Dear ITG,
I wrapped up the tour for my debut album Somewhere at the end of August in LA, and I can hardly believe it. For the past two months, there were some days where we’d spend up to 14 hours in a sprinter van city-hopping. I hadn’t done a headlining tour since early 2019, so reconnecting with the people who’ve supported me and my music was one of the best parts of releasing the album. It was fun and wild and exciting—but by the end, I was definitely ready to sleep in my own, real bed again. We also ate way too much McDonald’s and Starbucks on the road, so I’m very happy to be back in a routine with my self-care.
The one thing that kept me grounded was doing a meticulous skincare routine. My skin was going through so much with all of the travel, so I never wore makeup unless I was on stage—and the second I got off, I’d wash everything away with Youth To The People’s Superfood cleanser. Then it was Highprime’s Collagen Mist, Rhode’s Glazing Fluid, and Rhode’s Barrier Cream or Surya Balancing Collagen Cream, always. On long drives, I lived in Cosrx’s Overnight Spa face masks, and during the day, I added in Prequel’s Solar Shade. I made my bandmate Matt do the masks with me. He’s a health freak, so in return, he gave me vitamins and superfood gummies. A lot of my favorite products actually come from my mom. She has incredible skin and always knows what’s good—then, a year later, her recs end up trending on TikTok. Oh, and I may have stolen a few hotel pillows along the way to make our van cozier. Sleeping after shows was tough—I’d let myself stay wired for an hour or two, then take Calm magnesium powder to finally wind down, put my Mzoo eye mask on, and crash.
For my stage looks, I worked with my friend and amazing stylist, Sienna Montesano. I kept my hair and makeup natural so I’d feel like myself on stage, but we elevated everything with beautiful gowns and slip dresses—that’s when I feel my most confident and sexy. We looked at old photos of Kate Moss and Fiona Apple and Mazzy Star on stage for inspiration. I felt really cool getting to wear these incredible pieces in little bars in random cities across America. My favorite piece was a vintage Blumarine dress I wore for the last show at The Roxy in LA. It felt full-circle and so special.
Since I kept my looks pretty natural, I just had a few makeup products with me. I used Fenty’s Pro Filt'r concealer to touch up spots and dark circles—you know, the ones from sleeping in a sprinter van. I set everything with Givenchy's Prisme Libre powder in Mousseline Acidulee. On my eyes, I wore Tom Ford’s Extreme mascara. I like that you can use Valentino’s Eye2Cheek palettes in two areas—it helps when you have to pack light. Sweet Rebel is my favorite shade. As for the lips? It was either YSL’s in Psychedelic Chili or a nude Valentino Spike lipstick—both are matte.
Somewhere in the middle of tour rehearsals, I flew to New York for a day to shoot the campaign for Duet, Sam Edelman’s new perfume. It’s rare that I get an offer from a brand that I know and love—I’ve worn Sam Edelman shoes for years and years. Libby Edelman, the co-founder of the brand, photographed me. We blasted music, ate donuts, and laughed the whole day. This whole thing has been very kismet. The perfume bottle looks like a pointe shoe and I have a song called “Ballerina” that they used in the campaign—and I also have a tattoo of a ballerina; they couldn’t believe it when I told them.
I got to see the bottle in person for the first time when we shot the campaign. Later, she and Sam sent me a personalized bottle, which I took on tour and wore every single night. It made me feel sexy and confident; I loved that people could smell it on me if I went into the crowd and whipped my hair around. Before hitting the stage, I’d give myself a little pep talk: You’re so talented. You’re so strong. You’re awesome. You’re beautiful. Then I’d spray on the perfume. It’s important to have something like that because some days you wake up feeling like the hottest person in the world and other days you want to crawl into bed—but when you’ve sold tickets to a show, hiding isn’t an option. Now, Duet will always be tied to this tour and my first album, and I love that I’ll have a scent to take me back.
With love,
Charlotte Lawrence
—as told to Daise Bedolla
Photos via David Mushegain and Marlon Soltzma