For years, supermodel Shanina Shaik sat in the makeup chair as she prepared to walk the runway for the likes of Tom Ford, Victoria’s Secret, Stella McCartney, Jason Wu and Oscar de la Renta. Except Shaik didn’t just sit. “I learned so much,” she shares. “And I became passionate about beauty and skin care!” Now the Aussie native has brought her behind-the-scenes knowledge to the spotlight.
In partnership with Beaubble (a beauty community platform and influencer brand incubator), Shaik recently launched a new makeup brand called Sala, which means “island” in Lithuanian. The brand’s first product? Nostalgic Nineties Mascara.
“I wanted to create a makeup line with a self-care aspect,” she explains. “It’s like, how can we feel good about ourselves while putting on makeup? I like the name because being on the beach is where I feel sexy and happy and have really good energy — and that’s what I want people to take away from the brand.”
With the ’90s-era volumizing mascara, she adds, “It looks like you’re wearing false lashes, but it will stay on even if you’re in a sauna!” Shaik shares that she helped work on the product throughout her pregnancy and after giving birth to her son, Zai, last September.
As for her own makeup routine, the model says she prefers a more natural approach. “I don’t like to wear a lot of it so my skin can breathe,” she says. “What makes me feel confident is that bronzed sun-kissed look.”
Ahead, Shaik shares seven of her beauty essentials with CNN Underscored.
“As you can see, I’m almost out of it!” Shaik says while holding up her mostly used tube of this 16-hour natural-glow foundation. “You have the coverage, but you can still see the beauty of your skin,” she explains. “And it leaves the skin looking very healthy.” Available in 30 shades, this liquid foundation replenishes, smooths and brightens skin, thanks to ingredients like hyaluronic acid.
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After helping to formulate the mascara — “I really took my time with it” — Shaik says she knew she was onto something when her friends and family couldn’t get enough of it. Infused with vegan biotin, panthenol and camellia oil, this “perfect black” mascara lengthens, strengthens and amplifies lashes.
This classic stainless steel tool “really does the job because it makes your eyes look awake,” she says. She recommends three to four good pumps to the lashes before applying mascara. Remember: “Really press down — but don’t hurt yourself!”
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Another favorite is this SPF 50+ liquid blush from Ciele that blends into the cheeks via a creamy formula. (FYI, Shaik’s makeup artist, Nikki DeRoest, helped create the line.) “You can use it on your lips too — there are no rules when it comes to makeup!” she says, singling out the dusty rose color, Behati.
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Shaik loves this moisturizing tinted balm (and cheek blush) that provides a nice flush of color and is formulated with hyaluronic acid, orange blossom and shea butter. “It’s a great purchase because you can squeeze a little bit out to give yourself a ‘stained look,’” she says. “It even looks like a paint bottle!”
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Shaik applies this lightweight and water-resistant cream bronzer — in the light-to-medium Hunnie Glaze shade — as a contour to achieve a just-got-back-from-the-beach look. “I love the way it just melts into the skin,” she says. “It looks a little bit more natural than a blush.”
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To smooth out imperfections and give the skin a natural finish, Shaik recommends patting on a loose-setting powder. And instead of reaching for a bristle brush, she raves about the tip she got straight from celebrity makeup artist Kelly McClain: “One of those absorbent little sponges is best because it helps the powder sink right into the skin and it will set there. I’ve found that it really works!”