Yara Shahidi On Getting Ready To Fiona Apple And the Fragrance That Makes Her Smell Like Flowers On The Beach

The actress, activist, and face of Jean Paul Gaultier’s Gaultier Divine fragrance lets George V Magazine in on her feel-good getting-ready routine.

Describe your perfect night out.

It’s always music-oriented. I love concerts. I feel like that’s my favorite no-brainer activity. You don’t have to convince me to go see live music.

What I love about living in L.A. is that everybody comes through here. My mom and I saw Sampha at the Palladium, and that was just so fun. I also try to find music wherever I go, especially for work. Last year, I saw Steve Lacy in Paris. I just loved the energy.

What are your top three getting-ready tracks?

My top artist—and I think this captures who I am well—is Sampha. My top song is “Sprinter” by Central Cee and Dave. I get ready to that a lot, just in terms of energy. I’m a big energy person. I enjoy going out, but I often have to convince myself. And so, a lot of it is about hyping myself up enough to go outside. I’ve also been big into Fiona Apple this year. 

Then, part of spending so much time with my 15-year-old brother is listening to all the music he listens to. So I have a plethora of rappers that are probably just turning 18 right now that I’m listening to: Ena, Yung Fazo, Matt Ox, Luh Tyler. My brother keeps me cool, because I’ll be like, “Oh, can we put on ‘Safety’ by Destroy Lonely?” People are like, “What do you know about that song?”

Describe your process for choosing a look for the night.

That’s a collaboration between me and everyone in the house. I’ve been trying to get dressed more this year and figure out what my sense of style is, especially since one of the weird things about acting is that you just don’t get ready. You basically go [to set] in a casual outfit and then get ready for the day. Or for events, somebody else is getting you ready. So, I’ve been trying to figure out, What is really my sense of style? What do I feel comfortable in? And so, oftentimes, I put on an outfit that looks like I’m about to go fishing, and then my brother comes in and is like, “Absolutely not. Let’s figure something else out.” Then, we go through my closet and always end up with something cool. I love a cool denim moment. Genuinely, I think my jeans are my favorite part of my wardrobe. I love having fun jeans, like mine from Melody Ehsani, who is basically my big sis. So, usually, my go-to is just a cool pair of jeans and a cool top.

Describe your going-out beauty vibe in three words.

Skin, curls, glowy. That’s what I aim for! I feel most comfortable when my hair is big and curly. I think, for me, it’s about taking up space. I’m always in new environments, but it doesn’t take away the kind of nerve-rackingness of stepping into something new. And so, there are just certain things that I like to do to maintain that look. 

I also love taking care of my skin. It’s not about having perfect skin. It’s more that when I’m prioritizing the health of my skin, I feel like my approach to makeup is more grounded; it’s not about covering up. It makes me enjoy makeup more, and use [makeup] because I want green on my eyes or I want a fun lip.

As you’re getting ready, what products are guaranteed to be on your vanity and why?

I usually have just a couple of spoolies around because I use them for anything: for brows, for baby hairs, for eyelashes. And then, for glowiness, there’s a lot of Aquaphor involved, especially on my lips. My go-to makeup look is a brown lip. I use my Dior Rouge; there are a couple of brown colors. There’s 910 and then a more neutral version called 505, which I remember the name of because of my favorite Arctic Monkeys song. I’ll put that on and then put a lip oil or a gloss on top of that and then just travel with my gloss.

What fragrance do you mist on before you run out the door?

Fragrance is always how I begin my night because I also like my clothes to smell like whatever fragrance I wear. Somebody on set once told me to start spraying the back of my neck. After I do that, I walk through my [Jean Paul Gaultier] Divine with my clothes on so that it just kind of settles everywhere and becomes an aura of scent. 

Personally, I’m not a very sultry person. I’ve settled into being less mysterious and more just leaning into being joyful. I like to be bright! I don’t think Divine is limited to that, because I definitely know people that wear it that give off different vibes. [But] for me, it really helps double down—it’s a bright burst that fits my energy. I describe it as a ton of flowers beachside. I love the beach, it’s where I have some of my favorite moments and memories. I just love what [Divine] evokes, and I feel like it always fits the rest of the vibe I’m going for.

What essentials do you tote around in your evening bag?

My lip gloss, my keys, and the AirTag attached to my keys. [Laughs] I’m also a big believer in keeping cash on you, just being out in the world. Just a little bit of cash and my headphones.

After a night out, what’s your routine once you’re home?

The one thing I definitely don’t compromise on: Washing the world off of you is very important to me. My friends know I like getting undone immediately. After the Met Gala, my routine was that my friends helped me unbraid my hair, which went under my wig, and I jumped into the shower immediately. 

Then, I’m a double-clean person. I don’t know if it’s how you’re supposed to do it, but I’ll take my toner and wipe [my skin] down just to get the first layer of stuff off. Then, I’ll go in with a gentle cleanser. 

I’m just really about staying hydrated at night, especially in the winter months. So it’s a hyaluronic acid and a lot of lotion. I almost wear lotion as a face mask. I’ll put a ton on to the point where you can kind of see it laying on my skin, rub it in, and just let it absorb overnight. 

I’m also such a scent person that I love putting an essential oil on right before bed. I think it’s my way of carrying fragrance throughout. I’ve been very big into basil and rosemary essential oils. And then I put my hair in a silk scarf so that I can maintain it for the next day. If I’m feeling, Oh no, I really have to redo my hair, I’ll just put it in a ponytail and enjoy the freedom of moving around without a care in the world.