As our long-time red-carpet crush and the face of many of TV show Euphoria’s most memorable makeup looks, Hunter Schafer knows a thing or two about beauty.
As a global brand ambassador for Shiseido, the star recently collaborated on a new collection for the brand and directed an animated film that explores the idea of beauty as a medium for expression, empowerment and evolution. Below, she talks to Cosmopolitan Australia about her beauty philosophy, the skincare and makeup she swears by, and why self-expression is her form of self-care.
drops of wisdom...
My first beauty memory is...
“Finding a little ring that opened with lip gloss inside it! I wore it to school.”
I experiment with artistic hair and makeup because...
“I think my appreciation for art and imagery in general affects everything I do, including hair and makeup. It all comes down to thinking about an image and an idea as a whole and chasing the high of bringing that to life.”
My skincare MVPs are...
“Moisturiser, sunscreen and eye patches! When I’m in production, like right now, we use the Shiseido Eye Mask every morning in hair and makeup, and apply sunscreen and moisturiser throughout the day. Shiseido’s White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream is one of my favourites.”
My philosophy for healthy hair is...
“Back when I dyed my hair a lot I used Olaplex quite often to keep it moisturised, but now that I’m back to virgin hair I can kind of use whatever shampoo/conditioner is around!”
I created my new Shiseido collection because...
“After working with Shiseido for over four years now, they’ve really helped expand my understanding of what makeup and skincare can do and how it can enhance my life. And it’s been so insightful and really beautiful. They’ve also really stepped up my skincare routine and what I know I’m capable of doing with makeup. I think the collection is a little assemblage of products that are easy to incorporate into an everyday routine but can also be utilised to really bring a look to the next level. And the products that I chose to put in my collection can live in both of those worlds, which I think is special.”
My short film for the collection was created to...
“The inspiration for the short film was to increase the awareness around [that] elevated feeling you get about yourself and how makeup should make you feel, and how it makes me feel. It’s about this transformation that one can go through that is represented through the contrast in colour—from when the character we meet at the start begins applying her products, and then enters a new and vibrant world and comes out on the other side, feeling inspired and enlightened. I think the main character in the film reflects me. I think it was supposed to be me, and in other ways I wanted it to feel like this character that anybody could step into the shoes of, and understand this experience she’s going through when using products that make her feel good, and elevating her look by using them.”
Beauty is a form of self-care for me because...
“It makes me feel good and provides a sense of routine which I think is really important—I feel like I’m taking care of myself and doing what I can to feel grounded and be the best version of myself. Additionally, makeup is a useful form of self-expression [that allows me to] channel exactly how I want to feel that day into the look I create, or which elements of my beauty that already exist that I can choose to accentuate or amplify.”
My go-to five-minute makeup look is...
“A bit of blush on the cheeks, eyelids and nose, and curled lashes with mascara! It can be done in under five minutes if you’re rushing.”
My favourite things about my Shiseido collection are...
“Ultimune is an amazing serum that helps everything do a better job of what it’s supposed to do. The Aura Dew Illuminator shade Tsukuyomi is new, named after the god of the moon in Japanese mythology. It is a universally flattering pink that creates amazing luminosity. And I love that the DAIYA FUDE Face Duo was inspired by Japanese calligraphy brushes and how it blends so effortlessly.”
The one thing I wish I could tell my younger self about beauty would be ...
“Have fun with it!”

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This article originally appeared in Issue 02 of Cosmopolitan Australia. Get your copy and subscribe to future issues here.
