The Clean Girl aesthetic has undoubtedly been ruling beauty for the past few years, but is it finally time for a vibe shift? Makeup artist Sophia Sinot certainly thinks so.
If you don’t know her by name, you’ll recognise her work with Zara Larsson, specifically for the singer’s recent Midnight Sun tour. Far from the minimal makeup looks we’ve gotten accustomed to, Sophia’s glam leans heavily towards bright colours, sparkles, shimmer and lots and lots of rhinestones. Think blends of summery pastel shades, sparkling star-shaped details, glowy tanned skin and bold pink blush – modern pop maximalism with a Y2K twist.
After years of collaboration, Sophia and Zara’s creative partnership has reached new heights, allowing for even more fun and experimentation. “I felt super comfortable with her from the beginning because she has always been open to doing different things and now five years later, we've only built that trust more,” Sophia tells Glamour. “I know her face way better now and at this point, I could do her makeup with my eyes closed!”
Here, we speak to makeup artist Sophia Sinot about her ongoing creative collaboration with Zara Larsson, her current makeup obsessions and her advice for achieving maximal makeup yourself at home.
How did you start working with Zara Larsson? How does your creative collaboration work?
Sophia: Zara and I met in 2020 through an amazing photographer Paul Edwards. He called me on a random evening when I was staying with an ex-boyfriend in London during COVID and asked if I was down to fly to Stockholm to do a shoot with Zara just for fun. I was doing hair and makeup at the time and didn’t have my full kit with me, so on the way to the airport I went to a hair shop to buy a lot of fun wigs and hair extensions – I had done some research on who Zara was and her aesthetic, but I felt like taking a risk and bringing some stuff she wouldn’t usually wear.
Once I arrived in Stockholm, I showed her what I had and she loved it! We did some really creative looks that were different to her usual glam and I think that’s what she liked about me because after that job I was booked to work with her in London for an entire week.
Were the looks for the tour all planned in advance or was there some room for experimentation?
Sophia: I knew that we wanted to combine some old looks and newer looks, but we did it in an elevated pop star way. I made a quick moodboard to send to Zara, but we both knew we would end up freestyling it. Sometimes I like to plan ahead, but sometimes I like to go with the flow because I love to get inspired as I go.
For example, the look we did at the Malmö show in Sweden was inspired by a reference of Beyoncé at the 2006 BET Awards. I told the group chat I really wanted to do a look like it in the future, but I didn’t know when. The day before the show, we were in Copenhagen and the hairstylist, Rodrigo Sardina, brought some hair accessories including stars that you could stick in the hair. I immediately saw the vision and wanted to stick them all over Zara’s legs, up her side, her arms, her hand and the side of her face. The biggest challenge was making sure they stayed on. I prepped her skin with some alcohol and stuck them on with layers of lash glue. I didn’t use any oily or greasy body glow products, but kept her signature glow by adding loose glitter all over.
Which makeup products have been your go-tos in creating the looks for the tour?
Sophia: Since every show had a completely new conceptual glam, I used different products for each show. The base is super important and I really love to use Anastasia Beverly Hills Impeccable Blurring Second Skin Matte Foundation in the shade 3WO – it has beautiful olive undertones. I also love the classic Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Eraser Concealer, it’s one of the first products I ever bought when I discovered my love for makeup and I’m still obsessed with it. It’s super hydrating, not heavy and long-wearing. I also love the Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Waterproof Mascara. I especially love to use waterproof mascara on the bottom lashes to make sure nothing smudges when Zara is dancing and whipping her hair around.
Last but not least, the rhinestones. I always order my rhinestones from Amazon, the quality is so great and they really shine on stage. I apply them with Eyelure 18 Hour Lash Glue to make sure they don’t fall off. I swear I’ve finished seven tubes of lash glue during the tour!
The gems are definitely a standout part of the looks, why did you want to use them as a signature and what are your tips for incorporating them into makeup looks?
Sophia: The gems really are the star of the show. What I love so much about them is that they catch the stage lights and reflect so beautifully – not only for the naked eye, but also on your phone camera and the big screens in the arenas. That reflection always reminded me of the light of the sun reflecting on the water of the ocean, which for me was so Midnight Sun. It has a super glamorous, show girl vibe, but also has a beautifully calm radiating energy.
The easiest way to elevate your go-to glam is adding some rhinestones to your eyes. They’re super easy to apply with a wax pen and some lash glue and are perfect for any season – but they’re especially fun for Christmas and New Years Eve. I love that you’re not limited to one certain look, you can put them literally anywhere you want, as many as you want, in whatever shape you want and you can’t really go wrong. That’s why a lot of people at home have so much fun recreating the looks because no matter how good you are at makeup, you can throw some rhinestones on and it’s a look! It really elevates every single makeup glam to the next level and is so easy to apply. The best way is with some lash glue and a little wax rhinestone pen that you can buy on Amazon.
You posted online about “ending the clean girl era” – why is now a great time for fun, maximal makeup to make a comeback?
Sophia: Even though I really love natural beauty, I feel like everyone has been looking exactly the same lately – we’re all following each other and end up with the same aesthetic. It’s not just in beauty – interior design, product design, fashion – everything has become more “neutral and clean, which can be beautiful and futuristic, but we’ve pushed it so far that we’ve left little room for individuality. It’s interesting because biologically colour activates the visual cortex more strongly and boosts dopamine, which can make us feel more energised, creative and emotionally connected compared to neutral tones.
Makeup is the place where I can be playful and expressive and I want to experiment endlessly – it only takes a few makeup wipes to start from zero again. I want everyone to remember that creativity and self-expression is part of being human and makeup is one of the easiest places to let that shine and show our uniqueness.
What has it been like to see the response to the looks you've created and how much they’ve been resonating with people online?
Sophia: Honestly it’s been surreal. I’ve had so many messages from people all over the world telling me how I helped them feel inspired after not feeling inspired for a long time. Or it pushed people to try out makeup for the first time in their lives which is so special to me. Makeup brings me so much joy and I wish everyone on Earth could experience what I feel like when I do makeup. To play a small role in how it makes others feel means the world to me.
What are your current makeup obsessions?
Sophia: Maria Catalá makeup brushes are my absolute favourite brushes right now, the shape of the brushes are so perfect and they’re really soft and super easy to clean. I have two sets, one for my makeup kit and one in my personal makeup bag. I have also been loving the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Stix – they’re super hydrating and if you want a sparkly lip combo without using a gloss, this is the perfect product to use, especially on stage. Of course, the MAC Cosmetics Lip Pencil! I have always been the biggest fan of the brand and they have the best colour range.
How has working on the Midnight Sun tour helped you develop as an artist?
Sophia: I’ve learned to be more proud and present when it comes to my art. I’ve been posting my makeup everywhere, but have sometimes been a bit vague about actually doing the glam myself. For example, I posted a few TikToks saying ‘makeup by me’ and got a lot of comments saying that I should claim my name more – people on Twitter were reminding me about this too. I’ve never been too comfortable with that because I sometimes like to share my art mysteriously, without me being the focus. They’re right though, I do need to claim my artistry more, especially because a lot of my older looks that went viral aren’t widely known as being my work. I still have a long way to go though, hell has to freeze over before I get over my fear of doing a masterclass.
