“I’m in Dallas for my niece and nephew’s joint birthday party. We are a really close family, so I try to come back as much as I can. I love that when people come to Dallas, it’s not what they expect. It’s a ‘don’t read a book by its cover’ kind of thing. There’s still this really funny stigma attached to who the Dallas woman is and what the city is, going back to the days of Dallas being on television. I think that Dallas is secretly one of these really interesting, really sophisticated cities. It was always like my dirty little secret, but now it’s really fun to share it with the world.
When going out in Dallas, I’ll probably be at The Double Wide hanging out with friends. It’s my kind of bar—no bells and whistles, no fuss—and a bunch of my friends DJ there in the evenings. They have a frozen Yoohoo drink, oh man it is dangerous and has a shit load of booze in it. It comes out like a Slurpee machine. I also love The Grapevine. How many nights have I spent shooting some basketball, playing on the pool table there? It’s so nostalgic. These are the places I was hanging out at when I was young. When I'm there, I like to drink whiskey and ginger because it gets the job done.
If I’m going out just on my own, not to an event, then I like keep my look pretty simple. I’ve never been a trend-driven person, so I don’t get crazy with makeup. More than anything, I’m always going for skin quality. I just want my skin to be really glow-y and look refreshed. I wash with Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam. It works and it’s got Chinese herbs in it, so it smells like heaven. I have sensitive and dry skin, so if I need to exfoliate I’ll use Tatcha Gentle Rice Enzyme Powder. Biologique Recherche’s Lotion P50 is a godsend—it smells like formaldehyde, but it keeps you from breaking out. Sircuit Skin Cosmeceuticals I.Cee U. Anti-Aging Eye Gel is a little eye cream that I use. It refreshes and feels really cooling when you put it on. This Benzac Blemish Clearing Hydratoris for if I have a breakout—you can get it at the drugstore. Literally if you have a spot, just put on a little dab, and it’ll go away.
I’ve never been a makeup kind of girl. I spent so many years really loving the whole androgynous look, and it took me a long time to sort of accept being a girl and what that means. I never liked the full ‘glamazon’ vibe. As far as a makeup routine goes, anyone who knows me knows that when I go out, it’s the same look. Natura Bisse The Cure Sheer Fluid is fucking amazing. It’s one color that adjusts to your skin tone. If I need a little bit more coverage, I’m using Charlotte Tilbury ‘Light Wonder’ Youth Boosting Perfect Skin Foundation in Medium #6. For concealer I use Edward Bess Sheer Satin Cream in Beige #4. I apply it with a flat brush. It’s really sheer and you can build it, but it looks like you have nothing on. I use RMS Cream Eye Polish in Seduce on my eyelids and finish with Anastasia Brow Gel that’s totally clear. My eyebrows don’t like to stay in place, but I can just wipe this on and they behave themselves. I use Chanel’s Les Beiges Healthy Glow Multicolor Broad Spectrum as my bronzer-y, contour-y, whatever. MAC’s Extended Play Gigablack Lash is the best mascara in the entire world. It just lengthens, it separates—it does everything you want it to do and I like the little brush. It’s a thinner formula, so you can build it.
Maybe I’ll throw an eyeliner on for a ‘wow’ factor. I love the color of Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Gel Sparkle in Sunlit Bronze #4. I’ve got green eyes and any of these bronzy red-y tones bring out the green even more. I usually put Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream on top for a little bit of a dewy, greasy feel. Once in a while, I’ll throw on a red lip, but I've got to be feeling it to wear a red lip. I wear Cle de Peau Extra Rich Lipstick, I think it’s 313. It’s the best red on the planet.
If I’m going out for an event, I’ll maybe do a mask before I do my makeup. I love those SK-II Facial Treatment masks. I keep them in the fridge and I’ll slap one of those on. I’ll leave it on for 10 or 15 minutes before I start with my makeup, just to freshen up and hydrate. Then there’s this funny little thing called the GlamSquad, and if you’re going on a red carpet, then you hire that hair and makeup person who's like half your friend and half someone who's going to make you look good. I normally like to do my own hair and makeup because you know, if you’re going to just like, a dinner event, you don’t want to be too done up. If there is no red carpet, there’s no reason to really take it there.
When I’m getting ready, it’s fun to have people over, drink some wine and play some music. It’s also good to have a sounding board. I usually know what I’m wearing out—jeans and a t-shirt and high-heels and earrings. Actually, my earrings never match—I always wear one statement earring, like a big hoop or a chandelier. But sometimes you’ll have two options of outfits and it’s nice to have someone say, ‘No, I think you should go with that one.’ You want to listen to something that’s going to get you in that happy mood. I listen to mostly vinyl. There’re those go-tos that you know that will put you in the right spirit and get you feeling a vibe before you go out. Then you can share that vibe with the world.”
—as told to ITG
Erin Wasson photographed in Dallas by Scot Redman. Interview by Margaux Anbouba.
