really thinks about the Sephora kids craze.

Glamour: You’re joining a long line of women who have been Maybelline ambassadors. Is there a specific commercial or campaign that sticks out to you?

Shay Mitchell: Adriana Lima, I grew up with that. The GOAT. The GOATest of GOATs. I don’t even know if that’s a word, but yes.

What’s one beauty trend or hack that you’re obsessed with right now?

I don’t know if it’s a hack, but before I wasn’t into putting on makeup with my hands and now I do it all the time. Everything I do is going to be surrounded around kids, but watching Atlas and obviously the makeup artists that I work with, who are so incredibly talented, apply different products with their hands. For example, I’m really into liquid blushes, specifically the Maybelline Sunkisser Multi-Use Liquid Blush and using fingers to apply. It’s the heat of your skin, just being able to press it in more gives it a really natural look.

What’s one beauty rule you swear by?

I will always take my makeup off. I can say I have, on two occasions, kept my makeup on. I got my makeup done by one of my makeup artist friends, and I absolutely loved it. And I had something the next day, I slept with it on. I still took it off the next day just because I was like, “I can’t do this.” It’s not the same. I put the air conditioner to 63. I tried to fridge my face. It does not work. It’s better to start over. Even if I have incredible makeup on, it must come off every single night. I’m a big fan of removing and going to sleep with a clean face. And then I always clean my makeup brushes. I will not go longer than three weeks or something without cleaning my makeup brushes.

Fill in the blank. I feel most beautiful when___.

I feel most beautiful when my daughters look at me, when they just have that gaze. And honestly, Atlas is really into trying on makeup herself and using my products. When I’ll get my makeup done, sometimes for an event, she’ll just look at me, and it’s just this one look. It’s a little bit of a gaze, where she’s just taking it in, and I’m like, Oh my gosh. Or when she says, “Mom, you look beautiful.” Ah, heart melts! Definitely that. It’s after being in front of my girls and then feeling like I look pretty.

What’s your take on the Sephora kid trend?

Atlas is a lot younger. She’s only four and a half, so I haven’t experienced that yet. We’re not at that age. For anybody else, though, great, but hopefully with the correct products. That makes me sad, if you’re putting ingredients on your face that aren’t meant for you. I’m happy that back in the day I wasn’t obsessed with all of this stuff. Of course have fun with makeup, but getting into the wrinkle cream at seven…I can’t judge, but I’m not experiencing that yet.

What has been your biggest beauty fail?

I wish I knew about contouring and highlighting back in the day. Now all of the education that’s out there via social media, a lot of the younger generations are learning how to properly apply their makeup. That’s something I didn’t have when I was in high school. I had my one foundation that I used all over. I didn’t know what contour, highlighting, and concealing was. I had one shade. And you know what? I think it makes for really epic photos when I look back. I’m not even mad at it.

You can only use three makeup products for the rest of your life. What are they and why?

That’s easy. Number one, Sky High Mascara in Very Black. 1000%. If I have to have just one product, it’s definitely a Sky High mascara. That would be in my bag. Blush, because that’s also something that I’m very into. I would say Sunkisser in Uptown Glow, that’s my go-to, and I’ve been doing a trick too recently, putting it on first under my makeup and then adding a light touch of foundation on a sponge afterwards. What do they call it, underpainting? I’m underpainting with Uptown Girl, and on top of that, I’ll put Sol Search. Those are my two favorites. And then I would say, I need a gloss. Lifter Gloss, I would say the shade I use the most is Moon. If I could just use three products, that’s kind of covered eyes, cheeks, and lips. There we have it. And then letting your skin breathe in that case.

What is your go-to getting ready music?

When I have to put on a playlist, especially getting glammed, I would say ’90s and 2000s hip-hop, R&B. That’s my jam. I’ll just go on Spotify and type that in and find a playlist.

What is your favorite way to take a moment for yourself?

I am on Vancouver Island right now, and my favorite thing to do to be in my zone is picking blackberries. That’s a question you could ask anybody to see if we’re actually really close; they would say picking blackberries is my favorite thing in the world.

We got here yesterday, and right away I put on my glove. I have a whole setup and a bucket that has a strap, and I go out. Yesterday I typed in Italian summer music and had that playing as I was picking berries. I’m not even eating the berries as I go; it’s so soothing to me, and I can’t explain it. I could have a five-hour conversation about this. It’s my favorite thing. But to wind down in general, I would say it’s something meditative, regardless of if it’s picking blackberries or if it’s swimming, or it could just be watching mindless TV. It’s listening to myself and taking that time for me so that I can be a better version of myself for everybody else.

What do you do with the blackberries?

I actually make a blackberry crumble. It’s one recipe that I know how to make with them. My mom will freeze them. I truly continue to go out every day. I got a whole bucket yesterday, but I’ll do the same thing again. She will freeze them, use them for shakes, and all that. At the end of my stay here, I’ll make a blackberry crumble.

What’s the last Instagram or TikTok rabbit hole that you went down?

This is pretty boring, but house renovation stuff, specifically laundry rooms, because I’m in the process. There’s a lot of cool things you can do in a laundry room right now—pullout trays, if you don’t like bending over when you’re taking stuff out. It’s really awesome. Laundry room hacks, how to build the perfect laundry room. Everybody on my timeline is a contractor or a new build owner.

Ariana Yaptangco is the senior beauty editor at Glamour. Follow her @arianayap.