'When I like something, I am pretty loyal. And I never use things that don’t work. I used to be really into SK-II—the SK-II Cellumination Cream will always be good—and for years and years and years I’ve been using Vita-A-Kombi 2 by Karin Herzog. I actually got that from Uma Thurman, and who can complain about her fucking skin? This was back when she and I shared the same agent. And a few months ago, I discovered this Bioxidea Miracle 24 face mask that I’m wearing right now, which is crazy. You wait, like, 20 minutes and it dissolves into your skin. It’s Korean. I love it. I got it at Sundance, and I'm on my last mask right now. I'm tweeting them tomorrow three times. I need more! They also have one for your hands, your feet, which I did last night. There’s even one for your titties. I haven’t done the boobs mask one yet—you just stick it on your tits, apparently. I have to try it. But I did the foot one and the hand one yesterday, and it makes my skin crazy. It’s like I just had sex for four days.

I've seen basically every facialist, and what makes a good facialist isn’t creams, it isn’t anything they use, it’s how many fucking extractions they do—I learned that from Marcia Kilgore [the founder of Bliss] a long time ago. I had to leave there with a big red face because she got all of my pus out. I don’t want to hear about their fucking products—I just want them to get all of the pus out of my face. That’s it. But then some of their products are good: Kate Somerville has a great product called Quench, which is amazing. Put on your Vita-A-Kombi, your Revive cream, and then Quench, and you’re good. And pretty much all of SK-II is amazing—all I know is that Cate Blanchett was pimping it before they were paying her to. I use Colbert MD and Dr. Brandt skincare products, and I also love the Sensai brand by Kanebo, which I got it in Milan. Sensai is the top level of the Kanebo line, and it really works. Also, Bliss has the Triple Oxygen Mask, which I think is good. If you put it on after a long day? Boom. But it’s not as good as Karin Herzog’s Vita-A-Kombi 2. Also, I have to give it to Organic Avenue. I have one of their chlorophyll shots every day—it is the best thing for you. It’s good for preventing cancer, for your skin. I haven’t had a blemish since I’ve been doing Organic Avenue, for over a year.

I’m also really into perfume, clearly. I’m a Fracas girl—when I was growing up, I only wore that, and I don’t change it up very regularly. Well…I do cheat on Fracas. I have almost every Kilian perfume that he’s made. And a lot of Amouage fragrances, which are several hundred bucks a bottle. Sometimes I do these ones: Homage and Gold by Amouage. I feel like you would wear them if you won an Academy Award. Gold is a really heavy perfume, but you kind of feel like the Queen of England when you wear it—it’s a huge smell. Then, I have my Kilian: Back to Black, which has tobacco, cherry; it’s very rock and roll. There is also Straight to Heaven, which is really beautiful. And then here's Love & Tears, which is actually one of my favorites, not just because of the title; it’s so sexy. I’m a huge perfume collector.

What else? I love Eve Lom's Cleanser for taking my makeup off, but I don't need to wear makeup that often... Unless I’m going out, and if I’m going out, then I wear a little bit. I really still do like to play with makeup. Fuck yeah. When I was promoting my last album in 2010, Nobody’s Daughter, I remember once I was walking around in my clothes from my clothing line [Never the Bride], all this Illamasqua-style makeup, and Lagerfeld was like, ‘You look like the 26 year-old perfect rockstar whore—but you are not 26. You are never going to get laid like that.’ And it was Karl Lagerfeld, so I was like, ‘OK.’ [Laughs]

I use a lot of Make Up For Ever and Illamasqua, but Illamasqua’s my main jam. I first remember seeing an Illamasqua ad and thinking, 'What is this? It looks amazing!’ so I hunted down [founder] Julian Kynaston. He’s like a 45 year-old goth with eyeliner—amazing. I love that over-the-top look for on-stage, editorial. Absolutely. Full-fucking- on. So, I started stalking Julian and now we’re really, really good friends. And Alex Box, who is their creative director, does all of their reds, and is a genius. The packaging can sometimes be unwieldy but their reds can be amazing, especially the red called Box.

Then a couple of years ago, I started talking to Pixiwoo, who's one of the biggest stars in the Youtube makeup-tutorial world and works with Illamasqua. This girl [Samantha Chapman] and her sister do everything: Fight Club, Marlene Dietrich…The Marlene Dietrich tutorial is the one that everybody who ever wears makeup should watch. I learned a lot from that. She even did a 1920s makeup tutorial that I requested. I can watch Pixiwoo videos for hours. I am actually pretty good at doing my own makeup—I never have other people do it. I still use a lot of Kevyn Aucoin, too, for more conservative stuff, like blush. I actually still have a blush that Kevyn gave me back when he was alive. I also have a Tom Ford Lip Gloss that I like: Wet Violet. It's easy. Sometimes, I’ll use the Nars Illuminator, but not that often anymore.

I pencil my eyebrows in sometimes, but not often—I’m more into wearing L’Wren Scott and not being controversial these days, but when my new album comes out, we’ll see. [Laughs] Also, I don’t wear my blush on the apples of my cheek anymore like Kevyn Aucoin taught me; I wear it by my temples. It’s more of a Twenties thing. Even if I was going on a shoot, I would put it there. It’s an age thing, too, but I also think it’s more modern that way. When Kevyn would do my makeup back it the day, it was always amazing. He had the most incredible hands and could just make you feel so beautiful. I actually presented Best Makeup at the Academy Awards [in 1997] and Kevyn was doing Nicole Kidman after he did me. And Nicole had him doing her mother, sister, everyone. So, he had to do my makeup first. And he finished with me by 11 AM, and the Academy Awards don’t start until 3 PM. But my makeup did not smear all fucking day. He took a little puff, put some powder on the puff, and then a little lip gloss, put it in a little bag, and that’s all he gave me for touchups. I put my lips on and that was it. It stayed all day.”

—as told to ITG

Courtney Love photographed by Emily Weiss in New York on March 31, 2013.