At Home With… Yasmin Jay

What are you listening to, watching, reading?
“I'm so grateful that I get to stay safe at home but iso is making me bored out of my brains! I'm used to being on the go all the time so I've had to find ways to keep myself busy and productive. Everything from listening to some Gary Vee podcasts for motivation and bingeing 16 seasons of Grey's Anatomy, to cleaning, creating content and manufacturing samples for my namesake clothing brand in the works – Yasmin Jay Designs – it's been a pretty crazy quarantine period!”

Have you found ramadan fasting harder while in iso? What's been different to other years? AWAITING RESPONSE via Betty 

How long did your pre-iso beauty routine take?
“Creating my everyday look can take me anywhere between 10 and 15 mins! Prepping my face starts with moisturiser and sunscreen to protect skin from UV rays and then on goes my primer. The foundation I choose depends on where I’m heading for the day. I either use a BB cream or tinted moisturiser – lightweight texture makes my skin feel so silky and I love how adding another layer for extra coverage doesn't appear cakey. Bonus points for SPF 30+ – the less steps for me the better!”

And now, during iso?
“This surprises a lot of people because they are used to seeing me at events or in social media posts with my face all done up, but when I am at home or just hanging out with friends or family, my face is always bare. So my skin has been getting a good rest apart from when I am filming content. I am really into skincare these days and I'm having fun exploring new products for my sensitive and pigmented skin. More facials and masks – a good opportunity to allow my skin to breath and clean out my pores.”

What are your never-miss steps?
“It starts with sunscreen! It's second nature for me to apply everyday. I think it's so important to protect skin from the sun. And then onto concealer to hide my dark circles and brighten up the high points of my face. I apply concealer under my eyes, forehead, bridge of my nose, smile lines as I have some pigmentation in that area and chin. Blend, blend, blend! I finish off my dewy look with a cream bronzer and blush for some colour.”

Who do you look to as a beauty icon?
“There are so many beauty icons I look up to that if I list all of them, it will take up this whole piece! Danielle Marcan is my muse when it comes to makeup. She pulls off creating a soft, effortless glowy base for her skin, which I love because I always opt for lighter coverage – I love the freshness it gives my face. Authenticity is key and I think we should embrace our flaws instead of covering them up. When Habiba Da Silva creates looks, her Brazilian/Lebanese background really shines through – this inspires me to express my Lebanese heritage.”