the beat: Devon Alana of Fake Pockets

Welcome to The Beat, a new TGE feature where our fave artists/bands/people give us tips on makeup! The most feature to ever me! Today we welcome Devon Alana of Fake Pockets.

Makeup and skincare have been an important part of my life since I was in middle school. I developed pretty terrible cystic acne around that time, which I carried well into adulthood, until a hefty course of Accutane finally nuked it out of existence back in 2017 (I know there's a lot of bad press about this medication, but it totally saved my skin. But that could be a whole other post in itself!) I've experienced just about every skin type, from oily & acne-ridden to dry & damaged. Currently, I am somewhere in the middle, with both dry and oily patches.

Skincare Routine

Since I finished Accutane, I've kept my skincare routine as bare-bones and minimal as humanly possible. It's easy for me to get carried away with a lot of products, and end up doing more damage in the long run. 

AM:

- Wipe with a cotton round soaked in Thayers Witch Hazel - a gentle toner that removes the night's dirt & oil

- Eucerin moisturizer w/ SPF

PM:

- If I wore makeup that day, I start by oil cleansing - I usually use hemp seed oil, as it's non-comedogenic and breaks down my makeup completely.

- Double cleanse using Johnson & Johnson's Purpose face wash - this is an underrated gem, a cheap drugstore face wash that has about 3 ingredients and is extremely gentle on the face.

- Wipe with a cotton round soaked in Thayers Witch Hazel (if I didn't wear makeup, I just start with this step)

- Differin - a medication to help with any residual acne I deal with, while also helping to clear up acne scars. I added this recently so I don't have much feedback yet, but my fingers are crossed!

- Moisturize with Eucerin Skin Calming Cream - a gentle moisturizer that will hydrate the heck out of your skin.

- If my skin is very dry, I'll also use a layer of Aquaphor - it definitely feels weird at first, essentially slathering Vaseline on your face, but if you have dry skin I highly recommend giving it a shot. You might wake up with a greasy pillow case, but the baby-soft skin is totally worth it, I promise.

Makeup

Whenever I do my makeup, my first priority is to achieve a smooth base, whether with foundation or a simpler BB cream. But beyond that, it totally varies depending on my mood. If I'm going all out, I like a lot of contrast in my looks - defined brows, a bold lip, and thick winged eyeliner. But if I'm keeping it simpler, I tend to just fill my brows & throw on some mascara. Here are a few of my everyday staples:

Foundation: Too Faced Born This Way. This is one of the only non-drugstore items I use. I got it on a whim when it was on sale, and I really love it. It stays put all day without making my face oily or getting cakey, or turning orange (which many foundations do on my skin). It works great at shows too, there's no flashback from photos and it stands up well against my inevitably sweaty face by the end of a set.

Honorable mention: L'Oreal Infallible Pro Glow - this is a godsend when my skin is on the dryer side, especially in the winter.

BB Cream: If I'm going with BB cream instead of foundation, I use Dr. G Daily Safe. This was a brand I had never heard of before I tried this from Amazon, and it's become a staple. It's hydrating, matches my skin tone, and stays on all day.

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me concealer. I don't know what to say other than I've truly never found a better concealer than this! It's the bomb. By the way, for all foundations, BB creams, and concealers, I'm blending with the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.

Setting powder: Coty Airspun. With oily skin, a setting powder is a necessity to keep my makeup in place. Coty Airspun is like $5 from any drugstore and I think I've had the same container for about 2 years at this point.

Brows: ELF's brow kit is surprisingly solid and stays on all day. For $3, you honestly can't beat it. I don't use the tiny little applicator that comes with it though - I use a double-sided brow brush from Ardell which has a brush on one end, and a spoolie for blending on the other end.

Eyeliner: I love NYX's eyeliners. Their liquid eyeliner is perfect for a winged/cat-eye look, and their retractable eyeliner stick is perfect for a classic smokey eye.

Lipstick: This is where I have the most fun, and also it's the hardest category for me to pick a "favorite". I tend to stick with transfer-proof liquid lipsticks, otherwise I end up with lipstick all over my face (and the microphone) by the end of the night. My big staples right now are Sephora's Cream Lip Stain, NYX Lip Lingerie, and Miliani's Amore Matte Lip Cream. They do a good job of staying put without being too drying throughout the night.