Glow Beauty

© Sharaine Chin

Get that Glow with ALYSSA MARIE

"True beauty comes from within. Make self care a top priority and your light will always radiate from the inside out." - Alyssa xo

Caymanian Alyssa Marie is a Caribbean-based digital creator who celebrates natural hair and cruelty-free beauty @alyssa.marie.xo and on her YouTube channel. “I enjoy using my platforms to share my natural hair journey with full transparency in the hopes that it will encourage my audience to love and

embrace their own unique curls and coils.” Recently featured in the Essence Magazine as an “Influencer You Should Know,” Alyssa continues to empower the global natural hair community with her vibrant and inspirational content. MoDA MAG caught up with Alyssa to learn some of her top tips to get your glow on.

How did your online hair and makeup tutorials start?

I initially started with makeup tutorials. As most young females typically do, I went through an "obsessed with makeup" phase, and because I was so into it, I started to research product ingredients. I was shocked to learn about a ton of toxic ingredients that most people have no idea about, and wanted to share what I learned with whoever would listen. I started creating hair tutorials after my big chop in December 2017. I received TONS of questions from women all over the world, and realized that my journey was inspiring other women to embrace their own natural hair as well. My natural hair journey has changed my life in so many ways, and the thought of me being able to inspire that in someone else is still what keeps me going today!

What are some of your favourite (cruelty free) brands?

Just to name a few, I'd say Fenty Beauty (of course, Caribbean girls run it!), Cover FX, Beauty Bakerie and Anastasia Beverly Hills for makeup. As for hair, I love Deva Curl, Curls, Camille Rose and Briogeo.

How do you create your go-to glow look?

A dewy primer and a cream or liquid blush usually does the trick! My current go-to products are the Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer and the Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek Stick.

What are your top three “desert island” beauty products?

Mineral sunscreen, moisturizer and lip balm

What’s one beauty product people often overlook but should always use?

SUNSCREEN, which is 1000% necessary every single day (yes, even for brownskinned girls)!

What’s one common makeup mistake you wish people wouldn’t make?

Doing their brows too dark, too thick and with too much product. I definitely prefer a more natural-looking brow.

Any tips on day-to-day makeup versus selfie make up?

I love this question, because for me there's a huge difference between the two! I prefer super lightweight day-to-day makeup, like just a dash of powder and lightly filled in brows. For filming or selfies, I usually go all out. I like to look flawless in front of the camera, but I definitely don't walk around looking like that every day.

What are some Instagram accounts that inspire you?

A few of my favourite creatives are @jackieaina, @thepatriciabright, @joyjah, and @desiperkins. And completely unrelated to hair or makeup, @kathy_drayton is such an incredible inspiration for mind and body.

Three beauty products that will be trending in the fall:

You can always expect to see dark red and brown lipsticks in the fall which are my favourite kind of lipsticks to wear. I love the "Chocklava" lipstick (a beautiful deep red) by Beauty Bakerie and "Unveil" liquid lipstick (a gorgeous chocolate brown) by Fenty Beauty. Dark smokey eyes will also become quite popular (do they ever go out of season?!). One of my current favourite eyeshadow palettes is the Jackie Aina palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills. It's super versatile, carrying browns, purples and reds, which will be great for the fall. Lastly, I think we can expect to see a lot of naturalistas rocking their natural hair out in all its glory. Fall is the perfect temperature—not too cold, not too hot—for curly hair!